A dark and dreary, cold and rainy night in Rome. All is quiet. The streets are relatively clear of both pedestrians and motor vehicles. A good time to enjoy a warm fire and a wonderful dish of pasta.

Italy is where I come to relax and do a little writing. This trip I’ve made great progress on a little book I’m writing tentatively titled Friends, Mentors and Spiritual Fathers. The book reflects on several men, now deceased, who greatly influenced me when I was young. I don’t do their stories justice. I’m not a biographer or historian. But I hope I can pay sincere tribute to these gifted men and the many treasures they shared with me over the years.

A rainy night in Rome is the perfect time to remember and give thanks for friends, mentors and spiritual parents—not just the ones I’m writing about but all the women and men who shared so much with me over the years.

Security at the Vatican was so intense yesterday that it was impossible to get anywhere near St. Peter’s Square.

Every access point was blocked by armed guards and trucks. Police were out in force on all the streets leading to Vatican City and there were even police boats cruising the Tiber River.

What’s going on? It’s impossible to say. Either some kind of credible threat was received or there was a gathering of dignitaries at the Vatican that required extra tight security.

What an age we live in! Violence and threats of violence have become so customary that we simply shrug our shoulders and continue with our daily business as best we can.

As Pope Francis said on Sunday:

Our heavenly Father always listens to his children who cry out to him in pain and anguish,” he said, and made a “heartfelt appeal” for each one of us to “hear this cry and, each one according to their own conscience, before God, ask ourselves: 'What can I do to make peace?'”

While prayer is always an effective resolution, more can be done, Francis said, explaining that each person “can concretely say no to violence to the extent that it depends on him or herself. Because victories obtained with violence are false victories, while working for peace does good for all!”

It’s easy to get frustrated, even angry, at the inconveniences caused by such intense security, but thank God for the men and women who risk their own lives protecting us. Because of Vatican security, no one drove a truck loaded with explosives into a crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square yesterday. It’s a real shame that it has to be this way, but given the world we live in, it’s a blessing that yesterday at least we were safe and violence free.

Here’s an account from Rome Reports which may explain yesterday’s heavy security:

Pope Francis met in the Vatican with the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The meeting was proposed by the Turkish president, following Donald Trump announcing his intent to move the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, an act that would exacerbate religious tension in the city.

The Holy Father and his guest held a private encounter for nearly 50 minutes, while these meetings rarely exceed a half hour.

Pope Francis and Erdogan discussed bilateral relations between the two states, the humanitarian crisis in Syria, the Catholic community's current situation in Turkey and the conflict between Jerusalem and Palestine.

Relations between the Vatican and Turkey have had their ups and downs. Pope Francis' public condemnation of Turkey's genocide of Armenians in 1915 seemed to unsettle the current Turkish leader.

Benedict XVI's comments on Islam in his Ratisbona address in 2006 didn't sit well either.

Following an extended dialogue, Pope Francis met with the president's wife and his daughter, Ezra. Then, they exchanged gifts. The president presented the pope with a hand-made ceramic image containing Istanbul's landmarks as well as four books by Persian poet Rumi. 

“Beautiful, beautiful.”

Pope Francis gave the president a medal with an angel.

He also presented him with an etching of St. Peter's Basilica and a copy of his Laudato si' encyclical along with his message for the World Day of Peace.

Before bidding farewell, the pope asked Erdogan's wife to pray for him.

I’ve been eating at a small ristorante pizzeria near the Vatican, Il Postiglione Roma, for nearly 20 years. The woman who waits on me always recognizes me with a heartfelt smile and the warmest of welcomes. Why would I go anywhere else? The food is good. The prices are reasonable. It’s in a great location. But it’s the hospitality that keeps me coming back! Viva il Postiglione Roma!

Isola Tiberina

Today I plan to visit the Basilica of St. Bartholomew which is located on an island in the Tiber River. This was Cardinal Francis George’s titular church. (Every cardinal has to have a relationship with a parish in the Diocese of Rome.) I try to visit whenever I’m in Rome to say a special prayer for Cardinal George who was a friend, mentor and spiritual father. 

From Wikipedia:

The Tiber Island (Italian: Isola Tiberina, Latin: Insula Tiberina) is the only island in the part of the Tiber river which runs through Rome. Tiber Island is located in the southern bend of the Tiber.

The island is boat-shaped, approximately 270 metres (890 feet) long and 67 metres (220 feet) wide, and has been connected with bridges to both sides of the river since antiquity. Being a seat of the ancient temple of Asclepius and later a hospital, the island is associated with medicine and healing. 

The Fatebenefratelli Hospital founded in the 16th century, and the Basilica of St. Bartholomew on the Island dating from the 10th century are located on the island.

I attended Sunday Mass at the Brick Makers’ Church (Santa Maria Della Gracie alle Fornaci) this morning. It was a children’s Mass complete with guitar accompaniment (my least favorite form of musical sacra because it is almost never done well). But it was nice to see all the children fully engaged in the liturgy.

Santa Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci is an 18th century Baroque parish and titular church at Piazza di Santa Maria alle Fornaci 30, just south of Vatican City and north of the San Pietro train station in the Aurelio quarter.

The dedication is to the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title of Our Lady of Graces.

The church was originally founded in the 14th century, and served a small suburb which became important as a site for preparing materials for the building of the new St Peter’s. The name Fornaci refers to kilns used for making bricks for the work.

At the end of the 17th century it was rebuilt by Francesco Multò for the Discalced Trinitarians (a Spanish reform of the Trinitarian order), whose monastery was adjacent, and in 1720 Filippo Raguzzini added the façade.

In 1850 it took over parochial responsibilities for the area from Sant’Angelo alle Fornaci, which had just been destroyed in the suppression of the Roman Republic. In the process, it suffered a thorough restoration by Andrea Busiri Vici.

A campanile in Baroque style was added in the 1950’s.

Afterward I went to St Peter’s Square for the Angelus said by Pope Francis from the window of the Apostolic Palace high above the piazza. The sun is out today so the crowd was larger than might be expected on a cold day in February—stretching halfway to the Tiber River. A native group (I guessed from South America) was dancing in the street directly in front of the Hotel Columbus.

 The Holy Father was greeted with much enthusiasm and he responded warmly. Since I was not able to understand the pope’s remarks (my familiarity with the Italian language is limited to ordering items from a menu), I looked them up on the pope app. Here is a selection from the CNA report:

(CNA/EWTN News).- On Sunday Pope Francis announced that Friday the first full week of Lent would be a day of prayer and fasting for peace given the many ongoing conflicts throughout the world, particularly those in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.

 “Facing the tragic continuation of conflicts in different parts of the world, I invite all the faithful to a special day of prayer and fasting for peace Feb. 23, the Friday of the first week of Lent,” the Pope said Feb. 4.

 He asked that the day be offered specifically for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan and invited both non-Catholics and non-Christians to join “in the ways they deem most appropriate.”

 “Our heavenly Father always listens to his children who cry out to him in pain and anguish,” he said, and made a “heartfelt appeal” for each one of us to “hear this cry and, each one according to their own conscience, before God, ask ourselves: 'What can I do to make peace?'”

 While prayer is always an effective resolution, more can be done, Francis said, explaining that each person “can concretely say no to violence to the extent that it depends on him or herself. Because victories obtained with violence are false victories, while working for peace does good for all!”

 The Pope's appeal, which he made during his Sunday Angelus address, comes just two months after a Nov. 23 prayer vigil for peace in the two countries.