Yes, really, only 80 years old. It is an official holiday there today. Vatican City became a sovereign state on February 11, 1929 after an agreement between Pope Pius XI and Mussolini led to the signing of the Lateran Treaties.
Enlarge this photo of the Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center and you see the Vatican flag flying. Imagine, stepping into Vatican territory in the middle of Jerusalem!.
Notre Dame received its first pilgrims in 1888. The building's history is at their website.
I found this paragraph the most interesting:
"Large groups of pilgrims began coming to the Holy Land in 1882 under the direction of French Assumptionists. . . . Notre Dame de France Pilgrim Center met the requirements for the new types of large pilgrimages in which 500 pilgrims would arrive and depart at the same time on special ships equipped with chapels. At Notre Dame de France, the pilgrims found accommodations commensurate with their numbers. The Assumptionists assisted them spiritually and served as guides as they visited the Holy Places."
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So, happy birthday Vatican City.
Hey bloggers, have you checked out the Vatican's new dedicated channel on YouTube? Click here and see daily videos of what Pope Benedict is up to.
No wonder you are so beautifully complex.
ReplyDelete80th Birthday. I can't imagine being that old! Wow. Very cool and educational post.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very beautiful building. I didn't know that Vatican City was so young.
ReplyDeleteYou know a lot of all those religions.
only 80? my motehr-in-law is older than that!
ReplyDeleteAND this is a beautiful flowering of a religious force in Jerusalem.
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautiful building and thanks for sharing this history.
As you know I was brought up in a strict catholic family but I no longer take religion literally but I take religion as a meditation and it does make me a stronger person.
I have visited Rome searching my grandfather's roots and the roots of my spiritual essence and I have always thought of the holy land as my second home with respect to this essence.
Thanks for sharing this Dina. I have never researched this but it is beautiful to share through a friends' heart.
Although I reject this present pope.He is suppose to stand for global peace and love and one of his aims was to bring all religions together and then yet he denounced the prophet Mohammed in a public speech.I downloaded the speech and dissected it and I feel the pope is not fit to rule.
But that is why I love my position on the church. I had beautiful experiences I attending advent and christmas mass.It is my spiritual season's strength but when I see a weakness or even corruption I can withdraw because my God is love and light.
Thanks for sharing Dina!
love and light
shalom.
Nice pen! Blog moore !
ReplyDeleteMvh
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