Michelangelo had been on his back for 20 months, resting sparingly, and sleeping in his clothes to save time. When it was all over, however, in the fall of 1512, the masterpiece that he left behind on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome would leave the world forever altered. Born in 1475 to Read more
The election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Borgiglio was a surprising outcome, and even if Bergoglio suspected something was up, few others did, including many of the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel with him. “I think it all came together in an extraordinary fashion,” Chicago Cardinal Francis George told the Chicago Tribune. George said Bergoglio’s name Read more
Benedict’s decision to resign left people wondering, “Why at this time?” There seemed to be good reasons for such a decision to be made later. He had initiated a “Year of Faith” in October 2012; it would have made sense to leave his resignation till the end of the year of Faith. He has completed Read more
The Vatican may eventually limit the number of visitors to the Sistine chapel to protect Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes, Reuters reported. The Sistine Chapel ceiling celebrated its 500th anniversary on Wednesday. Pope Benedict XVI marked the anniversary of what he dubbed as the “liturgical classroom” with vespers. He said “the works of art which decorate [the Read more