One Year Later, 28 December

So we are now at the close of 2013, in terms of world events well we had the usual disasters, wars, massacre of population and very little Peace on Earth. One Supreme Pontiff resigned not the first to do so in the history of the Holy See replaced by the first Jesuit ever to reach that exalted position. The new Pontiff  is a very good PR man and knows how to catch people by surprise, in a way the old Polish Politician Jean-Paul II could not, despite all the Media hype. We have also come to learn of his role and lack of action in the whole child abuse scandal. Of his powerful friends who were deeply involved and were he failed to act because he was pursuing a political agenda closely tied to Polish Politics. A moral failure on his part in my view which does not deserve his elevation to Sainthood. Luckily Pope John XXIII (1958-1963) will also be elevated to Sainthood, a much more deserving choice.

Then the Civil War in Syria, we came close to a military intervention again in a conflict the West did not understand and had little interest, though for reason of public policy politicians had to show the masses they cared. Once the matter of the chemical weapons was settled, the West lost interest and the Civil War continue apace. As for our so-called friends in the Syrian Opposition it looks like Russia knew all along that they were not trustworthy and President Assad is the devil we know, a classic case of I told you so, the Russians are laughing now and the Americans well have poor quality intelligence but then again that is not new. The series of articles in the New York Times of 29 Dec 2013 explain the whole Benghazi affair and the many failures of the CIA, yet again.
Then there was Egypt and Morsi and the Brotherhood. The Egyptian crisis will continue for some time to come, not to mention the many crisis in the whole region, Tunisia, Algeria, Yemen, Qatar.
Iran elected a new President it appears some change may be at hand, will see. Hopefully no war with Iran it would be a huge mistake. The so called Arab Spring that was not really a change for democracy, how can you have democracy with extreme poverty, lack of economic opportunity, illiterate people, lack of basic sanitation and clean water and corruption. It looks almost like a luxury this democracy thing. In North America we are very naive, too often thinking that people want to copy us and our culture.

There were other conflicts in Africa, Mali and Central African Republic where France and their President are playing old Colonial Masters coming to help the poor Africans. Would it not be better to simply let Africans settle their own score? Am sure they are quite capable without the help of France.

In Canada well we saw more GOP and Tea Party Politics thanks to our born-again Evangelical, Rapture seeker Prime Minister, several of his ministers have shown how out of touch they are with reality, spitting on the poor, the elderly, the disabled, Veterans, pensioners, the public service and poor children, in the immortal words of Minister James Moore, ''It is not my responsibility to feed my neighbours children'' or in the words of Minister of Veterans Affairs, Fantino, ''We have no responsibility to our wounded Veterans'' or better still Minister of Justice, Mackay ''the homeless should sell whatever they have so they can pay their fines". This same government is now involved in a political scandal which is destroying the faith we might have had in our democratic institutions. For years Canadians lived in this dreamy stupor believing that we did not have corruption in Canada, we now know that we are a very corrupt country where many political appointees are on the take and have Mafia connections. Canadians have also woken up to the fact that our Governor General cannot do a thing about any political situation, no matter how dangerous it might be given the near dictatorial powers Mr. Harper has given himself, that being a flaw in our own Constitution of 1867. The GG's role kiss babies and eat cake, basta.

I will not go into the depressing situation with the Mayor buffoon of Toronto the former metropolis of Canada, a role the city held for a brief period between 1977 and 2006, before being replaced by Calgary.
Toronto today is bankrupt and is the fruit bowl of Multicultural Policies that simply do not work in the real world, no matter how hard Canadians wish to believe in our national myths.

I will not bore you with the rest of the news which had little to make anyone smile. I am sure you have your own favourite news story.

But let's look instead on the brighter side of things, this year has been my first year in retirement. I volunteered with our National Museums, spending over 360 hours working as a volunteer.
I learned a great deal and it has been an interesting experience.

We travelled in May to Salzburg to the Pfingstfestspiele Music Festival. We had like in years past a wonderful time and we are returning in 2014. Then in August we travelled to Stratford Ontario for the Theatre Festival, a first for me, fell in love with this lovely city.

During our stay in Stratford we met with fellow bloggers we had been corresponding with. Meeting people in person after speaking and commenting on the internet is always a bit daunting but it was a rewarding experience and met like minded fellows and made new friends. See their blogs at http://sporeflections.wordpress.com
and http://harpersvalley.wordpress.com We will most likely meet them again this August at the Festival.

Then in November we flew to Rome met with many old friends and then on to our cruise on AZAMARA which took us to Spain. It is our second cruise with this line and we love it. www.azamaraclubcruises.com

Spending 23 days in Europe and visiting many famous sites was a pleasure. We discovered Valencia, Gibraltar, Séville and Granada. The beauty of the Alcazar and the Alhambra, treasures of our past. This trip was our gift to ourselves on our 35 Anniversary, (1978-2013). At the end of our trip we met in London with our friend D.N. who suggested a wonderful fish restaurant J. Sheekey and entertained us with a delightful conversation on music and the arts. I am always in awe of his prodigious memory for details. We stayed in London with my fiancée C. at her very central flat near Baker Street. She also took us to a great restaurant Brasserie Zédel.

