It's Happening NOW! And I'm HERE!

+JMJ+
Despite the fact that I have to get up in 4 hours in order to get to the airport to catch my flight to Venice tomorrow morning, I just had to post something today!  After all, today was a pretty important day.

Why?  Pope Benedict XVI officially resigned from the papacy at 8pm.  I had such a beautiful day today, culminating with the pope's resignation.  In the morning, I went to the station Mass at Santa Maria in Trastevere.  A cardinal said Mass (I can't remember which one).  After Mass he had to run to, you know, his meeting with Pope Benedict XVI.  Wow.  After Mass, one of our American seminarian friends took my classmates and I on the famous Scavi Tour.  This tour takes you under St. Peter's basilica where you see parts of the original basilica (yes, there was a different basilica originally; it was rebuilt/built over and now we have the "new" 400yr-old St. Peter's Basilica) and the necropolis that St. Peter's was originally built on top of by Constantine.  This was just discovered/excavated in the early-mid 1900s!!  Now, what is so important about this necropolis other than the obvious historical value of a more than 2,000 year old Roman city of the dead?  I'll give you a hint: why is St. Peter's Basilica St. Peter's basilica?  Guess who's buried directly under the dome and the main altar in the ancient necropolis?  St. Peter, the first pope, the one who walked on water, to whom Jesus said, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it" (Matt 16:18).  Tradition has held that place as Peter's tomb since his death; recent archaeological and scientific investigations have shown this to be true.  Today I saw the tomb of St. Peter, and his bones within.  Need more time for reflection...

We weren't allowed to take pictures, so here's a picture of our seminarian friend, Robert.  He's great!

After the Scavi tour, we spend part of the afternoon with Robert.  For a while we just walked around and he showed us some of his favorite spots to eat and shop around the Vatican.  We all went to lunch together at the Abbey Theater, which was Robert's suggestion.  Good suggestion.  It was reasonably priced and delicious!  It was my first meal that I splurged a little and got something that wasn't the cheapest pizza on the menu: salmon fettuccine.  SO yummy!

After lunch, one of my classmates and I headed back to the St. Peter's area.  We went into the basilica and prayed for Pope Benedict, the Church, and whoever the new pope will be.  Then, we came out to the square to watch for the helicopter Pope Benedict was to leave in from the Vatican at 5pm.  There were other people there, more than usual, but it certainly wasn't crowded.  They had the camera on Papa as he was saying his goodbyes and walking out to the helicopter.  It got a little bit emotional, but it was so beautiful.  When the helicopter flew over the square, everyone there said goodbye to Pope Benedict, by waving, shouting a message to him, clapping.  The atmosphere wasn't wild; it was peaceful, sad that we had to say goodbye, but full of humble admiration for this holy man of God.

Waiting for Pope Benedict to fly out of the Vatican in his helicopter

Ok, I have to go to bed now.  My sleep time has been reduced to three and a half hours.  Please pray that I wake up if you are reading this!  I'll have to tell you all about Venice and Padua on Sunday or Monday.  Until then, ciao!!


Well...looks like this didn't actually post when I clicked "publish"....*anticlimactic*
Post about my Padua/Venice adventure coming soon!  Have to get some homework done first...