Splendors of the Vatican

On New Years Eve, AJ and I got to go on a real date. Not one squeezed into a two hour block. Not a dinner and movie at our local mall. Thanks to grandparents in town, we went over the Minnesota History Center to see Splendors of the Vatican. On display were mosaics of the apostles, a compass Michalangelo used on the frescos of Sistine Chapel ceiling, several reliquaries, including one containing what is said to be bone fragments of St Peter, and many papal articles including the pastoral staff of Pope John Paul and the papal garb that Pope Benedict didn't choose (apparently three cassocks--is that what they are called?--are laid out for the new pope and whichever fits best is worn to greet the well-wishes at St Peter's, while the other two are stashed away at the Vatican). When we were in Italy three years ago, the Vatican was my most favorite site. I loved looking at the art, the Sistine Chapel was amazing, and St Peter's was awesome, in all that that word symbolizes. Someday, I want to go back to Rome on the off-est of the off season so that I can enjoy a bit more solitude in the Sistine Chapel rather than standing shoulder to shoulder with loads of other tourists.

There is something about the Catholic church that calls to me. The unbroken connection to the time of Christ, no matter what depravity and dark periods the church passed through, is powerful. The Catholic churches I have visited feel otherworldly--the Gregorian chanting of Vespers, the deep silence of stone walls, and the art portraying Jesus, Mary, and the Saints. While some people think they are creepy, I like the relics--like the bones of apostles, the finger of St Anthony in Padova, as well as other physical objects like the chains that Peter was supposedly held in. We also saw the Mandylion of Edessa at the museum, which was a cloth taken to Jesus for him to touch, in order that his power might be transferred to a sick individual for healing. He is said to have placed the cloth over his face, and when he pulled it away, an image of his face remained. It was preserved in ornate fashion, encapsulated in gold and jewels. Relics are venerated by believers because the holiness of the person is said to still reside in these bone fragments or objects that they touched. I like the idea of physical objects that connect me to someone who lived hundreds of years ago.

I also like the Catholic emphasis on Mary. While Mormons typically downplay Mary to some extent because we don't want people from other religions to think that worship her, I like seeing images of her and feeling the great respect and reverence that Catholics have for her. I like that there is a woman who is venerated, and yes, even worshipped. To me, the Catholics get closer to the idea of a sacred feminine than the Mormons do, because even though we profess belief in a Mother God, we never talk about her, never compose paintings of her, and are generally left to our own imagination about her characteristics.

I am also drawn to the Saints. Partly, it's the idea that good people can act as vessels of God's mercy and miracles. People who are canonized as saints enter into the Catholic fabric, and become bedtime stories for children and examples of moral behavior and discipleship that inspire followers. I must also admit that I love that women can be saints, that their stories too can be told and retold, and that their lives serve as inspiration. I have wanted for some time to learn more about the stories of the Catholic saints. I picked up a 2009 calendar of saints for my office, and am looking for some reading material to help me learn about them.

And after the museum, we shared a delicious meal at a Kurdish restaurant called Babani's. Ahh. It was so nice sitting there without the kids.