On this blog I am ending the year with 92,000 clicks, thank you for all the comments. This is our 3rd year in Ottawa we have re-connected with friends and have our old regular circle back.

Being retired is not difficult and life takes on a different look, I now have other priorities which have nothing to do with work and more to do with what I like and want to do. I do not regret for one moment having retired. As for 2014 I do not have any resolutions, I do not really believe in them. Will see what this new year brings.

In Capri at Dr. Munthe's House

 

Christmas calendar

Your Calendar for Christmas:

December 6, La festa di San Nicola, Patron saint of shepherds. (the original Santa Claus)

Not to be confused with our Fantastico Nicky of Capena 

Nicky profile in the morning

December 8, La festa dell'Immacolata (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) Rome, Piazza Spagna

On this day we would go to the Piazza Spagna where the famous Spanish Steps are located and the great column of the Immaculate Conception with its remodelled statue of Venus into a Virgin Mary with all the right curves. The Pope comes to the Piazza and will put a crown of flowers on the statue, the firemen are required since the statue is way up on a large column from a pagan temple.

 At the fountain of the boat in Piazza Spagna with the Column of the Immacolata behind me.

 Royal Spanish Embassy to the Holy See on Piazza Spagna with special banners for the Feast Day.

The Pope and his escort of honour.

December 13, La festa di Santa Lucia (Festival of Lights)

The story goes that She plucked out her eyes so that her intended could not see her beautiful eyes, she only wanted to be a Saint. 

December 24, La Vigilia di Natale, (Christmas Eve)

December 25, Natale (birth day of Jesus)

December 26 La festa di San Stefano (Boxing Day in Canada)

December 31 La festa di San Silvestro, la vigilia di Capodanno (New Year's Eve)

January 1, Il Capodanno (New Year's Day, the top of the year)

January 6, L'Epifania (epiphany the arrival of the 3 wise men) and the Befana, the old lady who gives gifts to children good or bad, though the bad ones get a lump of coal.  

La Befana, the old lady who brings gifts to children all the while looking for the infant Jesus. (Italian tradition)

Rome-Trastevere

Today is our first full day, this morning we got up, showered and went for breakfast at the Caffè, we had cappuccino and I had a Tramenzino of cheese and ham toasted and then an Espresso. We then went to the TIM Italia Office to buy a new phone card for my cel with 250 minutes only 16 Euros.

We then walked in the neighbourhood, Trastevere is across the Tiber from Rome as the name implies.
This means that most early Christian Churches are in this neighbourhood, most built between 360 and 420 AD. The reason for this is a political one, like so many things in this world. Early Christians were mostly Jews who lived in Rome or had lived in Rome for generations. It was seen as a Cult like Scientology is today by most Romans who worshipped Roman Gods connected to their culture and history. When Emperor Constantine decided to switch Official Religions on the people of Rome it did not go down too well. He had a near Civil War on his hands, no one could understand why the old gods were being abandoned for a new god who was a Jew from Palestine, who nobody knew much about, but was rumoured to have been a criminal. The Army had its official religion which was similar to the Christian Faith, but no one was willing to accept new temples to be built to worship this new god. So Constantine had to do the political thing and had churches built outside Rome in Trastevere or on land outside the City boundaries like the Lateran where the Cathedral of Rome now stands on land that was private and owned by the Emperors family, St-John Lateran. St-Peter basilica was built in a cemetery on Via Cornelia, a place not likely to bring many Romans to look around. In the end Constantine abandoned Rome and moved the Capital of the Empire to his new city Constantinople (today Istanbul).

Tomb of Pope Innocent II, (1130-1143) 

Main Altar, Santa Maria in Trastevere

We visited Santa Maria in Trastevere which is the Church of the Canadians in Rome, Cardinal Ouellet from Quebec is the head of that Church on top of other functions he occupies in the Roman Curia at the Holy See. Pope Innocent II (1130-1143) is buried there. The Church has many different sized columns taken from various temples of Roman gods and its floor is decorated with Imperial Roman Mosaic also taken from old temples. There is a beautiful iconostasis of Christ above the master Altar.

We also had a look at Santa Maria alla Scala (in the staircase) which is attached to the Papal Official Drug Store since many centuries ago. The pharmacy is lovely and it has kept its old decor though nowadays it is a modern drug store. In this church there is also a famous miraculous icon and people leave little pieces of paper with a note to the Virgin asking for a special favour or miracle, there are hundreds of little notes. The priests who administer this church had 500 years ago commissioned the painter Caravaggio to paint a scene with a theme on the Virgin Mary. Caravaggio wanted something realistic and so he used the corpse of a famous prostitute who had drowned in the Tiber a few days earlier as his model of the Virgin Mary. This famous painting is in the Louvre Museum today, the priests were so scandalized when they recognized the features of the dead prostitute that they refused outright the painting.  

