Catholicism: Roman Institution as well as a Universal One

I have grown up thinking that the Catholic Church is more of a Roman institution than a universal one. However, being in Rome for the past six weeks and also going to the Papal audience has shown me that it is quite the opposite. Although it is still quite Roman, I think that it is more of a universal institution but in order to get the full “Catholic” experience you must travel to Rome.

The Bishop of Rome, the Pope, is the successor of Saint Peter and is the representative of Christ on earth; the visible head of the Catholic Church. This was the perfect thing to remember when I went to the Papal audience yesterday morning. I thought that it would have been a very different experience. Thinking back to all of the Churches that I had visited in Rome thus far, they were extremely quiet places where people had gone to reflect on themselves. At the audience, it felt more like a football game or soccer match. People were yelling, screaming, and, to me, rudely interrupting the bishops speaking and the Pope.

People had come from all over the world to see the Pope and to hear him speak, proving to me that the Church is more of a universal institution because although we are in Italy, the gospel and the greeting were done in many different languages so that everyone could be addressed. However, one of the biggest things that I do not like about coming to Rome and the fact that Catholicism is a universal concept, is that people who can only grasp the significance of seeing the Pope or visiting important Churches, to me, only come to “see” them and people like me, or people on a pilgrimage, come not only to see but to pay respect. It showed just how much the Pope is idolized by people when he should be getting their utmost respect and reverence. He is, after all, representing Christ on earth.

I would say that historically, the Catholic Church has been more of a Roman institution based on the events that have happened here; including the crucifixion of Saint Peter and the horrible persecutions under Nero of the Catholics. These types of incidents have brought pilgrims to Rome and have made Rome the city of Catholicism. It has been quite a religious journey for me being in Rome and I will defiantly take what I have learned about myself spiritually and build off of it when I return home. One of the best things that I have learned is that although I can see the history of my faith in Rome, my faith does not depend on Rome.  In fact, Rome depends on my faith and that is why, I think, Rome is such a religious place; building off of the faith from all the believers around the world.

American Leisure -or- Roman Leisure??

     I personally think that leisure is something earned. It is doing something that makes you happy and allows you to relax and not think of anything stressful. With that in mind, I do not have much time for leisure here in Rome; up for 8:30 class, catch the train into the city by 10:24, going to a prearranged site until about 2:00, catching the train back to campus around 3:00, then finishing up homework with a possible group activity until dinner at 8:00.

     This week, I took extra time to watch for ways that Italians think of leisure. According to the readings that were assigned this week, leisure to Italians and Americans, well at least to me, are totally different things. Here in Rome there is a park called Villa Borghese and it is comparable to Central Park in New York City. Many people come to this park to run in the morning, ride their bike on a nice day, and just to be out in the open air. In the park there are historical references to the Borghese family, one of the most influential, powerful, and wealthy families in Rome during the 17^th century. For many Italians spending a day in this park is considered leisure. Another leisure activity that I have found to be popular in Rome is to hang out in the Piazzas.

     For me, my idea of leisure is not really something the people associate with leisure. I enjoying playing sports and being able to put all my energy and frustration into something constructive. I have played sports all of my life and think that, for my definition of leisure, playing sports allows me to relax and to forget about the drama that has unfolded during the day. Another thing that I do for leisure is sing. I enjoy singing even more than I enjoy playing sports! 

     I think that after I go home and think about the time that I have spent in Rome, my ideas of leisure and how I spend my time will not change. I think that there are Italians out there that enjoy the same leisure that I do, but I also think that as a culture, Italians do not spend their time playing sports and singing to relax. I think that they understand that leisure means, to a certain extent, being lazy; doing things that are not work related and shooing away things that being them stress. Back home, more people are apt to not take time for themselves and to constantly worry about work instead of being happy and taking time for themselves. More Americans should take note on that aspect of Italian leisure; let go of everything and make yourself happy for awhile.

Piazza: the place for Italian living

                       Thus far my trip in Rome has brought me constantly to the same type of places; piazzas. What I have learned, from doing my favorite thing in the world, people watching, is that people come to the piazza to get away from the day and to gather for letting go of their problems. A couple of days ago, a classmate and I went to meet our teacher in the Piazza del Popolo around 7:30 or 8:00 at night and it was almost amazing what I saw. During the day the piazza is filled with tourists taking pictures and being annoying to the locals; however, at night all the locals come out to eat dinner, get a sprits, and just hangout with friends and family. I feel like there is no place like this around where I live but I guess I do the same kind of thing when my whole family just gets together for a picnic or dinner, it is BYOB, and a bonfire concludes our night.

