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| From 2024 12 22 Rome |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from inside St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Just inside the Jubilee Year's Holy Door stands Michelangelo's Pietà, which along with Michelangelo's David, get my vote for most beautiful statues ever made. David for its bravado. The Pietà for its pathos.
"Marble folds like cloth,
a mother cradles her son,
sorrow carved in stone."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 12 22 Rome |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from inside St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on Christmas Day. According to Wikipedia, "It was initially planned in the 15th century by Pope Nicholas V and then Pope Julius II to replace the ageing Old St. Peter's Basilica, which was built in the fourth century by Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Construction of the present basilica began on 18 April 1506 and was completed on 18 November 1626."
"Family gathered
beneath gold decorated
ceiling far above."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 12 22 Rome |
Today's photo-of-the-day is at the open Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on Christmas Day. According to Wikipedia, "A Holy Door is traditionally an entrance portal located within the Papal major basilicas in Rome. The doors are normally sealed by mortar and cement from the inside so that they cannot be opened. They are ceremonially opened during Jubilee years designated by the Pope, for throngs of pilgrims to enter the basilica through those doors to gain the plenary indulgences attached with the Jubilee year celebrations."
We witnessed Pope Francis open St. Peter's Holy Door on Christmas Eve, which marked the beginning of the Jubilee Year 2025. We returned on Christmas Day to walk through it ourselves, along with thousands of pilgrims.
Bonus photos are after the jump.
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| From 2024 12 22 Rome |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on Christmas Day. Our family is attending the Pope's Urbi et Orbi address. According to Wikipedia; "The Urbi et Orbi address and blessing is the most solemn form of blessing in the Catholic Church, and is reserved for the most solemn occasions. These occasions include Easter, Christmas, and the proclamation of a newly elected pope concluding a conclave...Urbi et Orbi blessings are usually given from the central loggia of Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, at noon." So, even though we were just there on Christmas Eve, we returned on Christmas morning to hear Pope Francis's address and receive his blessing.
Bonus photos are after the jump.
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| From 2024 12 22 Rome |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from a cafe by the River Tiber outside Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome. It's where we stopped on our walk back to our hotel from the Vatican to enjoy hot chocolate. Our family's Christmas Eve in Rome will forever be our favorite Christmas memory.
A bonus photo is after the jump.
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| From 2024 12 22 Rome |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. The photo was taken on Christmas Eve during our family vacation in Rome. We witnessed (via a big screen TV in Vatican Square) Pope Francis opening the Jubilee Door.
A bonus photo is after the jump.
I've been keeping a collection of civic virtues that I once thought were generally non-controversial in American politics, but as I get older I'm finding aren't universally valued at all. Civic virtues like tolerance, compromise, and civility, even virtues like kindness, and democracy itself are no longer valued by some.
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