101 Surprising Facts About St. Peter's and the Vatican , livre ebook

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What do you really know about Vatican City? The Vatican, comprising the Apostolic Palace, St. Peter's Basilica, and various other buildings, serves as the headquarters of the Catholic Church. It has done so for nearly two millennium ever since the first Pope, St. Peter, made it his home. Thousands of Catholics flock to the Vatican and its iconic basilica each year. But what do you really know about this great basilica and the city that houses it? Here, Father Jeffrey Kirby takes you on a whirlwind tour of this little country (yes, Vatican City is its own country, Fact # 2) and uncovers the secrets and surprising facts about the city, and its famous church. Discover what language degree you need to work a Vatican ATM, what archi tectural feature of St. Peter's is a map of the universe, and even what the pope's license plate number is. Along the way, you'll find the deep theological meaning woven into the design and architectural features of St. Peter's Basilica and Vatican. Whether you've already been to Rome or are still planning your first trip, 101 Surprising Facts About the Vatican will transport you to Basilica and City at the heart of the Catholic Church and enable you to appreciate them like never before.

Sujets

Philosophie et théologie

Catholic Church

Christian Church

Italy

My Last Duchess

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Publié par	St. Benedict Press LLC
Date de parution	31 mars 2015
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781618907011
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	5 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0400€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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V atica n

about St. Peter’s and the

101
Surprising
Facts

Copyright © 2015 Fr. Jeffrey Kirby, S.T.L.
All rights reserved. With the exception of short excerpts used in articles and critical reviews, no part of this work may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in any form whatsoever, printed or electron- ic, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights re- served.
Cover and interior design by Caroline Kiser
Photos copyright © Justin Gaeta unless otherwise noted in image credits
Cataloging-in-Publication data on file with the Library of Congress
ISBN: 978-1-61890-687-8
Published in the United States by Saint Benedict Press, LLC PO Box 410487 Charlotte, NC 28241 www.SaintBenedictPress.com
Printed and bound in the United States of America

V atica n

about St. Peter’s and the

101
Surprising
Facts

Fr. jeffrey kirby, S.T.L.

With Original Photographs from Justin and Challiss Gaeta

To the Priests and Seminarians of the Pontifical North American College Vatican City State

J esus Christ is the center of the Catholic faith, as St. Peter the Apostle boldly pro- claimed in Jerusalem 2,000 year ago: “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
It is not surprising then that, when one approaches the monumental setting of St. Peter’s Square and Basilica in Rome, this truth is grandly displayed. On the center top of the external façade of the basilica, there stands a giant statue of the Risen Lord Jesus, triumphant and holding the Cross on which he saved humanity, his hand lifted in blessing over all who enter this largest church in the world. In the center of the great square stands the 135-foot obelisk on which is carved the words: “Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ rules.”
Only in the spirit of deep Christian faith can one truly appreciate the awesome structure that is St. Peter’s Basilica. Peter himself was Jesus’ chief disciple, the one to whom the Lord entrusted the continuation of his own mis- sion—“I tell you, you are the ‘Rock’ ( petras ),
and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
Peter courageously took up his mission, as his first sermon in Jerusalem bears wit- ness. He fulfilled Jesus’ command to him: “Strengthen your brethren” (cf. Luke 22:32). Eventually Peter came to Rome where there was already a strong Jewish community to whom he could first announce the fulfillment of their hopes in the person of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.
It seems that this early Jewish-Christian community became a scapegoat used by the Emperor Nero to deflect blame for the disas- trous fire which destroyed much of Rome in 64 ad . Jews and Christians were cruelly tortured and Peter himself was crucified (upside down, at his request) in the area of the Vatican Hill. The early Christians took his relics and interred them in the existing necropolis on the Vatican Hill. A Roman priest, Gaius, put up a small wall shrine to protect the relics.
When, after centuries of persecution, Christianity became legalized in 313 ad by

