Monday, August 16, 2010

What do you keep in YOUR Basement?


At the Vatican, they keep the mortal remains of all the Popes in what I lovingly call "The Pope Cellar" AKA the basement under St. Peter's Basilica. At the center of the place, directly under the massive dome (designed by Michaelangelo) and under the high alter where the Pope says mass now and then, lies the alleged tomb of St. Peter himself (which is why the Basilica is where it is of course...) The whole damn place was built as a grave marker and just got out of control from there. The latest pontiff to be interred in the Pope Cellar is none other than Pope John Paul II. A lot of the popes down there had rather ornate sarcoughogous, complete with sculptures on the lid depicting their contents. Creepy. JP2 had a simple marble slab with his name, years of birth and death, and a big Chi Ro. Simple and humble, as it should be. I was impressed.

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