Steps and Steps

I was surprised this morning. As I said yesterday, we started today by visiting the Roman Seminary, but what I did not realize was that the Roman Seminary is part of the Lateran complex, where we'll be spending tomorrow morning as well.  The Seminary is amazing, and Monsignor joined us for mass in the chapel devoted to our Lady of Confidence.

The good Monsignor turned a 5 inch half portrait 

into a 6 foot full length statue. I am impressed.

After a tour full of funny stories, to commerce Roe v Wade and for our own mini-March for Life, a group of us climbed the Scala Sancta (Sacred Steps), which are the stairs from the Roman praetorium in Jerusalem that Jesus would have walked up to be judged by Pilate. And they really are the steps because I saw the gap where they should have been in Jerusalem last year.  They are covered with wooden planks, and you climb them on your knees.

The Steps

After that, I did a quick whirlwind tour of St. John Lateran.  I saw everything I really wanted to see, including the tomb of Innocent III (though I wasn't sure which Innocent it was at the time), but we will be going back tomorrow.  This afternoon we had a guest speaker from the Congregation for Bishops who talked about how bishops are appointed. Since I will never be a bishop (if they ever try, I just will need to wax poetic about Pope Innocent and how much I love him) and ideally will never be consulted in the process, it will hopefully be fun trivia.  After, we had our second to last class lecture session which was good, but brutal since I was tired and it was 4 in the afternoon Ina very warm conference room.

The facade. I need to save the interior for tomorrow

 because it's the only fun thing we're doing.