Santa Maria alla Scala and Pontifical Drug store 

Side view of the church with brickwork of the 4th century

We had lunch with a friend just outside the Aurelian Walls in our old neighbourhood a 15 minute bus ride from Trastevere up the hill across the Tiber near Porta Pia. It was nice to go see the old neighbourhood. Things have changed and they have not. Restaurants are empty now at lunch time, the owner told us that these difficult economic times made everyone afraid. There is talk that Italy as a country could disintegrate, the wealthy North (North of Rome) could secede and abandon the South (south of Rome) to its own devices. This would be a true disaster. We have seen more beggars now in the streets, many are simply old people who have been squeezed and cannot manage any more.

 Fruit stand on Viale Regina Margherita

Our neighbourhood, intersection of Via Nomentana and Viale Regina Margherita

We had a lovely lunch and then went to walk along Via Nomentana towards Viale Regina Margherita
Will wanted an ice cream and we went to a shop we know well. The owner told us that he sold his business, things are difficult and he wants to do something else. We did notice that one of our favourite restaurant had disappeared and has been replaced by a pizza joint, another steak house had also disappeared replaced by a McDonald, the horror. Our fruit and vegetable vendor was still there and we chatted with him, he is doing great and so is the flower shop. I felt a little disoriented by all these changes, it is visible that people are worried. Many young people are immigrating since there is no work for them here. It is said that for the under 35 year old the unemployment rate is 40%.

This evening we are going further down the Tiber River on bus no 23 to the area of the Pyramid of Cestius to a new trendy restaurant to meet with friends called Porto Fluviale at no 22 Porto Fluviale.

                     Centro Piazza Venezia

On our way home we went through Piazza Venezia, the centre of Rome, and then crossed the Tiber at Ponte Garibaldi unto Via Trastevere. Just a block away from our B&B we came upon a cheese shop, the rich, creamy and sweet smell of Italian cheeses brought us to look at the wonderful assortments. Including hams of wild boar meat. What a fantastic meal you could make right there and then with a few purchases.

Boar meat hams 

Italian cheeses and wines

I still have to talk about EATALY a huge modern food emporium devoted to all Italian made foods on 4 floors unbelievable place. Located in the old Airport Train terminal now a huge food market with 8 restaurants simply beautiful for the gourmand and gourmet. You can also take the High Speed train to Milan, the connection Rome-Milan takes only 2:56 minutes at train speed of 330 Km. More on this later.

Tomorrow we are to meet with a friend who is an historian and archeologist to visit an historical site with special permission to enter. The weather is lovely and we are enjoying ourselves though a little nostalgic.

Fait divers, Fatto di cronaca

The Pope Emeritus Benedict returned to the Vatican City State today from the Papal Summer Palace at Castel Gandolfo. He was flown by Papal helicopter to the Vatican State, a flight of just a few minutes really.

On arrival he was met by the H.E. Cardinal Bertone, Secretary of State of the Holy See, H.E. Cardinal Sodano the Dean of the College of Cardinals and the Governor of the Vatican City State. The helipad is located in the vast gardens of Vatican Hill and he was driven to his new residence in the refurbished monastery Mater Ecclesia which stands next to the old Vatican Radio original building. His new house is 6500 sq. feet. he will live on the ground floor so he does not have to manage any stairs, an indication that he is frail and not in good health. His personal secretary Mgr Georg Ganswein (aka gorgeous George) will remain with him and also 4 women belonging to a religious order who will take care of all the housekeeping, cooking and cleaning. Basically the same household he had when he was pope. The ex-convent has a lovely garden, I remember visiting it, beautiful flowering bushes.

Pope Francis went to welcome him at his new residence when he arrived to wish him well. It is said they had a few words and prayed together in the chapel.
Pope Francis continues to live in the official guesthouse at the other end of the City State, near the Vatican Train Station behind the Basilica. The Papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace remain closed, used only on Sunday when the Pope addresses the crowds in St-Peter's Sq. from the window. New Pope new style, but so far it has all been cosmetic and no changes have taken place. Remains to see if Pope Francis will in effect bring any changes has he as promised.

two new books

With the changes at the Vatican lately, I have decided to read two new books on the Holy See and how it operates not only as the HQ of the Roman Catholic Church or the Universal Church as they like to call it at the Vatican but also as a huge business empire involved in banking, real estate, geo-politics and Italian politics. Despite the fact that Italy is a Republic and the Holy See is a separate State, the Vatican meddles excessively in the lives of Italians throughout political interference and money payouts to Italian politicians.

