Vatican Uncovered
By Brother Stavros Over a decade ago I spent several days in Rome. I did not come to like the city, but one quirky experience remains vivid in my memory. I wanted to visit the Ethiopian College, the only one established within the Vatican walls. To attempt this required that I approach a Swiss Guard and ask if it were possible, a rather formidable hurdle. They are big guys with a wicked weapon in hand, and the Michelangelo uniform commands respect and wonder. I was told to approach within a yard from his boots and state my business. Then he instructed me what gate to enter to reach the bureau where my request would be considered. It was a different experience from just being in a crowd in the basilica or on the piazza. This brought me within the walls of this micro city-state, a hundred square acres and fewer than a thousand inhabitants. A HBO miniseries, The Young Pope , and a novel, The Fifth Gospel, both depend on the intrigue, history, hopes, and machinations ...