At the Heart of the Catholic Church

(Introduction: In the next few weeks I will be sharing with you, dear readers, our week-long pilgrimage to Rome. The Eternal City, as most would aptly describe Rome, used to be the center of an empire but is now the center of the Catholic Church. Due to its history, architecture, and many other contributions to the world, it has been a popular tourist spot. I would like to dedicate the first handful of articles to St Peter, Prince of the Apostles and Patron of Rome.)

Stazione Termini was full of people that Friday morning. Buses came back and forth to take in passengers of every kind. We waited for a few minutes when Bus 64 (which goes to Stazione San Pietro) arrived. We went aboard hurriedly, but got no luck in finding a seat for Nidz who was almost 24 weeks pregnant then. Unlike the buses in the UK which have two floors, buses in Rome have a single floor unless you're riding a tailor-made tourist bus. It seems that most of the passengers are tourists as one could easily recognize in their language.

As our bus travelled through the different winding roads leading to St Peter's Basilica, we could still see people waiting in the fermata (bus stop) hoping that a few souls would alight. Some, I think, whose hotels may just be near decided to walk. The weather was really fine in this part of the European continent that I suddenly forgot the unpredictability of the same in England.

As we crossed the Tiber River, I caught sight of Castel Sant'Angelo, a church, and a hospital. We went down at Via Aurelia where many other pilgrims were making their way to St Peter's. My heart was full of praise as I saw the collonade and later the facade of this papal basilica which Pope Benedict XVI describes as "the heart of the Catholic Church" (2007). I was telling my wife the night before how I waited for twenty years for this to happen.

We saw a long queue of people, but ignored it. Such was our happiness to be in the Piazza di San Pietro (St Peter's Square) that we decided to take photos. Later we wondered what the queue was for. A man approached us introducing himself as a tourist guide. As he was offering his services (which we politely declined), we learnt why there was a queue: pilgrims who wish to enter the basilica have to fall in line.

As the line was long (or circular as it looked like), Nidz waited for me near the entrance. I prayed the rosary and looked at the various statues of saints in the collonade. There was St Joseph with a lily, St Anthony carrying the Christ Child, St Clare holding a monstrance, etc. I believe they were one with us in prayer and in our struggles in the world. The wait wasn't long. We were at the security booth a la airport to be scanned along with our belongings. Apart from security, pilgrims must adhere to the proper attire inside the basilica - notices abound as you walk past the security. Getting the nod from the security staff we progressed to the entrance and managed to have photo with the Porta Santa (Holy Door) as background. This door is only opened by the Pope during the Jubilee Year; the latest of which was in 2000.

(Up Next: Inside St Peter's)