St Peter’s Basilica: Papal Blessing on May Day in Rome

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May Day, the 1^st of May, is celebrated throughout Europe. Initially to welcome spring, it is now, at least in Italy, a holiday for the workers and called Labour Day. My sister and I decided to join the crowds at mass in St Peter’s before our planned tour of ‘Crypts and Catacombs’ with Viator tours that afternoon.

Inside, the cathedral was packed with onlookers, crowded into the rear section as mass was in progress and tourists were not welcome at that time. Having been raised as Catholics we had no trouble convincing the guards that we intended to participate in the mass, not use our cameras, and generally conduct ourselves with decorum.

 

I expected a fairly full church, but it was obvious that this was a special mass – the whole of the central section was filled, mainly with nuns and clergy of all levels.

 

 

Papal Swiss guards, in their colourful uniforms, were like glittering decorations amongst the creams and blacks of religious robes, but there was serious purpose in their measured strides and attentive demeanor. Military and police uniforms were also in abundance.

We walked quietly towards the front of the church and although we had to stay outside the temporarily fenced area, we could hear and see most of the action on the main altar. Susanne stood beside the fence, from where she was able to take most of the photos used here. My leg was aching, so I sat on a kneeler in front of a statue of Mary. Closing my eyes, I was carried away by the voices of nuns and priests singing the Mass in Latin, some of which I remembered from all those Sundays throughout my childhood, when we endeavoured to produce equally beautiful sounds; soul stirring and up-lifting.

The readings (epistle and gospel) plus the sermon were spoken in Italian, most of which I couldn’t understand, but with so many ‘paces’ in the message, I gathered we were praying for peace in the world. We were surprised and disappointed to find that communion was only offered to those taking part in the actual ceremony up on the altar. All those visiting nuns and priests in the congregation missed out on receiving the sacrament. Having travelled so far, (we had noticed lots of them arriving at the airport with us) this must surely have been a big letdown for them.

From our position at the front of the cathedral, we had quite a walk to get back to the famous Pieta by Michelangelo. Wanting my sister to see it without impossible crowds in front of us, we left the service early. I had seen it on two previous visits, before it was attacked. Now behind glass, which protects it from about three metres away, it’s rather less impressive, but Susanne was thrilled and pleased to be allowed to take photos.

After yet more photos, we walked outside and down the steps, prepared to leave the Vatican, but the crowds out there were nearly as big as inside. Something special was about to happen.

Most of the area in the forecourt in front of the cathedral was fenced off. I never worked out why, but we positioned ourselves as close as we could to this fence as it seemed to be a popular viewing spot. A huge television screen was set up behind us and the crowds, mainly young people, were becoming more excited, anticipating whatever it was that they knew would happen.

With mass over, we could see, on the opposite side of the forecourt, row upon row of the pope’s Swiss guards, plus police and other uniformed people, marching away from the church, to line up in the walkway where we had entered on our way to the cathedral.

 

 

I was looking towards the window above the entry to St Peter’s, where His Holiness usually stands when I watch him on television, but this time he was way, way up, behind glass, about five levels above ground, in a side wing of the cathedral, protected by the guards standing below him. He was so tiny from that distance, that I was very glad for the screen behind us. There, we could see him, standing safely back where no crazies could get a shot at him. Then I understood what all the security was about, and thought how sad that was.

We drifted off with the rest of the people, cameras still ready for any interesting sights to capture.