The first book, The Vatican Diaries: A behind the scenes look, I found truly interesting and entertaining, written by John Thavish who after 30 years as a journalist specializing on Vatican Affairs has written a memoir or an eyewitness account of his time covering Popes and the Vatican. Lots of personal observations on John Paul II and his Rock Star style and on Benedict XVI.
Trips aboard the Papal plane on voyages around the world and daily business making world news.

He gives a good account of the scandals and the personalities involved, you quickly realize, as one colleague told me years ago, that you do not work at the Vatican to find your Faith, you will probably loose it.

The second book I read, Ratzinger was afraid, by Gianluigi Nuzzi, . The title of the book is different in various countries and the original was written in Italian. This book was written from the documents stolen by the Pope's Butler, Paolo who was then arrested and jailed. He was pardoned by Pope Benedict and now has a job as a cleaner at the Bambino Gesu Hospital in Rome which is run by
the RCC. This book is somewhat like Wikileaks and is dubbed Vaticanleaks.

I did not enjoy as much, first it is poorly translated, you need to know some Italian to realize that the English word used is incorrect. Also it is simply a sensational style book, you have private correspondence or secret documents from the Pope's desk or from one of the Cardinals working closely with the Pope, this is all internal documents without context and it requires that you be aware of the background story and know the actors named. There is a long passage on world economics, Italian politics and speculation on what to do from the Vatican's point of view to influence the outcome by the then Head of the Vatican Bank who was advising Benedict XVI, a little tedious.

What you do understand is that there are 3 villains at work here. The first is the all powerful Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone who is in the Holy See Government the equivalent to a Prime Minister and is the number two of the RCC. He is now on his way out with the change over with the new Pope Francis I who will appoint someone else.
Then there is the arch-conservative former Secretary of State under Jean-Paul II now Dean of the college of Cardinals Angelo Sodano.  Cardinal Sodano knew all along from 1982 about the pedophilia scandal but under orders of Pope Jean Paul II kept everything under wraps and very quiet. Jean Paul II saw the abuse scandal as a needless distraction from his own agenda. Angelo Sodano was a trouble shooter and very adept at buying silence the old fashion way, using his powerful office to do so.
He used compliant politicians, governments and the media who were too happy to give a positive spin to what ever Jean Paul II was doing instead of looking into negative aspects.

Then comes the Editor in Chief of the Vatican Newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, Giovanni Maria Vian who controls the news and the message out of the Holy See and often will set the tone for other Catholic newspapers on various stories.

You also have the arch-conservative Private Secretary to Pope Benedict, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, known in Vatican circles as Father George. He was the door keeper and screened what the Pope would see or hear about. Finally Pope Benedict appears as a frighten man who did not want to manage the huge machine and was more and more bewildered by the various scandals and faux-pas appearing around him.  Benedict appears as a man who lived his life isolating himself in the milieu of the Vatican City. The Apostolic Palace a cocoon far from the real world outside. He took his meals with his servants, ladies who belonged to an ultra-catholic organization and who like him had conservative views. In the book this appears in sharp contrast to Jean-Paul II who would be out and about and who had his meals with many dignitaries he would invite at his table for discussions or monologues depending on your view of who speaks.

Not to forget the role around the Papacy of powerful organizations like Opus Dei, Communion and Liberation or the Military Order of the Knights of Malta play an important role because their members are wealthy, powerful and belong to the political elite of many countries. No wonder the average Catholic is a bit lost and confused on the goings on when observed from your parish.

These two books certainly give a good look inside the Vatican but both require prior knowledge of the operations of the Vatican organization to achieve a fuller understanding, however you are left in no doubt that the reason of State (Raison d'Etat) always trumps all other cards.

It will now be very interesting to see what changes Pope Francis, a Jesuit, brings to the Curia. So far all we have seen is cosmetic. My impression is that Francis is obviously bringing a simpler style but that he is a very firm manager and has a clear idea of how he wants to stir the ship.

Two Popes, on the left Benedict XVI on the right Pope Francis I. Very different style look at the difference from the throne, the shoes, the dais and the outfits worn.

 

More potpourri

In preparation for Tuesday the Holy See is now presenting more details of the new symbols ahead of the enthronement.

First a dish of pasta favoured by Pope Pius XII who was elected in 1939, Fettuccine alla Papalina (Pope's fettuccine) the sauce is made of finely chopped white onion, sliced Prosciutto, butter, 3 eggs, Parmigiano and heavy cream.

Then the new Coat of Arms of Pope Francis I, the brilliant sun is the symbol of the Jesuit order, the letters IHS represent Christ and the 3 nails of the cross. The Star is the symbol of the Virgin Mary and the grapes that of St-Joseph as representing the Universal Church. The motto (Miserando atque elegido) is taken from words spoken by Jesus in choosing St-Mathew a tax collector to follow him in his ministry. The ring in silver and gold bears the likeness of St-Peter holding the keys to Heaven.

