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Church for Heroes, Church for Christ |
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written
by peeter / 10.24.2005 |
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Assignment |
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Simon sits on the rounded base molding of a gigantic marble column in the back of St. Peter’s Basilica, overwhelmed by the vast, open yet cluttered space before his eyes. At what point does he begin to describe this church, and how will he ever stop. His anxiety manifested itself the moment he embarked on the piazza whose surface area matches that of the internal structure that it introduces. The grand fountains; the twin, curling colonnades that embraced him before funneling him into the basilica; the thousands of chairs arranged for the expected pilgrims; the towering façade that reminds him of the temples at Paestum; and finally, the dome that dominates the skyline experienced by nearly every Roman citizen.
Elbows on his knees and face in his palms, Simon’s eyes focus on the just-polished floor. Slowly lifting his head, he follows it through the central nave and to the front of the sanctuary, its visibility blocked at points by other visitors whose statures become nothing more than short pins by the time he squints at the main altar. He considers that his presence is just as insignificant to these distant people, and looking up at the vaulted ceiling miles in the air, it becomes more and more insignificant to himself. Regardless of how tiny he is; the floor deserves his full appreciation. It is composed of a beautiful array of whole marble slabs: Red, green, blue, and gray. The occasional papal crests do not allow his mind to forget the men entrusted with the stewardship of the church. Uniform, square, fluted columns rise out of the floor to support gilded entablature, leading to a deeply coffered ceiling with gold-plated egg and dart molding. Larger-than-life statues of well-known saints and martyrs line the entire central nave, some shown in the writhing pain of death, others bearing huge crosses shaped to the texture of wood.
Popes’ tombs lay around every corner, along with a bilaterally symmetrical collection of chapels, each with its own depth-defining apse. Simon feels a strong sense of gratitude for the heroic characters that suffered so greatly for his God, and he wonders whether any opportunities exist for him to serve the church in a direct way. He attempts to pray but is soon distracted by several of the little niches that house statues in highly dramatic poses. He indulges in fantasy, imagining that all of the statues have come to life, falling into a pool of chaos. His dream becomes reality for a moment as clouds part to pass direct sunlight through a high window and onto a pope’s tomb in the distance. The statue of a praying figure in the papal vestige appears frighteningly alive, and Simon is reluctant to enter a prayerful state of his own.
Simon’s pilgrimage to the world’s greatest church is followed by a visit to Santa Prassede, a typical place of worship during the early Christian era. Vaulted arches provide a rib cage for the central nave, with a non-vaulted, coffered ceiling painted as a starry, blue sky background framed by gilded molding. Each of these primary arches bears a papal crest at its peak. The symbol of Pascal, the builder, is scattered in various prominent locations throughout the church, informing Simon of the architect’s involvement in its construction.
While the huge altar centered beneath the apse may obstruct his view of Jesus’ figure in the hierarchical mosaic, the images of saints and patrons at his sides are always visible, regardless of his viewpoint. The work shows apostles Peter and Paul, each with his arm wrapped around the Holy Sisters of Prassede and Prudenziana, respectively, his opposing arm held out towards the center, directing the sisters’ as well as Simon’s attention onto Jesus. Christ seems to be the main focal point of this church, and Simon wonders why the Son of God barely even crossed his mind while visiting St. Peter’s Basilica.
Simon of course notices that the columns lining the central nave do not match—spoglie gleaned from pagan temples—but the floor! A vast plane of colored squares and triangles and circles, it is the product of a time when marble supplies were tight like spandex and custom quarried pieces impossible to attain. Simon imagines hundreds of laborers cutting large, unshapely slabs into small, manageable pieces. This surface represents the work of so many hands, all for one common goal: To build a magnificent church out of relative poverty. Simon remembers St. Peter’s and how its builders spared no expense.
For this church, everything is within. The faithful truly must enter its doors in order to receive what it wants to convey to them. Jesus the teacher, the Lamb of God, *is* God, and His home was generously built by the pious servant Pascal. Peter and Paul, who sit literally at the left and right hands of Christ, are his greatest representatives. The holiness of the two sisters of Prassede and Prudenziana is revealed by their closeness to the two apostles. Simon, a faithful believer, is one among many sheep that must seek the guidance of the Good Shepherd and His holy representatives that watch over the flock. Simon cannot help but feel safe in this place, under the protection of the Almighty. He is at ease, and already has forgotten being so tiny under the dome of the flagship church of Catholic Christianity.
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