Berkley Center

During and since my time spent abroad, people have often questioned me about the religious presence in Rome. I, however, often have difficulties in formulating a response because I seem to have encountered conflicting experiences of my own. Certainly Rome still remains synonymous for many people to the seat of Christianity, but at the same time, people often point towards the diminishing role of religion throughout Europe. At times, as I went into many empty churches throughout the city, I was swayed by the argument of Catholicism’s declining presence in Rome. Just as I was becoming convinced of this, though, I would encounter situations such as a small, crowded neighborhood church brimming with people or the flood of people into the city on Holy Week, which would make me question my own thoughts concerning religion in Rome. Perhaps my experiences though, in all of their contradiction and confusion, do indeed reflect the current state of church in Rome, and it is just more complicated than the clear-cut, succinct answer for which we so often search.

The city’s history clearly reflects the importance and influence that religious leaders had in developing the city. During the quattrocento period, popes were seeking to restore papal power to Rome, and even the layout of the city itself reflects some of the religious intentions in aggrandizing Rome during the Renaissance. Not only did religious leaders seek to add public buildings and resources to the city, but they also were adding churches across the city to restore the glory of Rome and transform the city into a new Jerusalem. Directly across the city from the Vatican lays Saint John Lateran, and various churches such as the Il Gesu and the Chiesa Nuovo were built on the road connecting these two religious sites so that churches were and are visually dominant in the layout of Rome. Even outside these religious sites lining the main road, various other churches emerge at the edges of the city, intended to welcome in pilgrims into the new city.

While these physical reminders of Rome’s Catholic heritage remain, my initial experience found these churches solely as recollections of a past tradition. These churches scattered throughout Rome new seem full of different types of pilgrims—tourists armed with their digital cameras, shuffling through the churches to check the Caravaggios and Berninis off of their to-do lists. At first glance, the religious presence in Rome did not seem to extend much beyond these tourist-attracting churches and stores selling religious paraphernalia hoping to capitalize on these sightseers.

These empty churches, however, were not the only part of the story. Although religion as an institution might not have the same significance in modern Rome as compared to the city in the Renaissance, the city still exudes religious fervor. At the small church next to my school, a bell loudly sounded each Sunday, ringing to welcome in the members of the neighborhood to the church. Merely considering the neighborhood church brimming to capacity each week, I would argue the strong presence of Catholicism. Furthermore, I recognized how closely Rome’s religious history intertwines with its culture most poignantly during Holy Week. Even more tourists than usual flooded the streets and shops of Rome. My classmates and I decided to brave the crowds to participate in Easter Sunday Mass at the Vatican. Only a few people in our group were actually Catholic, but due to the growing excitement in Rome and significance of Easter at the Vatican, many of my classmates were curious to experience the Mass firsthand. In this moment, with St. Peter’s Square brimming with boisterous people, singing and celebrating together from all over the world, Rome seemed to reflect its affiliation with a religious community.

Prior to my experience abroad, I thought my time in Rome might clear up conflicting opinions regarding the role of religion in Europe. Far from clearing up such conflicting opinions, however, I encountered some conflicting experiences of my own. I found acknowledging these differences, however, useful as it was more productive to engage in a dialogue rather than focus on funneling evidence into pre-determined argument. Perhaps consulting all aspects of the situation, especially those that present differing conclusions, can allow for more moderate and fruitful discussion.