Kiara Girkins Vatican City

February 4, 2008

Since the beginning of time it has been human instinct to find spiritual enlightenment in regards to life and why and how we are here. Naturally, humans began seeking out sanctuaries where they could worship and act out religious traditions. These sacred places provide us with a location in which we can be more closely connected with our spiritual divinities. The Vatican City has become one such sacred place and the Axis Mundi for Catholicism. It has served the Christian world as a holy city for centuries, encouraging many to make a pilgrimage to its streets believing it to be a place where they can be closest to God.
The Vatican City has for centuries been a sacred destination. Even before the arrival of Christianity the area now known as Vatican City was thought to be sacred, and was the place of worship of the Phrygian Goddess Cybele and her consort Attis during Roman times. (Vatican City). In the early first century, Agrippina the Elder took over the former holy lands as a site for her gardens. The land continued to switch hands until the great fire of Rome in 64 A.D. when it became the site of martyrdom for a large population of Christians. It is thought that St. Peter was crucified upside down in the center of what is now known as St. Peter’s square. Catholic apologists and noted Italian archeologists have argued that the site of the Constantinian basilica built in 326 A.D., now know as St. Peter’s Basilica, was built on top of the burial grounds of St. Peter himself. The Vatican City quickly became the center of Catholic teaching, and on February 11, 1929, with the Lateran treaty, the city gained its independence from Italy, becoming the smallest independent state in the world. (Vatican City). The Vatican City’s St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel are homes to works of art by the famous Botticelli, Bernini and Michelangelo. Its library and museums host numerous historical artifacts dating back to the first century. In 1984, the Vatican City was added to the list of World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (Vatican City). As the home of the Pope, and many of the top leaders of the Catholic Church, and as site of such significant Christian history, it has become one of the most recognized sacred places in the world.
The Latin term, Axis Mundi, means the axis of the world, and is often used to describe a sacred place. It is the mythical point of connection between heaven and earth. (Axis Mundi). For Catholicism, the Vatican City has become that point. As a whole nation dedicated purely to the practice of Catholicism, it serves as one of the most sacred places for Catholic believers. All decisions concerning the Catholic Church are made from within its gates, providing it religious control over the entire world’s Catholic followers. Historically, the Romans controlled a large majority of Europe and considered themselves to be the center of the world. As Constantine began to take over and spread Christianity throughout Europe, Rome became the center for the Christian church, and has continued to stay as such. This centralism has enabled the Vatican City to serve as the Axis Mundi for the Catholic Church.
With the Vatican City being of such significance to the Catholic Church, and of such historical importance, it is comes as no surprise that more than twenty-five million people visit each year. (Vatican City). Such a pilgrimage can be seen as essential in one’s spiritual growth as a Catholic because of the city’s importance to the church, as well as its historical importance to Christian heritage. The territory of the Vatican City is part of the Mons Vaticanus, and of the adjacent former Vatican Fields which house St. Peter’s Basilica, the Apostolic Palace and the Sistine Chapel. These venues serve as an important connection between historic and modern day Christianity, making them all the more appealing to travel to. While it is not mandatory for Catholic followers to make a pilgrimage to the Vatican City, it is highly desirable for its followers because of its historical significance. In Annie Dillard’s, “The Writing Life,” from her book Three, she says in reference to surroundings one should write it, “Appealing workplaces are to be avoided. One wants a room with no view, so imagination can meet memory in the dark.” (Dillard, pg. 564). The reason for this is because a writer must draw on past experiences and memories to write a great book. However, when one wants to learn more, and experience new things, they must travel out and seek them. It is this idea that encourages so many to make such pilgrimages.
In Gary Snyder’s Practice of the Wild, he refers to the supernatural as being events, “described often enough to make them continue to be intriguing and, for some, credible.” (Snyder, pg. 9). This idea of the “supernatural” and its reoccurring presence in a sacred place encourages believers to seek them out so that they may experience these events as well. It is this communication with transcendent beings within sacred places that is of deepest significance to the spiritual well-being of individuals. While Catholics believe that they may communicate with God in any place at any time, the idea of doing so in the presence of such holy lands is far more exciting, and therefore desirable. To be able to attend a service at St. Peter’s Basilica in the presence of such important church officials, and to pray on the grounds in which some of Christ’s disciples walked, truly enhances the connection one feels to God, and as such, makes one believe that their communication with God is enhanced.
The Vatican City has become one of the most significant and recognized sacred places in the world, and has served as an essential part of the Catholic Church. It is a sanctuary for those seeking refuge from a Godless culture, and a reminder of the history of Christianity. The center of the Catholic Church, it is the home to some of the most fundamental and influential religious leaders in the world today. Its historical connection serves as reason for its exploration, and its significance to the Catholic religion provides a feeling of heightened communication with God.