This Coat of Arms will be displayed on the left side of every church entrance in Rome as is tradition.

Finally the Official entrance of the Apostolic Palace reserved for Heads of State who come to visit the Pope with the great staircase in the background. Tourists do not get to see this.

Enthronement or Coronation

The new Roman Pontifex Maximus was elected by the Princes of the Holy Roman Catholic Church on Wednesday 13 March and will be Officially Enthroned on Tuesday 19 March.

St-Peter's square night of the election of Pope Francis.

The central message of the new Pontiff is '' The Church is here to serve the poor'' a catchy message, not a new one for the Roman Catholic Church, it is part of the central message. The image of the new Pope given to the world Press is of a simple man, with simple taste. Pope Francis has already done well with the image by paying himself his hotel bill and retrieving his luggage and riding a mini-bus with other Cardinals back to the Vatican. He has said his first mass at the Church of St-Anne which is just inside the St-Anne Gate, the business address of the Holy See. He has met with the faithful after mass in front of the Church like  any parish priest would. I have been observing his body language and the way he handles people, first big smile, welcoming, happy, down to earth. Then its a quick hello, a word here or there and he moves on to the next person. The security detail around him, know what to do, it is all well rehearsed. It works, its effective and the public appears to like it. Same with the Cardinals who elected him, he greeted them after the mass in the Sistine Chapel, he spent a little more time with each one of them but not more than a few more seconds really, he also has a way of letting the person know it is time to move on. Obviously this fellow is an effective people handler, you did not see his predecessor Benedict XVI do that, he always looked a little tired or overwhelmed, not Pope Francis.

Swiss Guard in gala uniform

Also since his election Pope Francis has been wearing black shoes not the famous red loafers all Popes have worn in history. The Red shoes are a throwback to the day of the Roman Republic when the Chief Priest or Pontifex Maximus wore red leather short boots. During the religious service at the Temple of Jupiter Great and Best on the Capitoline Hill, the Pontiff would have to slit the throat of the great white bulls brought from Tuscany for the sacrifice, the blood would quickly pool and it was important because of the sacredness of the moment that the Pontiff did not get any blood on his immaculately white toga and his boots had to stay dry but not be stained, so the red leather hid any blood that might splatter. The meat would then be roasted some offered to Jupiter and the rest distributed to the faithful in communion during the service. One of the famous Pontifex was Julius Caesar, we just celebrated the Ides of March. The question is where were you on the morning of 44 BC when Julius was assassinated?

To come back to the enthronement of Pope Francis on 19 March, this ceremonial as changed with time.
Once a great parade would take place between the Cathedral of Rome, Saint-John Lateran and the Basilica of St-Peter going through the Roman Forum to symbolize the link and legacy with Imperial Rome. Not to forget that the Popes claim to be the heir of the Roman Emperors since Constantine in the fourth century. The Pope would wear the triple imperial crown as Sovereign of the Universal Church. He would be carried aloft in the Sedia gestatoria by the Gentleman of the Papal Court, they are the ones you see in photos dressed formally in white tie and dark coats or purple coats.

 Pope Pius XII being carried at his enthronement wearing the triple crown.

It is not likely that we will see any of that on Tuesday with Pope Francis, it promises to be a far simpler affair. The last Pope to be carried aloft was Jean-Paul I, his successor did not want that and since then the Pope has walked. I am told it cannot be a coronation because Kings are crowned by Popes or Cardinals, so Popes can only be enthroned since it is not likely God the Father would come down from Heaven for the event. Though he will be present at the ceremony for the faithful.

Papal Crowns, on display at the Lateran Palace in Rome

A friend of ours said she is staying home on Tuesday because Rome will be invaded by an estimated 1 million visitors for this event. Given that Rome is a city of 3 million people, you can see how this can create traffic problems, even if everyone walks. Attending the ceremony will be 140 Government delegations from around the world, numerous religious congregations and the 115 Cardinals who elected Pope Francis.

Cardinals walking in procession from the Pauline Chapel (named after Pope Paul III) to the Sistine Chapel to vote during the Conclave. Inside the Vatican Palace.

To renounce the Papacy

On Monday morning 11 February, the anniversary of the Signing of the Lateran Treaty, I was awaken to the news that the Bishop of Rome, Pope Benedict XVI had renounced his title and functions as Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. It did not take long for the press in Canada and elsewhere to get all excited, if not hysterical over this piece of news. What is also of concern is the lack of correct information and factual information or perspective on this news.
So many terms have been used and so much information was just simply wrong. If you do not have factual and correct information how can you reflect or understand anything. We live in an age of flash information and we have never been so misinformed, it is very discouraging at the best of time.

