mistress of the vatican.pdf - End Time Deception

Eleanor Herman
Holy Year pilgrims obtained the indulgence of sins by visiting the four
major Roman basilicas the number of times specified by the reigning pontiff.
They shaved extra time off purgatory by touring the catacombs where
early Christians had buried their dead and worshipped in frescoed underground
chapels. More heavenly brownie points accrued by praying at the
Colosseum, believed to be the site of the martyrdom of so many Christians,
and asking for heavenly intercession at the shrines of the saints.
This influx of sinners was a huge stimulus for the Roman economy,
with hundreds of thousands of visitors staying at inns, eating and drinking,
and shopping for necessities, souvenirs, and luxury items. Most pilgrims
piously gave donations to the churches they visited.
But it wasn’t all profit for the Vatican, which invested in preparations
years in advance. Hospitals and dormitories were built, trees were planted,
and streets were paved. In addition, Rome in the jubilee year was a kind
of baroque Catholic Disney World, with easily recognizable biblical
characters walking the piazzas in impressive costumes, exquisitely constructed
stage sets on every street, and tacky expensive souvenirs for sale
on every corner. Holy-Year celebrations awed and inspired with fireworks,
feasts, and fountains running with wine.
The Vatican also bore the substantial cost of refurbishing Rome’s famous
churches to strike wonder into the hearts of pilgrims. Innocent
ordered that all churches be cleaned, repaired, and ornamented. But
particular attention was paid to the four jubilee churches—Saint Peter’s,
Saint John Lateran, Saint Mary Major, and Saint Paul’s Outside
the Walls.
Starting in 1647, Innocent began major renovations at two of these
churches. Saint John Lateran was a fourth-century basilica built by
Constantine, which over time had been sacked by barbarians, rattled by
earthquakes, and blackened by fires. The beautiful Roman columns
had become so unstable that earlier popes had surrounded them with
ungainly bricks. The floor was wobbly, and some of the walls were
leaning out of kilter.
When the first Saint Peter’s Basilica had been in a similar condition in
the early sixteenth century, Pope Julius II demolished it and built a grand
new church. But times had changed. Seventeenth-century Romans had
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