325: Week 6 Blog

Journal Prompt:  The Pope’s address on Easter and Christmas always begins, “ Urbi et Orbi”  - “To the City of Rome and to the World.” The term “Roman Catholic” also suggests that there is something “roman” and something “universal” about the Church. In what sense is the Church “roman” and in what sense is it “global?”

            Over the past month and a half, we have spent every day studying, visiting, talking about, and reading about Rome and its history.  The thing that has stuck out the most to me is that every aspect of Rome, whether the art, the ancient ruins, or the sculptures, has a religious background or interpretation.  This leads me to understand that the church is very Roman.  When the church began with Constantine, ancient Romans were accustomed to creating extravagant alters and temples and places of worship for their gods.  Naturally, when the Roman religion focused to one God, the Romans continued the tradition of honoring God in the most prestigious way possible.  The best painters, the best sculptors, and the best architects were hired to create magnificent places to worship God.  This is important because it means that the churches and basilicas were created by Romans, and we still reflect on and study their styles and techniques to this day.  Therefore, the art influence on the church has given it many Roman characteristics.

The look of the church is only one part that characterizes it.  There is a second approach to viewing the church as “roman”.  As history proves, the pope is the successor of St. Peter.  This is very important considering that St. Peter was the first Bishop of Rome.  Additionally, the pope is the leader for the Catholic Church, all over the world.  This creates a really strong tie between the church and Rome, because historically, they are deeply connected.  The pope’s jurisdiction is called the “Apostolic See”, which is a tradition of the Church that exists because St. Peter was martyred in Rome.  The origin of the church was during ancient Romans times, and from these examples we can see that the traditions have continued into the Church that we know today.  Combining the ancient traditions and art of Rome with the successive line of bishops, starting with St. Peter, gives us a “roman” aspect to the church today.   

The Pope has always been located in the separate state of Vatican City, but throughout time he has been a church leader to more than just Rome.  People from all corners of the world, whether their religion is Catholic or not, look to the Pope an important spiritual guide.  The Pope speaks from the viewpoint of the church, which in turn causes the church to have a very universal aspect.  Through the Pope, people all over the world are inspired and influenced by the church.  It does not necessarily matter whether people follow the Catholic ways or are a believer in another form of religion; it is simply that the Pope brings encouragement and moral guidance that all people benefit from receiving.

I did not understand this, truthfully at all, until we discussed the papal audience and then became a part of it.  I saw inspiration in so many diverse people, and even experienced this feeling myself.  For the majority of the trip, I have felt a sense of separation from a lot of the spiritual situations we have encountered.  I did not identify with a lot of the Catholic traditions and extravagances, because all my life I have been of protestant faith.  However, starting with the visit to St. Peter’s Basilica, things started to appear to me in a different light.  I have realized that the things I am seeing are all connected to what I believe in also, and suddenly my religion has a past that I can understand and that feels real.  It was then that the role of the Pope in the world started to make sense to me, and I was really excited to be a member of his audience.  It does not matter that our religions are not the same; the Pope offers his guidance to everyone.  As I soaked in all that was going on around us on Wednesday, this became more and more clear.

By observing the Papal address, I got the greatest sense of how universal the church is. People came from all over the world on Wednesday to receive the blessed words that the Pope had to offer.  As the leader of the church, this gives the church a very universal sense.  The adoration that people show for the Pope speaks for this “universality” in itself.  People everywhere were on the edge of their seats, prepared to show the Pope in every way possible that they were there to support him.  By taking the time and effort to speak in seven different languages, the Pope shows his acceptance and appreciation of all people.  In return, people are truly touched by the Pope’s efforts to create a universal understanding.  For example, I saw two women from Brazil that looked like two children anticipating Christmas morning.  When Pope Benedict began to speak in Portuguese, they were so touched by hearing and understanding his words that they began to cry.  This truly says something for the Pope’s efforts to reach people all over the world and speak on behalf of the church. 

I am so glad to have that unforgettable experience of seeing the Pope.