Few of us can claim to know Benedict XVI or who he is as a person. His reputation has been established for better or worse by the media and their confused interpretation of events at the Holy See. Comparing the current Pope with his predecessor Jean-Paul II is also not helpful, two very different men coming from two very different background and countries with different experiences.
Jean-Paul II was a Pole who grew up during World War II in a country marked for annihilation by Nazi policies and then worked during decades of harsh Communist rule stage managed from Moscow. Jean-Paul II was a clever and hard nose politician who knew what he wanted to achieve. I remember being told by Vatican Official once that he was very impatient and wanted everything done quickly, he was not the typical Vatican insider. His last months of his life were difficult, kept alive with a medical cocktail prepared daily by his doctors, often in great pain and confused, everything was stage managed by his Polish entourage so the public could believe that his mind was alert. Benedict then Cardinal Ratzinger saw all this and as a close colleague found it painful, but the Polish entourage was in charge and they wanted to remain in power.  

This is what we have to remember of the Holy See, from the very beginning when Emperor Constantine established Christianity as the religion of the Roman Empire in the fourth Century and created the position of Bishop of Rome at the Lateran, the political manoeuvring started and continues to this day. It is a very complicated story and it has more to do with politics and power than Faith in One God.

Benedict is very well educated, a scholar in Latin and on other topics. He is also a very pragmatic person and in his own words for the good of the Church has decided to renounce his function as Supreme Pontiff. It is rare to see someone, anyone, renounce such a powerful office. Usually people in power become convince that they are indispensable and refuse to leave, even when it has been demonstrated it would be better for them to leave office.

What has also not been mentioned here is the fact that when a Pope dies or in this case renounces his title, all other Cardinals must also abandon their portfolio. Benedict had a weak number two, Secretary of State, Cardinal Bertone not up to the responsibilities given to him in the management of this huge machine which is the Holy See and the World wide Church. There was failure in management and communication and Benedict was reluctant to replace people like Bertone who clearly were not up to the challenges. To many scandals including the one created over his butler who was found guilty of stealing private documents, may in the end bring the Pope to conclude that it was better to leave so that a new Pontiff could truly clean up house. A courageous gesture and one of wisdom and clarity which may help the Church in the long run.

The Pope weathered many storms, like the sex scandal which had been brewing for years under Jean-Paul II but never came to the surface, the world was busy with other events like the end of the Cold War and the long illness of the Pope and the team around Jean-Paul was far more politically minded and astute in Public Relations. Benedict inherited the mess and did all he could to bring closure. We can credit him with implementing measures to put an end to these abuses. Maybe he could have done more, maybe he could have been more political or more with an eye to the popular press to satisfy the public at large, but that was not his style. Benedict remains a man of his generation, more conservative, more European in out look, not comfortable with the rock star style of his predecessor. I also believe that with time Jean-Paul II papacy will be re-evaluated by history as the truth will finally come out on what he failed to do for the good of the Church.

It is true that the Church today appears out of step with our modern reality, but then again the Church has always been out of step, example the Galileo affair, the Reformation movement or the movement for the Unity of the Italian Republic or the eternally festering dispute with the Orthodox Church on who comes first in Christendom, the Bishop of Rome or the Patriarch of Constantinople.
Today the issues are different but it remains that the Church does not change to suit popular taste which are seen as a passing fad.

If you think that things are bad in the Roman Church, look at the Anglicans or the Lutherans or the Orthodox, similar political disputes and disagreements. Muslims are not any better with fights between the Shia, Sunni, Druze and Alawites. Or in Israël between the Orthodox Jews and the more Liberal Jews.

In the last few days the popular press including some so called serious newspapers have talked of the Pope quitting his job, resigning, he has done neither. He renounced his functions which are governed by Cannon Law article 332. No there is no signing of papers or retirement parties, no pension for life.
Like any Sovereign he cannot quit or resign, he does not have a job and he is chosen not elected by the masses. The Holy See is not a democracy but a Theocracy, something many people do not understand.

The Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano pointed out that in 2009, Benedict had visited the earthquake devastated area of L'Aquila and had made a point of visiting the tomb of Pope Celestine V who had renounced the papacy in 1294 of his free will. Benedict had said then that he would do the same if he felt unable to continue, he had left his Pallium at the tomb of Celestine V. The Pallium is the white woollen band with pendants worn by the Pope as a symbol of his authority.

the small building on the right of the photo will be Pope Benedict's home in the Vatican garden.

Now the Cardinals will assemble in the Sistine Chapel, sorry tourists it is closed for the duration, and will discuss and vote on a successor. Benedict will retire first to Castel Gandolfo just a few minutes outside Rome, the summer residence of Popes and then after the election will move to a house in the immense gardens of the Vatican Hill near the old radio Vatican tower to live out his days. It is not a palace and a rather plain two story building with a small chapel and a garden surrounded by a high greenery wall.

