[Photo: St. Peter’s Basilica through a key
hole of the gate of the Knights of Malta]
[Photo: Tourists lining up to take a peek
at the key hole.]
I took these photos on July 2, 2008 on one
of my regular Saturday excursions in Rome. The website reidsitaly.com describes
the photograph this way: “Peek through this keyhole on a piazza designed by
Piranesi in 1765, and you see a garden path that ends with bushes perfectly
framing the dome of St. Peter's in the distance. The gateway, incidentally,
leads to the gardens of the Knights of Malta (I Cavalieri di Malta), who are
actually called the Knights of St. John Hospitaler, one of the last surviving
orders of knights left over from the Crusades. The knights left the island of
Malta long ago, and their headquarters are now here in Rome. In fact, the
Italian state recognizes their sovereignty, which means there are actually
three nations within Rome (Italy, the Vatican, and the Knights of Malta).”
[Outside Rome there is a fourth state, San Marino. I do not know if the Knights
of Malta can be called a nation or a state.]
I went to the Aventine Hill on this
particular Saturday to see three places: the Basilica of Sant’Anselmo, the church
of San Alessio, and that of Santa Sabina. [The Aventine Hill is one of the Seven
Hills of Rome. The Book of Revelation speaks of the dragon with seven heads.
The dragon is the Roman empire symbolized by the city of Rome and the seven
heads are the Seven Hill of Rome.] I only discovered the famous key hole of the
Knights of Malta by accident. I saw a small tourist bus park in the piazza. Out
came the occupants. They looked Chinese. They made a bee line for a gate and
one by one looked into a key hole. My curiosity was piqued. What were they
looking at? When they left, I went to the gate and looked into the key hole.
And what did I see? The cupola of St. Peter’s beautifully framed by trees.
When you speak of the Basilica of St.
Peter, your thoughts immediately turn to the Pope. And this time, with sadness.
Benedict XVI has publicly announced his intention to renounce the papacy on
February 28 at 8 pm, local time. He did it out of love for the church. He
confessed that he no longer has the strength to carry out the responsibility of
the papacy. His words: “"I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only
for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great
importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my
conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to
an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine
ministry.”
The world reacted with shock. The last time
a Pope resigned the papacy was 600 years ago. Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle
expressed his surprise and sadness this way: “Pope Benedict XVI’s renunciation
of the ministry as Bishop of Rome on February 11, 2013 came as a surprise. The
announcement also brought sadness to us. We felt like children clinging to a
father who bids them farewell. But sadness gives way to admiration for the Holy
Father’s humility, honesty, courage and sincerity. His paramount desire is to
promote the greater good of the Church.”
Next month in March, the Cardinals will
converge in Rome and elect a successor to Benedict XVI. Cardinal Tagle’s name
has been bandied about as a possible successor. He is thus a “papabile”. But let
us not forget the saying: “He who enters the conclave a pope, comes out a cardinal.”
To inform us about developments regarding Benedict
XVI’s eventual giving up of the papacy and regarding the conclave and its
aftermath, I have requested Fr. Joel Camaya to be our “reporter” from Rome. He
has gladly accepted to do this service for us here in the Philippines. Thanks,
Fr. Joel.
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