Holy Month in Rome - April 2011

Ciao,

So I have survived a few months and a few trips.  I should have realized that here April is more than  just a month with a few religious holidays but a full out National Holiday event. Like I said before I lived near Vatican City.  Now if you don't already know Vatican City is not part of Rome.  Yes its in Rome, but it is governed seperately like its own little country within Italy.  Weird I know but this is Europe. lol

Palm Sunday - I remember to tuning into service online listening to FCBC sermon, a Baptist church in Harlem, but did not see anything crazy in the neighborhood.  I did notice that there were no palms given out in Italy, they give OLIVE branches instead.  (Hmmmm food for thought why do American's collect palms then.  OK moving on. ) There was reminisce of the olive branches all over the street by Monday. 

Ok now before Easter Sunday during holy week I get another visitor in April (told you April was visitor month).  A friend of my brother's from NYC also was living in Italy but way in the South in a town called Reggio Calabria, he was playing basketball for the city.

Holy week was crazy around the neighborhood, they have all week events that where dedicated to the Die-Hard Catholics from all over the world come to Rome to hear Pope Benedict speak.  I guess I didn't think hard about me living in the center of Catholics' Mecca but it did helped me to realize that I have lost touch with my relationship with God while I was here in Rome. :( And of all places you would think that Rome where I see nuns, monks, and priest everyday, this was not possible.  But I realize from the Italians that I have gotten close to who are of a younger generation, they are very distant from Catholicism.  They grew up in a time where it was now being publicized about Priest raping children, not that didn't happen before, but maybe know when knew or talked about it in public.  They look at the Pope differently than their parents.  And this is very evident in the way that they act and  the way they communicate.  My friend was in town so we searched for all the holy events in the city.  I only made to the Bar with him! lmfao horrible!

Here are a few pics from Easter Sunday mass that my friends attended at the Vatican, but I was sleep at 7am.
Disclaimer: Angie I stole your pics but I wanted everyone to see this experience