Churches

Those of you who know me reasonably well realize that I am an agnostic bordering on an atheist. I certainly have no use for organized religion of any type, be it Christian, Muslim, etc. I freely admit there are questions which aren’t answered and perhaps can’t be answered, but I feel no need to fill that void with a belief in a divine being.

Drop me in a Catholic country, even one which isn’t nearly as devout as most of the church leaders would like, and what do you get? The number of churches in Italy is staggering. From the simple to the richly ornate, from the large to the tiny, from the ancient to the modern, it can all be found. My first response during our time here was to be effectively overwhelmed. Every church you go into offers a vast visual experience. Many in the smaller towns and cities such as Viterbo are bare and gray. There has been little time or money spent on their upkeep and there is an air of despair. Others such as the Duomo at Orvieto is as ornate as they come. The iconography bombards your senses. What is depicted in that fresco? Who is that a statue of? What is the symbolism of that mosaic? Is Jesus wearing anything in that one? Over time, I became numb to the experience. Been there, done that, times 100 or maybe it was times 1000. I was all churched out.

However, since our return this summer, I have found myself in a more contemplative mood and have gradually found a use for churches. They provide an oasis of calm. A place which is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. A spot where nobody bothers you if you stop and sit for a few minutes with your eyes closed or just staring at all the artwork around you. I can accept that opportunity without being troubled by all the rest of the mystical beliefs and goings on which accompany the space. This most recent trip brought a few more opportunities to visit churches. San Pietro in Vincoli provided an opportunity to view the Michelangelo’s masterpiece of Moses, the famous Moses with horns.

It is part of what was planned to be a much larger grouping. While the horned head is a traditional view of Moses following his conversation with the Lord, the Latin Vulgate translation of the Hebrew provided by St. Jerome might have mistaken. The term radiant or with a halo is argued to be a better translation.

While San Pietro in Vincoli is quite famous, there are hundreds of churches in Rome which the casual visitor seldom sees. We happened upon Santa Maria in Portico in Campitelli and went in for a look around and a few minutes of quiet contemplation in the warm space.