Ther Prodigal Son and a Couple of Dead Popes

Tomorrow we take Santa CAAWS photos with the Bassets. See what an errant ink pen will do for Christmas decor?  Isn't it wonderful of him to try to be festive and paint himself up?  geez..........

And since we are Biblical here is a dead pope from inside St. Peter's Basillica in Rome.  There was more than one dead pope actually.

A number of the Popes are interred in St. Peter's Basillica in Rome.  It is a truly awesome building even for a non-believer.  Just the sheer size of the building makes you feel small in the prescence of something big.  Under the Basillica itself are the catacombs.  Last time we were in Rome we did go down there to see them but this time we did not have the time to go there.  But we did get to see two of the previous Popes.  These are   John XXII from 1963 and Pius X from 1914.

This is looking up into the dome above the alter was done by MichaelAngelo in the 1500s.  It took him 18 years to complete it and he hated doing the work.  He died before it was completed in 1590.  But the Pope had ordered him to do it and he begrudginly did.  The letters around the bottom under those 18 windows of the dome are over 6 feet tall so you can get somewhat of a perspective to the magnitude of it all.  There is no way actually to get that feeling unless you are right there. 

Here is a link to what the words mean and some info about the dome itself.

The Dome of St. Peter's Basilica