The Pantheon in Rome was originally built in ancient times as a temple to all gods. It is now dedicated to the Blessed Mother and all the saints.
While Rome may not be where our Savior lived and died; a pilgrimage to Rome can still help a pilgrim foster a deeper relationship with Jesus. A pilgrim gets to visit the great churches built to hold the people of God, see some history, and enjoy some excellent meals!
A pilgrimage to Rome entails visits to the great churches, attending Mass in these churches and receiving confession. St. Peter’s Basilica still takes my breath away when I walk into it. The size, the magnificent artwork, the words that Jesus spoke to Peter along the walls, the smell of the incense, are all there to honor the man the Jesus chose to lead his Church on earth. If you are lucky enough to take the Scavi tour (spoiler alert - my next blog!) you will get within a few feet of bones that Blessed Paul VI proclaimed "in a way we believe to be convincing" are the relics of St Peter. While we, as Catholics, are able to physically receive our Lord in the Eucharist; it is still a powerful moment to stand before the tomb of St. Peter.
Lest we forget, there are other remarkable churches in Rome. The Pantheon, originally built as a temple to all the gods (from the Greek pan for all and theos for gods) was saved from destruction because it was dedicated as a church to Mary and all the saints. It is one of the oldest buildings in the world still in use today. Or St. John Lateran, the mother church of the world, and the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome. While in Rome, a pilgrim should make it a point to visit, at a minimum, the four great Basilicae of Rome (St. Peter’s, St. John Latern, St. Paul outside the walls, and St. Mary Major) and attend Mass in some of the most evocative places in the world.
Roma, caput mund! Rome, head of the world! I have already mentioned the Pantheon, the best persevered Roman building. But there is also the Colosseum, the Roman forum and Roman bath complexes to give you a sense of the buildings and scale that ancient Rome built. Go south and visit the Via Appia, parts that are still paved with the same stones placed there during ancient times! Remember all roads lead to Rome!
Lastly, visit Rome for the cuisine. There is nothing like sitting in a piazza eating a wonderful dish of pasta alla carbonara and sipping on a glass of local wine to go with your meal. Romans have made people watching an art form, so a little bit of people watching and savoring a great meal and good drink will go a long way in making a pilgrimage to Rome a memorial one.