Foreword

Foreword

Constantine, the Emperor wished to erect a fitting monument to St. Peter. The Emperor leveled the Vatican Hill at the exact spot of Peter’s shrine and built a worthy church over it.
This first St. Peter’s Basilica understand- ably became a major center of worship and pilgrimage for Christians all over Europe. From the time of Pope St. Gregory the Great (590–604 ad ), there has been an uninterrupted group of praying clergy at the basilica. In 1053 ad , Pope Leo IX created an Archpriest and a body of Canons—priests who would be respon- sible for divine worship on a stable basis. This group has continued this privileged task for about a thousand years. In 2013, I was hum- bled to be named to this Chapter of Canons by Pope Benedict XVI—the only American serving in this capacity.
In 1506 ad , Pope Julius II decided to replace the Constantinian Basilica, which by his time was in disrepair and collapsing. The pope employed the greatest Renaissance geniuses—Michelangelo, Raphael, Bramante, and Bernini—to build a worthy replacement. The new basilica became the greatest Church
in Christendom and a visible sign of Christ’s saving mission on earth and of St. Peter’s essential role in the foundation of the Church.
St. Peter’s Basilica, therefore, is not a museum, nor is it merely an extraordinary architectural achievement. It is a monument to faith. A monument that still in the 21st century proclaims to contemporary secular men and women that the greatest human endeavor is the effort to know God and His will and to embrace the salvation he has given to us through Jesus Christ. It is a salvation transmit- ted by his Church, of which St. Peter and his successor are Christ’s vicars.
We can all be grateful to Fr. Jeffrey Kirby, whose knowledge and love of St. Peter’s Basilica has produced this handsome volume. May its readers come to share his vibrant faith and his appreciation of this singular church.

Rev. Msgr. Francis D. Kelly
Canon of St. Peter’s Basilica
Vatican City State

The pope is the sovereign of his own country

A s an independent nation, the Vatican City State is governed by the pope, who has full executive, legislative, and judicial power. Governmentally, it is one of a few remaining absolute monarchies in the world.

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The Vatican’s sovereignty has been recognized since the fourth century

T he Church, under the term “Holy See,” has been a recognized inter- national government since the fourth century. The term refers to the pope’s sedes , or chair, and is a symbol of the authority given to the pope by the Lord Jesus. The term “Holy See” distinc-

tively refers to the Catholic Church as an international body, but also includes its temporal jurisdiction of the Vatican City State. As a recognized interna- tional body, the Holy See exchanges diplomatic relations with more than 180 countries, including the United States of America.

“Praise the Lord, all nations!”
Psalm 117:1

The pope delegates some of his temporal powers

L egislative authority is given to the unicameral Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, a group of Cardinals appointed by the pope for a five-year term. Executive author- ity is given to the President of this Commission, who has the title “President of the Governorate of Vatican City.” Judicial authority is given to a

Supreme Court consisting of three Cardinals. The judiciary also consists of several smaller courts, whose judges consist of both clergy and laity. In 2012, the butler of Pope Benedict XVI was tried by the Vatican Courts for leaking confidential information. In a televised five-day trial, he was found guilty and given an eighteen-month jail sentence, later suspended by the pope.

“<?ACE 7?>For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function.”
—Romans 12:4

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The flag of the Vatican is square

Latin is the official language of the Holy See

A lthough the operating language is predominately Italian, the Vatican City State uses Latin as its official lan- guage. As a consequence, Latin can be found throughout the Vatican, in gov- ernment documents, on monuments,

T he Vatican flag is one of two square country flags in the world (the other being Switzerland). Modeled on the infan- try flag of the former Papal States, the Vatican flag consists of two vertical bands: one gold (hoist side) and the other white. The Vatican City State’s coat-of-arms is placed on the white half of the flag. The coat-of- arms consists of the papal tiara (triple crown) with a gold key and a silver key crossed and held together by a red cord. In 1969, the Vatican flag was taken to the moon on the Apollo 11 mission. It was later returned to the pope, and can now be seen in the Vatican Museums.

and stamps. Even the greeting on the automative teller machine, called a Bankomat, for the Vatican Bank is in Latin: Insertio scidulam quaeso ut faciundam cognoscas rationem (Insert your card for the account to be recognized).

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W hile many may hear the word “palace” and assume something grandiose, the word palazzo —trans- lated as “palace”—can also mean simply “a large building.” In seeing the Apostolic Palace, one understands

that the residence is nothing like Buckingham Palace of London, but is really a simple collection of regular buildings that compose the pope’s offi- cial residence and office.

The official office and residence of the pope is the Apostolic Palace

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U pon his election in 2013, Pope Francis surpris