Saint Peters Basilica from Saint Peters Square in the Vatican City. It says that at least 25 million people visit the church yearly.
Every single day throngs of crowds, in the thousands, are queuing up patiently to get a glimpse of the grandiose Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City. Many that are standing in the line are tourists, while some are pilgrims, devotees of the oldest organized religion in the world, the Roman Catholic Church.
I have personally seen many great churches in my 37 years of existence but no one could ever match Saint Peter’s Church in the Vatican. It is unequaled, incomparable. Ask any art enthusiast or world traveler who has seen everything what life can offer and I am pretty sure they will be nodding and saying the same thing. That’s why I call Saint Peter’s Basilica as the mother of all churches.
The Baldachinno, a creation and masterpiece of Bernini rises above to meet the exquisite dome of Saint Peters Basilica, the mother of all churches.
So when I stepped inside the basilica, powerful emotions seized me. I froze in time. I had trouble expressing what I saw and felt. Words escaped from my mouth. Like everyone else, I was flat awed… I was literally bowled over. There is so much indescribable opulence before me. Too much. The pure extravagance was overpowering that I started to feel faint.
I am torn apart.
I love art. I am an artist by heart, will always be. And I love history too, but…
More fotos can be found here: Vatican City
The altar looking through the baldachinno. Next foto is the view from the baldachinno halfway to the altar looking to the narthex – pure opulence, look at the ceiling, the walls, the arches, the cornices, everything is lined with gold. It makes me feel sinful just to stare at these licentiousness.
The baldachinno of the distinguished Bernini in golden black is very intimidating. I wanted to touch it. Just feel it. Its grand structure rises above the nave, meeting the obscurely and lavishly designed dome ceiling of the church. Everything is gold, the colors, the linings, just about everything.
Saint Peters Basilica has a series of arcades and each will surprise you with nothing less than opulence.
But, I am still torn apart…
How could the Vatican coldly and selfishly turn a blind eye and construct this magnificent building when many of its own community are living in destitute conditions? There are many stanch Catholics in Latin America and the Philippines living in huts.
Isn’t debauchery a mortal sin? Why have the church lived a decadent and wasteful life?
Swiss guards in their centuries old uniform (they look like circus clowns really, lol) , the guards of the Pope – they are really Swiss you know. Next foto is a view to Saint Peters Square.
Flashbacks of Jose Rizal: Noli me Tangere. El Filibusterismo.
I detest blind obedience. When people follow a tradition, a belief, without knowing the fundamentals and understanding the upshot of it; when people are too proud and caught up with the honour icon-ization to see the reality; when people are too short-sighted and closed to see and experience new horizons; and when people can’t think and act for themselves.
List of Popes that served the Roman Catholic Church including Saint Peter, the rock – upon this rock I will build my Church, being contested by protestants that the rock Jesus said means stone, and that the real rock is Jesus himself. Oh well. A lot of people died because of religion. Everyone’s interpretation is always right, and everyone’s opinion too.
I am being confronted.
Perhaps because I have seen and experience first hand the strong influence of the Catholic Church, like opium to the masses (quote Karl Marx) the Catholic Church reigns, a scion with a sword grafted into every Filipino’s skin. This experience is closer to home than I have ever thought.
I cannot appreciate this great work of art without seeing the dark history behind her.
I cannot praise this work of art when all the riches came from its poor brethren all over the world.
I’m awed at this magnificent work of art but angered by the selfishness and neglect of the needy. Is this what they call Christianity?
Saint Peters Square in Vatican City, now a UNESCO world heritage.
Oh, I almost forgot, there’s the Sistine Chapel that I should visit – but I have lost my appetite already.
I left Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican City with a mix heart – elated yet annoyed. It is a very strange feeling. I’ll come back again and hopefully this time I would be less critical. I hope.
History is history. Or does history repeats itself? In other forms? In other ways?