Inside the Apostolic Palace and outside the Lateran Basilicads

The Clementine Audience Hall where we heard the Holy Father address the Transplant conference:


The Arms of Clement VIII


Mahometans bringing tribute to the Pope


On the ceiling, "Religion" offers the keys to the Pope in heaven.


How's your Latin?


An angel escorts the innocents of the New World to the light of the True Faith.


Got a nice personal tour of the Lateran Basilica yesterday. It is not often realised that this church, first built in the 4th century, is actually the Cathedral of the diocese of Rome, not St. Peter's, and therefore has a higher ranking than St. Peter's. It houses a fragment of the table used by Christ at the Last Supper, and the altar that is beneath this precious relic is not consecrated. The consecrating of an altar in a Catholic Church is meant to link the altar to this most sacred mensa. When one has the original, however, a further consecration is a mere superfluity.

The only pics I have of the Basilica, however, are of the outside. My camera battery gave me the signal that it, like my feet and back, are too tired for a trip through the mother church of all Christendom.




These bronze doors were the original doors to the ancient Senate of Rome (except for the stars).


On the way to the train home at the end of a wonderful day. This young monk is from the St. Benedict Centre, not the one in Still River, but another one associated with them. My friend Eric and I spotted him when we got on the Metro and remembered that he has been attending Mass at Ssma. Trinita in the last few days. (Eric asked me to crop out my handbag, and I did try, but Photobucket won't save the cropped version and I can't get the stupid thing to work, so I note here that Eric kindly held my handbag and brolly to allow me both hands to use the camera.)