On Sunday, I had the pleasure of taking some time to meet seminarians of my diocese studying at the North American College just outside the Vatican. These fine young men will eventually have to leave Rome and return to the less-tropical Twin Cities, and will serve our parishes and our dioceses. They welcomed me warmly and hosted me for a delicious brunch after Mass. Cardinal Timothy Dolan celebrated the Mass and delivered an interesting, humorous, and powerful homily on the reading from Paul, reminding us that our call to serve the Lord and Jesus Christ is the "secret" we must keep at the center of our lives, and that all else is just circumstance.
Speaking of celebrations, the walk back from the seminary turned into a reminder that Rome seems mad about weddings! For the most part, I have spent my time near St. Peter's Basilica, and it isn't unusual to see women in full bridal wear out to take pictures in the square or even inside the basilica itself.
On Sunday, I ran into two brides within a block of each other, later in the day. The first drove up to the beautiful Sanctu Spiritu in Sassia church as I walked past, causing a crowd of people to gather and take pictures, myself included.
This bride was arriving for the actual nuptials, and her flower girls were ready to greet her:
One block away, another bridal couple walked along the Via Conciliazione for a picture-taking session. This is the street that leads directly into St. Peter's Square, and it's a busy thoroughfare in the daytime. Their photographer took his life into his hands to get a few pictures of the pair walking across the street with the basilica in the background:
It's said that Paris is the most romantic city in the world, and that may be; I've never been there. But I don't think I've seen this many brides wanting to be in the presence of the Vatican for their pictures or their wedding day as I've seen over the past week that I've been in Rome for the Synod. Clearly, the beauty of the building is one draw, but the beauty of the Church and its emphasis on sacramental permanence has to be a large part of that impulse. After all, there are plenty of beautiful buildings and venues in Rome, and yet the brides flock to the Vatican to commemorate their nuptials rather than anywhere else.
