"Roman Tryptich" 1: a key to the Sistine Chapel

(Vatican Radio) As of 1pm Rome time Tuesday the Sistine Chapel is closed to tourists visiting the Vatican in preparation for the imminent Conclave to elect the next Pope. The Sistine Chapel will soon be at the centre of attention here in the Vatican. It's where the cardinals will gather once again in a conclave to elect the next Successor of Peter. It was here too that on the eve of the Feast of All Saints 2012 Benedict XVI, now Pope-emeritus, presided over Vespers in the footsteps of his predecessor to the See of Peter, Julius II who lived five centuries ago. Remembered on both these occasions was the unveiling of Michelangelo's art work on the central ceiling vault of this Chapel. Artistic masterpieces in which the nine scenes from the Book of Genesis commissioned by Julius II are represented.

In 2003 another Pope, the now Blessed John Paul II published a book by the title of "RomanTryptich", a collection of poems in which he refers to the Sistine Chapel.

Professor of Fine Arts Breda Ennis describes this "Roman Tryptich" as a golden book which provides us with a key to better understanding Karol Wojtyla and his vision of the Sistine Chapel.
Among the passages from this book Professor Ennis choses to highlight in this programme is the following :

"We are standing at the threshold of the Book.It is the Book of the origins - Genesis.
Here, in this chapel, Michelangelo penned it not with words, but with the richness
of piled-up colours.
We enter in order to read it again, going from wonder to wonder.
So then, it is here - we look and recognise the Beginning which emerged out of nothingness,
obedient to the creative Word. Here it speaks from these walls.
But still more powerfully the End speaks.Yes, the judgment is even more outspoken:
the judgment, the Final one.This is the path that all must follow -
every one of us.

A programme produced by Veronica Scarisbrick.

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