Reflections on Beauty

The basilicas built on the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul were completely rebuilt at specific moments in history. How, then, should we interpret the current appearance of Rome's cathedral, the Basilica of St. John Lateran? The attentive visitor will be able to read it like a book: its architectural body, in fact, bears the traces of the entire history of the Church of Rome. Listen to Dr. Johana Bronkova, art historian and journalist for the Dicastery for Communication...

Father Edmund Power OSB, abbot emeritus of the Abbey of St. Paul Outside the Walls, recounts details and secrets of the Basilica: the imposing and self-sufficient St. Paul of the 19th century, but also the weak and suffering St. Paul near the Crucifix. And then there is a holy water font that hides a secret in the face of Satan and, to balance this dark presence, his counterpart, St. Benedict and his battle against the Evil One....  

In the second chapter of the first letter of St. Peter, Christians are compared to “living stones,” which together constitute the spiritual house of God. The early Christian mosaic is also a symbol of the great “spiritual edifice,” composed of thousands and thousands of pictorial elements, within which all the tiles and colors play a fundamental role... Listen to Andreas Raub, Artistic-Scientific Director of the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

A strong and daring woman who was not afraid to challenge the man who, in those years, was considered the master of the world. Francesca Bresciani, the artisan chosen by Bernini himself because she was considered more talented than her colleagues, worked for three years on the decoration of the tabernacle of the Holy Sacrament. And she did not hesitate to rebel when Bernini cut her pay by 50% Listen to Dr. Assunta Di Sante of the Fabbrica di San Pietro.

Everyone has heard in school about the so-called Donation of Constantine, often presented as the archetype of a forged document intended to alter history. However, not everyone knows that the apocryphal nature of this imperial edict was exposed by Lorenzo Valla (1407–1457), a humanist and canon of the Lateran Basilica. Listen to Don Andrea Lonardo, Director of the Catechetical Office and the Catechumenate Service of the Diocese of Rome.

Among the many records and highlights of the Basilica built over the tomb of the Apostle Peter, one surprising fact stands out: since the 1500s, a significant number of female artists and craftswomen have been employed in roles traditionally considered the exclusive domain of men. But who are these women working for the Fabbrica di San Pietro? Listen to Dr. Assunta Di Sante of the Fabbrica di San Pietro.

A magnificent 12th-century Easter Candelabrum, now positioned near the altar above the tomb of the Apostle Paul, narrates the entire story of salvation through symbolic imagery. It evokes the Tree of Life, carved in living stone, and also alludes to the pillar of fire that guided the people of Israel through the desert toward the Promised Land. Listen to Father Edmund Power OSB, Abbot Emeritus of the Abbey of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

Legend has it that a pilgrim arrived at the gates of Rome at night and got lost. She prayed to the Virgin Mary for help, and at that moment, she heard the bells of Santa Maria Maggiore ringing. The bell, forged in 1289, was thus given the name “La Sperduta” and came to symbolize Mary as a guide and signpost. Listen to Andreas Raub, Artistic-Scientific Director of the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

Two mosaics dominate the space of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. In the most ancient, placed on the triumphal arch, Christ appears as the Judge at the end of time. In the apse, the glorified Christ sits on His throne with a loving, merciful, and welcoming expression. There is a striking contrast between the two faces of Christ. Which is the true Christ? Listen to Fr. Edmund Power, OSB, Abbot Emeritus of the Abbey of St. Paul Outside the Walls.  

The election of the Pope has long taken place in St. Peter’s, but the Pope then comes to sit on the cathedra of St. John in the days immediately afterward. The liturgical action signifies that he is now seated on the chair from which he teaches. Yet, unlike academic roles, the Pope teaches not his own ideas but Jesus Christ and His word. Listen to Msgr. Andrea Lonardo, Director of the Catechetical Office and the Service for Catechumenate of the Diocese of Rome.