This post continues the chronicles of Steve Bridge’s class trip to Rome.
We were off to an early start this morning. We woke up around 6 and walked to the Metro. We got off at Saint Peter’s Square and waited in a long line for the Papal Audience. The line moved really slowly, and by the time we got up to the front, bottle-necked entrance, we were all squeezed together so tightly, that passing through felt a lot like birth. Upon entering the Vatican, we were surrounded by soaring Roman columns and statues of saints. There were several large, elaborate fountains and an Obelisk centerpiece. We made our way through the middle of the crowd and selected our seats.
The Pope appeared about 9:30 and circled the crowd in his Pope-mobile, stopping frequently to shake hands, speak with children, and kiss babies. At one point, he stopped just a few feet from Dr. Bridge, who was able to snap a couple of close-up photos of him in action. Pope Francis was smiling ear to ear; he seemed to be genuinely enjoying his time with the people.
The general assembly itself consisted of Papa Francesco’s homily in Italian, followed by several translations. Some of the languages included were English, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Arabic, and French. After all of the translations, the crowd then joined the Pope in the Latin version of the Lord’s Prayer. Following the prayer, the Pope offered a general blessing of items. I brought along a souvenir of mine, and I now possess a blessed stuffed giraffe that I’ve nick-named Franky, in honor of the Pope.
Following the conclusion of the General Audience, we hit up a genuine Italian bakery. Some of the delicacies that we bought included cream puffs, chocolate cake, white cake with fresh fruit on top, and cannoli. We made our way back to the apartment, where we did as the Romans do and indulged in a well-deserved siesta.
Later that afternoon, we ventured down the street to the Church of San Clemente. This church consists of three churches within one. The first level features gorgeous gold plated ceilings and tiled mosaics. A second one is about 12 feet below the top level church. This second level dates back to the 4th century AD. This church was used up until the 12th century, when it was deliberately filled in to build the newer, top-level church. The 4th century Roman church contained fairly well-preserved frescos of San Clemente (the third successor to Saint Peter).
The lowest level church is about 35 feet below current day street level. This part of the church dates back to the 1st century AD. It was originally dedicated to the ancient god Mithras. Unlike some of the other Roman gods, Mithras was not as popular among the Romans. Our knowledge of him today is derived from literacies, artifacts, and Mithraic monuments—like the one that appears in San Clemente.
After the church, we went grocery shopping. The four of us students prepared our very own dinner. This was a bit of a first for us, and I’m happy to report that it was a success. Dr. Callaway arrived after dinner, and—as is now our tradition—we capped off the night with gelato.
Submitted by Aprille Hibbard