And for those who commented that maybe there should be fix terms in office and all kinds of civilian job related modernity a la US political system, again the Holy See is not that kind of organization. The Pope reports to God and not to us, maybe it is better this way, humans tend to be a fickle bunch. I also do not believe the doom sayers who say the Roman Catholic Church is going to disappear. On the contrary it is thriving and growing rapidly in all parts of the world with the exception of Europe and North America. So our thinking is skewed by our North American biased view of the world.

fresco God the Father in the Royal Spanish Church of San Pietro in Montorio, Rome

  










  

Revisiting Rome

After a non-winter due to climatic change in Canada, I suddenly had this urge to go to Rome to re-visit the city where we lived for 4 wonderful years (2007-2011). Rome is like a flu-bug once you have it, you cannot shake it off. Not everyone likes Rome as a City to live or to visit, it is old, about 2765 years old since the days of Romulus and Remus, the infrastructure is not what it could or should be, shopping hours are strange for most North Americans, dining and lunch hours are Southern European, breakfast is taken twice and the coffee is served in small quantities and has a ritual that must be followed if you do not want to be labelled a boor. Some Romans, not all still think of the City as the Capital of the World which can be infuriating for the type A personalities who visit. Traffic is maddening and parking is none existent or difficult at best. Everyone seem to only speak Italian even at the International airport, Fiumicino.

We lived there and loved it, we had and have friends, we were regulars at the Opera House and the Symphony. We learned about the City, how to navigate its streets and how to do like the Romans, we enjoyed it.

This trip was a vacation, incognito, I did not visit the Office on purpose, I simply wanted to forget about work or anything connected to it. I was invited to stay with our old friends P & J in their beautiful apartment not far from where we use to live, very central to all points in the City in the Coppede neighbourhood.

I contacted everyone and scheduled luncheons and dinners for every day of my stay including exhibits I wanted to see currently on show in Rome. The flight over with Alitalia was fine, it also allowed me to start speaking Italian right away. Upon our return from Italy last August, I enrolled in a 6 month Italian language course to continue to perfect my knowledge of the language, it became clear that my speaking abilities are much improved and have little difficulties now with the language.

Something that dawned on me at the beginning of this trip was that in Italy, Italians pursue the beautiful, it is part of their culture, whereas in Canada we pursue the practical, in itself it is a very different view of life as a whole.

Upon arrival at 8 am I was picked up by the driver at the airport and taken to my friends house, I showered, changed and went out for lunch on Via Alessandria at the Australian bar where I was greeted by Madame and her son Massimo had a wonderful seafood risotto made by Judy. Then I went to a little shop on Via Nomentana to get myself a cel phone, my Canadian one did not work in Italy they are blocked by the Canadian companies who hold a monopoly here in Canada. So for 30 euros got myself a very good phone and 120 minutes for international or national calls. When I think that in Canada I would pay at least $200 and have to sign a contract just to use a cel phone.

I returned home for cocktails and a light dinner and off to bed where I slept for 12 hours straight. The next day I decide to take a proper Roman breakfast just a few doors down at the local Café and had a nice Espresso with a bit of milk (machiato) and a Tramenzino, a white bread sandwich ham and cheese grilled. I then walked out towards the City walls and entered the City at Porta Pia walking towards Piazza Santa Susanna and down to the Quirinale Palace. At the Scuderie del Quirinale there was an exhibit on the painter Jacopo Comin called Tintoretto  (1518-1594) whose major works are featured all over Venice. The Scuderie are the old stables of the Quirinale Palace, the grounds floor housed the different coaches, the first floor had the stalls for the horses, the second floor was the area reserved for the stable staff and coachmen.  To reach the first floor the horses walked up a grand staircase designed just for them and all made of stone. This staircase is taken by visitors today to enter the exhibit area.
I learned that Tintoretto who lived at the same time as other great painters like the Titian, quickly undercut his competitors by not charging for his work and simply asking a nominal fee for the canvas.
Since all the princes and cardinals did not want to pay more than they had to for the numerous art works needed for their palaces and churches, Tintoretto became a favourite among them, he also had a great talent, he took chance with his customers, never sure if his tableaux would please. The art world in his days was tightly controlled by the Catholic Church who dictated how a topic could be presented. The Catholic Church positioned itself so to oppose or to answer the Protestant Reformation in Europe.

Just walking in Rome is always great fun, so much to see all around you. The vistas are always spectacular, the whole city is arranged as if a giant stage set made out to impress the eye of the on-looker.

Snow can be romantic

It's funny how a snow storm can be romantic in one city and cause people to curse in another city. How can this be I wonder, could it be the beautiful century old buildings, the parks and landscape or simply the image we have of Rome. The snow is falling all over Italy and it is simply romantic and beautiful.

The great gates of Villa Borghese in Rome in front of Piazza Flaminia

Oh my! they have not taken the tacky Xmas decorations down at Piazza San Pietro.

Taken from inside a passing car, the staircase leading to the Campidoglio with Castor and Pollux looking down from the Capitoline Hill.

Looking down Via della Conciliazione towards St-Peter which has disappeared under the snow storm.