                       Looking at it from a historical prospective, many of the readings that we have read deal with piazzas. After reading about Margaret Fuller, an American transcendentalist from the mid- 19^th century, as a class we went to the Piazza del Popolo to try to imagine her life during this time. Another historical reference that traveled to this piazza was Frederick Douglass, an African-American abolitionists then black activist in the late 19^th century. These people traveled to Rome and wanted to experience the Rome that they had heard of from great writers and other travelers.

                       Meshing together these two thoughts, when looking at the motives for people coming to a piazza seems to be the same; it’s a great place to be seen, have fun, and be in the action. When I went into the piazza there were young people just hanging out with their friends, families walking to dinner, and a band on a stage playing as entertainment for the people passing by. When Margaret Fuller was in the piazza, she was experiencing the beginnings of the Roman revolution and enjoyed the sight of men, young and old, coming together to create a better place for themselves and their families. As for Frederick Douglass, his time was spent looking down on the piazza. Douglass climbed Pincian Hill to overlook the piazza and the whole city of Rome.  He was moved by the sight of St. Peter’s dome in the distance and also by the elegance of the piazza and the city skyline.

                       All three of us, traveling to Rome at different times, had wondered to the piazza for a similar reason; it is where all the action is and where one can become part of the Italian culture. I have been to this piazza many times but, like I said before, I had never experienced it at night with the band playing and people just hanging out. I could actually get a feel of the Italian culture because so many families come out and it is authentic. I feel almost like going to the piazza during the day is when “fake” Italians; or rather tourists trying to be Italian come out.  I would recommend, just as Douglass would, to visit the piazzas at night to really experience Roman culture and to see how the majesty of the city resonates through the people that reside here.

Does hitsory bolster or limit faith??

 Faith is the belief that is not based on proof and is the backbone of any religion. Being Catholic, I would hope that my faith was enough to allow me to feel a certain “hominess” in Rome but after being here, I think that some soul searching is needed to become more aware of my own beliefs and spirituality. The history behind many of the places that we have visited in Rome is from the Christian tradition. In the church Scala Santa in Rome there are steps that are said to have led up to Pontius Piolate  in Jerusalem, which Jesus Christ stood on during his passion on his way to trial. The stairs were, reputedly, brought to Rome by St. Helena in the 4th Century. For centuries, the Scala Santa has attracted Christian pilgrims who wished to honor the Passion of Jesus. Although faith gives us the strength to believe that these stairs are Holy, historians argue that there is no evidence of these stairs being walked on by Jesus Christ.
     I personally think that, as of right now in my life, history does not bolster or limit my religious faith. Many people think that it is impossible to have faith in Christianity and faith in history or science and I would have to disagree with them. Many people living in the time when Christianity was becoming legalized in Rome thought that the only way to think was the way of Jesus. It makes me think about when people thought that the world was flat or that the earth was the center of the universe because we were chosen by God and therefore “special” in every way.  After these beliefs were challenged by Christopher Columbus and Galileo Galilei people then had the opportunity to think about what they believed in and how they wanted to, not necessarily challenge them, but see if  their faith could withstand the new thoughts of the era.
     Going back to the steps at Scala Santa, I just want to say that I did not kneel my way up to the top. Some of my classmates decided to so and I am glad that they had that experience but for me, it is almost sacrilegious to do something religious when it does not feel right. I think that I allow the history of the steps to be my excuse for the reason why I did not kneel on the steps; being a history major, saying I could not do it because it was not “real” seemed much easier than saying that I was not interested in becoming upset at how my faith has dwindled and going up the steps would only remind me of how separated I feel from my faith. 
     Like I said before, I do not think that history bolsters or limits my faith, although I sometimes use it as my excuse for not being as religious as I should be. All of these holy places in Rome that I should feel elated about visiting have just been falling flat for me. I am not sure if it is due to the fact that I know the history behind what I am seeing and it causes me to feel disappointment because I know that certain things are not true or they are challenged by historical evidence. I plan on taking this time in Rome to, hopefully, get back on the right track for myself regarding my faith or to finally realize that it is ok to think differently and to believe in different things.