Our Rome tour started out this morning driving through the streets of Rome and outside the ancient walls of the city to the church of St. Paul Outside the City. The church is so named, literally because of its location. In ancient Rome the only person that could be buried inside the walls was the emperor. So, when Paul was martyred he had to be buried outside the walls. That place was marked and became the site of this church.
Like most ot the older churches in Rome this one has been built layer upon layer. The first church, a larger second, and when that one burned down in the 1800's, yet another. This church is one of the most beautiful I have seen here, full of gold and guilt and quite large. Around the frieze are portraits of each pope. The final painted is HH Benedict XVI. There are no pews. There is a special place where you canpray to the Apsotle. This is also the site of a Benedictine Monastery built 1200 years ago and lived in continuously since that time.
What is special about this church is that on the Feast of the conversion of St. Paul, 25 January 1961, Pope John XXIII went to visit the abbott there. The cardinal heads of the curia were with him. It was quite a procession with people lining the streets and waiting inside the church. Once they arrived they were escorted up three flights of stairs to the abbott's parlor. It was here, and at this time, that John XXIII announced there would be a council. It came as a surprise to most everyone in the room... welcome to some and not to others!
This room is in the cloistered part of the abbey and rarely are visitors allowed there. However, our hosts were able to secure permission and we were escorted in. It is a rather Victorian looking room and on the wall is a placque marking the announcement and a bronze bas relief cast of the head of John XXIII. There was a palpable presence in the room, and all of us felt as if we were in the presence of something remarkable.
That day John did what each of us is called to - to do what we have the power to do. (Mark 14:8)
