Quiet, We're in Church

Today we had the chance to visit many of Rome’s larger churches, namely St. John Lateran. We began, however, with a visit underneath a 12^th century Basilica. This 12^th century basilica was built on top of a 4^th century basilica. This older basilica was never actually underground, for it was built at the ground level of the 4^th century, which has risen considerably since that time. This visit to the underground basilica was especially eerie, as we walked through the halls of the ancient place of worship. After lunch, we spent over an hour inside St John Lateran, which was the original Papal seat until the 18^th century. I thought I had seen impressive churches so far, but St. John Lateran was the most incredible interior structure I have seen. The inside was covered with gold, a dozen larger-than-life statues lined the walls, and, in the center, stood the altar from which only the Pope can conduct mass. In the side chapels, daily masses were in progress, while tourists and Catholics spent time exploring the building’s impeccable detail. I am not kidding when I say that every inch of the interior was either a detailed painting, sculpture, or carved metal. As the day progressed, I continued to be blown away by the amount of work that went into creating these buildings, but I was especially impressed by our second to last stop, Santa Maria della Vittoria. While this church was only one quarter of the size of St. John Lateran, it was so beautifully painted that the entire interior looked like a single work of art. White statues of angels seemed to fly amidst the artwork, while three-dimensional clouds protruded from every corner of the building. These structures do not compare to anything I have ever seen and were so elaborate that even our modern cameras cannot begin to replicate their beauty. Perhaps there is something to be said for the fact that words and pictures cannot depict the magnificence of these churches. When a camera’s flash is on, the nuns yell at you, but when it is off, the images are blurry and dark. It’s a lot like faith itself. There is no “express-way” to eternal life; it is something that we must see and believe for ourselves.

 St. John Lateran

Santa Maria della Vittoria