THE P RTAL
January 2015
Page 22
A Benedictine
Light of Faith
in an often dark world
Donato Tallo extols the worth of a visit to
San Paolo Fuori le Mura: St Paul’s without the walls, Rome
Jump on
the southbound B-line metro at Rome Termini station and six stops later you will find
yourself at Basilica San Paolo, alight here and you will find, a short walk from the station, the Papal
Basilica of San Paolo Fuori le Mura, one of the four Papal Basilicas of Rome.
the service of the same Lord and doing the battle for
the same King. We should never forget that wherever
we are in the world we are united in the same Lord.”
(RB 61:10) and through our unity with Rome we as
Catholics should strive to become closer to God in all
that we do (despite the difficulties) and perhaps take
Benedictine monks still serve the Basilica our inspiration from the two princes of the church The presence of a monastic community at the basilica St Peter and St Paul - and also from St Benedict who
dates back to the time of Pope Gregory I, but it was teaches us “to place all our hope in God alone”. (RB
Pope Gregory II who established a stable Benedictine 4:41).
community and abbey with Benedictine monks still
serving the Basilica to this day.
Founded by the Roman Emperor Constantine I,
the basilica with its impressive facade, apse above the
main altar, stunning baldacchino and portraits of the
Popes throughout history stands tall above the tomb of
St Paul and really is both a stunning and a holy place.
As one would expect due the presence of a Benedictine
community the beauty and dignity of this holy place
is clear to see and its prayerful atmosphere, stunning
architecture, monastic cloister and exhibitions that
can all be explored by those who visit are simply
wonderful.
The basilica is rich in history and on January 25,
1959 Pope John XXIII announced the convocation
of the Second Vatican Council from the Abbot’s
Parlour, situated in the abbey adjacent to the basilica.
Due to the presence of the Benedictine monks, the
Benedictine values and ethos shine out from this holy
place and while just outside the centre of Rome, the
basilica is one place that no pilgrim to the eternal city
should miss.
portraits of all the Popes
The 18th November is the feast day of the dedication
of the basilicas of St Peter and St Paul in Rome and
while a lot has happened to the basilica of St Paul
throughout its history it still stands firm as a witness
to the faith under the patronage of one of the Church’s
greatest saints.
As St Benedict says, “Wherever we may be we are in
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