8 things you won't believe can fit INSIDE St. Peter's Basilica in Rome

(by John White, CatholicVote.org)  Next Saturday (June 29) will mark the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.

As the universal Church prepares to honor two of her greatest saints, Catholics around the world will be asking themselves the same question that they do every year around this time:

What huge things could fit inside St. Peter’s Basilica?

St. Peters interior

Everyone knows that St. Peter”s is not only beautiful, but enormous as well (realtor.com has it valued at $11 trillion – “vintage artwork, charming accents, big back yard surrounded by Italy”).  But even those who have been inside the colossal structure don’t fully appreciate how big it is.  This is because the sheer enormity of its dimensions combined with its virtually perfect architectural balance tricks the human eye and confounds our ability to appreciate its actual size.

This phenomenon is commonly known as “gargantu-opticodimensional pseudoperception.”  Actually, Wikipedia had a different name for it, but who trusts Wikipedia?

Before we start, these are the dimensions of St. Peter’s basilica relevant for our little project (via Wikipedia):

Interior length:     693.8 ft.

Interior width at transept:     451 ft.

Interior width of nave:     90.2 ft.

Interior height of dome:     393 ft.

So without further ado…the following things can fit inside St. Peter’s Basilica:

1.   The Statue of Liberty.  Yes, including the pedestal.

2.   The Space Shuttle.  Including external fuel tank, boosters, etc.

 

3.   The Cinderella Castle at Disney World.

 

4.   The Great Sphinx of Giza.  With lots of room to spare.

5.   Air Force One.  Easily – probably two or three could fit.

 

6.   The 7th Hole at Pebble Beach.  

 

7.   A Typhoon-class Russian submarine.  The largest submarine ever built.

8.   The entire population of Dubuque, Iowa.  St. Peter’s Basilica can fit 60,000 people – no joke.

Dubuque, Iowa

(Adapted by Chris W.)

1,000,000 pilgrims expected for canonization

(Zenit) Up to a million pilgrims will be attending the canonization Mass of Blessed Popes John XXIII and John Paul II on Sunday, the city and Vicariate of Rome predict. 

Maurizio Pucci, chief coordinator of special projects for the Mayor of Rome, told reporters Wednesday that the city estimates a minimum of 500,000 pilgrims and a maximum of a million to join the canonization celebrations. However, some foresee a far higher number, possibly even seven million. 

Pucci said 1,700 coaches, 58 chartered planes and five trains are bringing pilgrims from Poland alone. He said a problem is that the number of reservations is difficult to predict because unlike previous times, many groups are coming independent of their dioceses. 

Both the city of Rome and event sponsors are sharing the costs of the event and an enormous amount of manpower will be on hand.

This will include 2,500 civil protection volunteers, 4,400 police and security personnel from the city of Rome and the Italian state, and several hundred medical staff. 5,000 priests, several hundred seminarians and deacons will help administer holy communion, and hundreds of volunteers will act as welcomers. 

The Vicariate of Rome has prepared a number of prayer vigils in different churches on the night of April 26th, some geared to particular language groups. 

All of Rome’s churches will stay open on the night of 26th and 27th April for pilgrims to pray and go to confession.

Canonization date set: April 27, 2014, Divine Mercy Sunday - Book with us today!

Tekton Ministries is excited to announce the Canonizations for Blessseds John XXIII and John Paul II on April 27, 2014 -Divine Mercy Sunday- in Rome.  We pray in thanksgiving to God for the lives of these two great popes and look very forward to forming pilgrimages to Rome and Assisi to participate in this historic event.  Book your pilgrimage today!  www.tektonministries.org

120,000 pilgrims in one morning?!? Neanche per sogno! (Not happening!)