The doorman of the Embassy of Canada to the Holy See in Rome cleaning the snow off.

As I was saying to the Holy Father this morning as he was gazing out from his apartment window down unto St-Peter's Square, we should go skiing.

on the street, where is everyone?

The beautiful cathedral of Siena under the snow.

No one at the Caffé today

un bello ragazzo

How I miss it all, as Puccini said, you will never see anywhere in the world a city has great as Rome.
I have to agree.

What I will miss from Rome

Leaving Rome after 4 years in the Citta Eterna is difficult, the only other cities in my various postings abroad I had regrets about leaving were Cairo and Warsaw. Cairo had a special feel in 1991 when I left and to this day when I think of Egypt I always feel nostalgic, there was a certain elegance to the city and our lives there at the time, memories of Mountolive perhaps, our penthouse apartment on the Nile, to see this magnificent river pass under our balcony with Cairo at our feet and to our right the eternal pyramids of Giza in the distance in the setting sun was truly magical.  Warsaw was another city, full of elegance and style in the only way the Polish people know how to do it, full of dignity, pride and sense of history. What a great place it was then in 1999, what friends we made.

Statue of the Bersaglieri soldier Piazza Porta Pia

Porta Pia known in antiquity as Porta Nomentana

                               Piazza Repubblica

                                    the opera house of Rome

a good after theater restaurant in front of the opera house

via Genova leading to the gardens of the Quirinale Palace

Leaving Rome is a similar experience, so many wonderful memories, so many delights and experiences which will remain with me for the rest of my life. Like this morning seeing the white transport helicopter of the Pope flying him and the Papal Court from the Gardens of the Vatican to his Summer Palace at CastelGandolfo where he will remain until September escaping the heat of the city.

Via dei Serpenti leading to the Colosseum which can be seen at the end of the street.

the private family home of the Italian President on Vincolo dei Serpenti.

the full moon over the dome of the Church of San Rocco by the Mausoleum of Emperor Augustus.

the museum housing the Ara Pacis of Augustus, with his great text Res Gestae Divi Augusti which is the funerary inscription of the deeds of Augustus and the basis of jurisprudence today.

I will miss our box at the Teatro del'Opera di Roma and our attendant who always unlocked the door to our box or the summer evening open air presentations of the opera in the ancient ruins at the Baths of Caracalla. The Accademia Santa Cecilia concerts at the Parco della Musica and the very nice lady who would always reserved a taxi for us for after the show and who knew us by name. The many wonderful restaurants in Rome where we were regulars like Stella Maris and Checco e Lina Le Petit Bistrot or on via Borgo Pio at Il Mozzicone were we would go for comfort pasta like the best Carbonara in Rome, this is were we ended up when our dear old Reesie died 3 years ago. We could always count on a table. We also discovered many great eateries in Italy, often in small towns or villages, thanks to Gambero Rosso and le Guide Michelin. Being able to discover and taste the fine wines of so many regions including Sicily while the waiter explained the food specialties of the area.

The incredible choice of Men's fashion in stores, so much variety and so much style. I am so glad I took full advantage of it to renew my wardrobe. I will also miss my barber Franco and his colleague Mimo, sharing him with the President of the Italian Republic. How many people can say that or that is shop is below the President's private home on Via Dei Serpenti, steps away from the Quirinale Palace. I will also miss our butcher Armando on Via Alessandria, our having my morning espresso at the Australian bar served by Sandor, Massimo and Germana, excellent coffee, not to mention Judy's cooking at lunch time. All the wonderful people we met and of course our friends in Rome and the Canadian Club of Rome, www.canadianclubofrome.blogspot.com

an old street in Rome near the Tiber, a residential district.

the bridge King Vittorio Emanuelle II crossing the Tiber to the Vatican with the dome of St-Peter in the background.

On the more mundane, things like our fruit seller on Viale Regina Margherita or the Esso station attendant at Piazza Galeno with whom I chatted each time we walked Nicky and Nora, talking about results of cricket matches in Asia. The old 1950's vintage trams on line 3 or 19, riding them across town. Being able to walk over to the Villa Borghese park on a hot day in Rome when the sun is like hot lead and just enjoy the shade and quiet of this great park. The cashiers at our local CRAI grocery store on Via Alessandria. Or the ladies selling wine at the Enoteca on the Piazza Regina Margherita, who always had good advice and a little discount for the wine I purchased. Many people in the service industry are themselves expatriates, guest workers from Bangladesh, India and Egypt, all making a life for themselves amongst the Italians. Italy today, I discovered, is a cosmopolitan country with little to do with the Italy of the movies.

We are thinking of coming back one day, renting a small apartment, not in Rome, no, but possibly elsewhere like in Pesaro on the Adriatic, for a vacation.

our building entrance on Via dei Villini, an oasis of greenery.

On the rooftop of the Minerva Hotel, Rome
But now it is time to think of departure and goodbyes and renewal.