Saint Peter's Basilica (Part 2) - Sunday, Fifth Week of Lent

Today we return to Saint Peter's Basilica - a shiny new rebuilding of the old Constantinian structure seen earlier at the end of the first full week of Lent. In 1506 - twelve centuries after the original St. Peter's was constructed - Pope Julius II elected to replace the old building with the the basilia that we see today. It took 120 years to complete the structure! (Even longer if you consider the piazza in front.)

As our enter the basilica today you can easily be overwhelmed by the size of the interior space and the decorative baroque marble patterns that capture your attention in all spaces. But inevitably it is the space under the dome that draws your attention. A bronze canopy, though which you can see a burst of light from the stained glass beyond, pulls you into the crossing space under the dome.

The dome, or cupola as it is often referred to, designed by Michaelangelo, marks the place over the altar, and covers the point where the long Nave that you walked down is crossed by the transept, giving the church the shape of the cross. The dome itself sits on four massive architectural piers. and these massive piers that hold up the dome each hold a statue, which is the focus of this post.

The statues were designed by the Baroque master, Bernini in the middle of the 1600s, and each represents the most important relics present in the Basilica. The relics themselves are displayed in the balconies over the statues at specific times during the year.

• Veil of Veronica

  As Christ was carrying the cross through Jerusalem, he stumbled. A female, Veronica, went to him and wiped his face with a cloth. The image of Christ's face imprinted on the cloth we now refer to as Veronica's Veil. If you look at the cloth on the statue held between the hands of Veronica you will see the face carved into the marble. If you are fortunate enough to be in the basilica on the FIfth Sunday of Lent, you will be part of the ceremony in which the veil itself is displayed from the balcony over her statue. This sets off Passion week, a fitting image as the season of Lent reaches its culmination.

  I was fortunate enough to be present on the Fifth Sunday of Lent many years ago. It is the church at the height of its ceremonial pomp, and and an amazing event to witness.

  
  

• The Spear of Longinus

  Longinus was the Roman soldier who, with his spear, pierced the chest of Christ as he was dying on the cross. The statue of Longinus shows the moment after this act. He holds the spear in his outstretched arms as he gazes in wonder at what he has witnessed.

  This same spear - the spear that touched the flesh of Christ - came to the Vatican in 1492, a gift from Turkey. The tip of the spear (the shaft itself has been lost) is displayed on the Second Sunday of Lent from the balcony over the statue.

• The Head of St. Andrew

  The representation of St. Andrew in the niche shows him standing with his arm draped over the cross, the instrument of his martyrdom. However, unlike Christ, Andrew was crucified on a cross in the form of an X. He deemed himself unworthy to suffer in the manner of Christ, and the punishment was modified.

  The head came to the Vatican in 1462 and remained in the pier over this statue for five centuries. in 1964 Pope Paul IV, in a gesture of goodwill to the Greek Orthodox Church, returned the head of St. Andrew to his home of Patras in Greece.

• Helena, Mother of Constantine

  Helena was instrumental in bringing Christianity to Rome. With the legalization of Christianity under her son, the Emperor Constantine, in the early 300s she went to Jerusalem to find elements of Christianity, and returned with pieces of The True Cross. One of the significant pieces of The Cross is placed in the niche above her statue, and displayed from the balcony above on the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

Conclusion

The space under the dome of St. Peter's is an immensely holy place. Visitors often look for a sign or a specific notice marking the burial place of the Apostle, but the entire basilica is designed as a monument to his final resting place. His grave sits directly in front of the altar, serving as the focal point for the entire massive structure. As a visitor you stand at the grave of St. Peter and and surrounded by literal, physical relics from the Passion of Christ. These magnificent statues serve as powerful reminders of the sacrifice of Christ, and the continuation of the church under the guidance of St. Peter.

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St. Peter's Basilica, Google Maps

St. Peter's Basilica, Google Street View

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