Writing for CNA, Estefania Aguirre reports that Pentecost at the Vatican is going to be packed.  According to CNA, over 50k people will be in attendance, in addition to the 70k that was already planned for.  Outlining the events for the weekend when Church movements will be represented by the faithful from "150 different ecclesial realities", Aguirre notes that the whole shebang will start Saturday with a pilgrimage to St. Peter's tomb.  

"Aha!" I thought.  "Begin a weekend of evangelization, worship and communion with a pilgrimage; of course!"  And so 50 - by - 50 the groups will embark upon their short but profound pilgrimage.

  
Something tells me, however, that in groups of 50, not all 120k pilgrims to Rome are going to make it.  That would be 2,400 groups at 15-30 minutes each.  Not gonna happen because that doesn't even figure in the typical Italian reposo (siesta).  But who knows, maybe this particular Pentecost the Holy Spirit will give the Scavi guides the energy they need to make it through without a reposo.  Alla como viene, viene.

Now, whether the pilgrims will simply be viewing the tomb from the traditional place or air-locking it through the Scavi is not clear.  My guess is that the fastidious, very fastidious, custodians of the Scavi Tour would have nervous breakdowns of apocolyptic proportions if the former held true.  No, seriously.  

...they will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, "Alas! alas! thou great city, thou mighty city, Babylon!  In one hour has thy judgment come." (Revelation 18:10)

Our good Italian friends at times have a flare for the dramatic.  

Little story about the Scavi: My second pilgrimage to Rome saw the opening of the "new room" of the Scavi Tour.  The new room allowed pilgrims to see the bonafide bones of St. Peter from a closer locale.  It was quite moving actually.

For those who have not been on the Scavi Tour, "it's a trip!"  You move from one air-locked chamber to the next, passing through laser sensors that prevent the thick, clear, sliding doors from closing unless everyone has exited the chamber. You feel like you're in a spaceship.  

I was a little skeptical, being a realist, that the experience was going to be worth the intimidation and scowls of the Scavi officials throughout the tour.  But one look at St. Peter's bones, protected in the NASA-constructed plexiglass box was enough to bring me to my knees.  Literally.  I found my soul saying within me, "Peter.  Peter.  Peter."  And I heard my soul hearing from without, "Jesus.  Jesus.  Jesus."  St. Peter re-focusing my attention on who was most important- I'd chalk that one up to a legitimate spiritual experience of authentic and orthdox faith.  But, hey, you don't have to.  No one needs to believe in private revelations of/to the saints, right?  And I'm no saint.  

The long and short of it is... when you take a pilgrimage to Rome (hopefully with Tekton), make sure you get in on the Scavi Tour.  It's worth every "Silenzio!" that's screamed in full falsetto from our nervous custodian friends in the "excavations".

Best wishes and safe travels to our Pentocost pilgrims in Rome!  Ora pro nobis peccatoribus.

Actually, it was 802 saints canonized- the largest ever

I thought John Paul II was making a big splash when he canonized 120 Chinese martyrs.  But who in the world is going to be strong enough to carry the Martyrologium Romanum (Roman Martyrology, the book of officially canonized Catholic saints) after this past Sunday?  

Pope Francis canonized the largest number of men/women in the Church's history on May 12, 2013, when he proclaimed 802 of them witnesses to the Faith.  Two of them were women, one from Mexico and one from Columbia.  The other 800, the Martyrs of Otranto, were Italian Catholics who were beheaded by the Turks in 1480 AD.  

Rome is seeing no small series of events these days.  From pilgrims happening to be at the Vatican when the white smoke appeared announcing our new pope to the largest number of saints declared at one time, things at the Vatican aren't having any time to gather dust.  

To watch the video from the Vatican, click here.

You Don't See This Every Day

Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus-
 Benedict XVI

Talking about pilgrimages, you can't make a Tekton Pilgrimage to Rome and see this every day!  "Get it while the gettin's good," as they say.

This one will make it to the Time "Life" series for sure!  Thanks to Fr. Rocco Palmo at Whispers in the Loggia for posting it.