Praying at St. Peter's

Italians use their hands to communicate with others than their mouth. One of my friends told me a story that a tourist asked for direction to a certain place to an Italian man when the person was carrying something in both hands. He asked the other one to hold those bags in order to explain it. Then he raised both of his hands and said “Non lo so” (I don’t know)!

These days I had to go to the offices with study and visa related matters. But I have lot of friends who speak Italian and had been here for some time to help me to do everything. Even though the classes had begun I am not settled down to do any serious studies.

Today I went to Vatican Bank to open an account and yesterday to La questura (the police station – the office of the State Police) to register with the police. This was not the first time I had been there. There is no place I went, including the University, that I could do anything in my first attempt. But once you get to see a person s/he will treat you like you are the only customer s/he is dealing with.

One good thing I learned from a friend is to pray in front of St. Peter’s. Now when every time I pass through that square I say the Lord’s Prayer once and three Hail Mary’s for my family and friends. In a way, if you have requested me to pray for any of your intentions I offer it there besides saying it in my daily prayers. I also have attempted in vain to say something from there to the Holy Father looking at the Papel Apartment. I will let you know when I become successful!

St. Peter’s can contain more than sixty thousand people and has the largest interior than any other church in the world. Its significance comes not from the size but because it contains the tomb of St. Peter, the chief of the Apostles. There has been a church in this site since the 4th century and the present Basilica’s construction began on April 18, 1506 and was completed on November 18, 1626. St. Peter’s is not a Cathedral since it is not the seat of a bishop but a papal Basilica. The Cathedral Church of Rome is the Basilica of St. John Lateran. It is not easy to write everything about the art, architecture and the historical importance of this beautiful church in few words.

P. S. I will update you on my simple explorations in my blog if you don’t ask me the question whether I am really studying anything here! I believe that one of the benefits of studying in Rome is to learn more about Rome even when I need to depend on books for my doctoral research.