Rome Ecumenism Course 2023

  Back in Feb-March, when the opportunity to study in Rome was advertised, I immediately asked my husband if I can go to Rome to study Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue. My supportive husband always says "Yes" to anything personal and professional adventures I’m interested in. The first time I met Mike (Professor) on Zoom, I immediately am drawn to the level of details he presented. Getting to Rome was perhaps one of the most anxiety-provoking travel because (a) how do I pack for 3 weeks, (b) I haven’t been to Rome or to Europe, & lastly, what about our dog, I’m going to miss her?!   God is good though, all the time! He sent me Melinda to travel with, Mike and my peers (Christine, Paul, Rheema, Rosemary, & Shaun. Looking forward to also being with Sr. Carla.) have been great companies! I’m not only surrounded by intelligent people, they are also a lot of fun! The first few days have been a lot of adjustments due to jetlag, heat exhaustion, excessive sweating...

Even if you have a ticket, you have to be an early bird to get a good seat for Mass at St. Peter's Basilica on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. That we did, then made the short journey downhill from Casa Tra Noi where we are staying to St. Peter's Square. (It took less than fifteen minutes even with the necessary stop for a cappuccino and pastry.)  Rosemary and I were among the first in line. We had to go through a security check, of course. Our water bottles seemed to be a problem and I was expecting they might be confiscated. But the police officer just made us take a drink while he watched... presumably this would prove we were not trying to bring in gasoline or poison!  Since neither of us burst into flames nor died from this drink we were allowed through the gate. We were seated in no time (despite some rather eager humans in the line-up) and settled down seven rows from the clergy. We had a clear view of the altar. I was impressed to see the massive statue of St. Peter ...

July 29 th is the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, which unsurprisingly, is a holiday here in Rome. It is also the day in which the newest archbishops of world are presented with a pallium – a liturgical vestment that might be described as a cross between a cowl and a stole. The short, y-shaped pallium is made of white lamb’s wool and is adorned with crosses. Worn around his neck, the bishop is reminded of the Good Shepherd holding the stray sheep on his shoulders and thus also reminded of his own responsibility to those most in need of God’s loving care. The giving of the pallium is an ancient tradition first recorded in fourth century and eventually becoming universal practice. I had expected a lengthy ritual in which each Archbishop (44 in all from 32 different countries – including our own Archbishop Frank Leo from Toronto) was presented with his pallium. However, this was not the case. Once the pallia were brought up from the tomb of St. Peter, they were blessed by the pope ...

Today in Rome, we commemorate the feast (and public holiday) of Saints Peter and Paul. As part of our celebration, we're fortunate enough to attend the papal mass at St Peter's, and witness the Archbishop of Toronto, Francis Leo, receive his pallium. As we toured this site the other day, our guide, Cornelius, explained how Peter and Paul were martyred not far from where this beautiful basilica now stands. Martyrdom is a large part of Christian history, and while it is tempting to relegate it to a time long past, its effects are still felt to this day, and in ways you wouldn't expect. Not only are there still Christians today who suffer for their faith, but this is a point of unity among Christians—or an "ecumenism of blood" as we heard in one of our lectures on Monday. The martyrdom of Christians has an impact that transcends denominational lines, and is felt by Christians of many creeds, not simply our own. Having received this insight before today's celebraz...

     Probably one of the most touching experiences I've had thus far in Rome would be our visit today at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls. To put it mildly, it was an awe-inspiring experience.      Today was the first time I saw the tomb of an Apostle. It was incredible to think that, after all his travels, I was merely a few feet away from the resting place of one of Christ's Apostles (though not one of the Twelve). Even now, I'm struck to think of how much history there was to put these two Pauls outside the walls!      However, this was but one thing that I loved about this basilica. In one of our classes this week, we were told of how St John Paul II said that there are two lungs of the Church: East and West. (Although, our lecturer added a third: the Syriacs.) What amazed me was that here I could see both lungs breathing in the same place. This was undoubtedly a Roman Catholic Basilica—the names and faces of Popes adorned the...

By Shawn Bausch The Pantheon is one of Rome's oldest standing structures in a city of ancient structures.  Compounding its mysteries, experts are not certain what the Pantheon's original purpose was. We picked up our tour in front of the Pantheon in the Piazza della Rotonda, one of Rome's smaller squares with a decorative fountain as well as one of Rome's drinking fountains fed by one of the city's ancient aqueducts still in use today.  Our guide was an American from Philadelphia and a big highlight of our tour.  A knowledgeable - and in this case, very entertaining guide will make your tour many times more enjoyable. The current Pantheon is the third version of the original structure.  First constructed in about AD 31 by the Roman general Agrippa coinciding with Augustus' significant victory over Marc Antony at Actium.  Destroyed by fire in the reign of Domitian, it was rebuilt, then destroyed a second time by lightening, the current structure wa...

   A beautiful start to our stay in Rome was attending the Angelus on Sunday afternoon. As we walked, the Vatican Dumo was visible, leading the way. Promptly at noon Pope Francis addressed the crowds that had gathered from all parts of the world, with a cheerful Buongiorno, buona Domenica (Good Sunday)! The Angelus is a special prayer that can be said three times a day, at 6:00 am, noon, and 6:00pm. On Sunday Pope Francis leads this prayer and also shares a  message which is traditionally based on the Gospel of the day. Pope Francis reminded us today, just as Jesus spoke to his disciples, to have no fear. We are encouraged to be mindful of our priorities, spending time in prayer, caring for others, valuing the life given to us by God. We are to remember how precious we are to God, and as Pope Francis stated we should only be afraid of wasting our “existence in the pursuit of trivial things that do not fill life with meaning”. So, when we are faced with challenges, become ...

They say all roads lead to Rome, and as we all undertook a different road to get here, at last we all find ourselves in the Eternal City. Maybe we're a little jet-lagged, but no doubt we're excited to be here, and haven't wasted much time before "doing as the Romans do". While I was sent off on a mini-adventure to replace some lost luggage, the rest of our congregation went to see the Holy Father lead us in the Angelus (but more on that later). What we all shared in common was wasting no time in taking to the streets to get our fill of the culture, and for all that we saw, we were reminded of this city's incredible history. You can hardly turn a street corner without seeing something to pique your interest. Even as we were welcomed as the "future ecumenists" by James Loughran, SA, director of the Centro Pro Unione, he explained that even the room we are to learn in has a remarkable tale. It was the first place Vivaldi conducted his Four Seasons, and ...

Having arrived a little early in Rome, I had a chance to meander around the Vatican for a day before the rest of the group arrived. There is so much to impress but what caught my eye was the sculpture Angels Unawares by our own Canadian Timothy Schmaltz. Schmaltz's Homeless Jesus lives outside the front doors of the Christie Mansion which houses Regis St. Michael's so the connection to this artist is close to home. The bronze sculpture was commissioned by Pope Francis in 2019 for World Migrant and Refugee Day. It depicts people traveling from a variety of countries and eras but all on the same boat with an angel in their midst. The title of the statue refers to the verse in Hebrews 13:2: "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." (RSV) It is a powerful reminder to listen closely to those who come from away, those who are different in culture, language and religion because it is precisely there that we will en...

Welcome to our journey of studying ecumenism and interfaith relations in Rome in the summer of 2023. Please visit often as we share insights, new learnings, adventures, pictures, etc., from our three weeks in the eternal city. We’re glad to have you along!

Some of you have asked about where we're staying while in Rome. We're staying at place called Casa Tra Noi, close to the Vatican II. It was built in the late 1950s-early 1960s and opened in 1962 as part of the apostolate of the Tra Noi Movement , a community founded in 1952. Initially, the residence was built to house disadvantaged women. It later widened its ministry to become a home for pilgrims and tourists visiting Rome. Casa Tra Noi still remains connected to its original purpose by designating its profits for children and young people suffering from addictions, terminal illnesses, homelessness, etc. It's about a 30 minute walk from the Centro Pro Unione where we'll be studying.

Some of you have asked about where we're studying in Rome. We'll be at the Centro Pro Unione, a centre that goes back to at least 1948 and has as its mission the promotion of Christian unity. In 1962, the centre was moved to the Phamphilj Palace in one of Rome's most famous squares called Piazza Navona (see picture above - the Centro is in the building on the right). During the time of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) the centre hosted weekly gatherings of Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant theologians (known as "ecumenical observers") who met with Catholic theologians and Bishops to discuss the work of Council. It was not uncommon for a comment made by one of the observers to be picked up and to find its way into an intervention in the Council hall the next day. In 1968, the centre became officially named the Centro Pro Unione. Today, the Centro promotes Christian unity through its many activities, including the summer Rome Program that we're participating...