Sistine Chapel : illustrating the glimpse of God...

(Vatican Radio) On the eve of the Feast of All Saints Benedict XVI presides over Vespers in the Sistine Chapel. The Pope does so in the footsteps of his predecessor to the See of Peter, Julius II who celebrated the same vespers there five centuries ago.

Remembered on both these occasions is the unveiling of Michelangelo's art work on the central ceiling vault of this Chapel. 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 recognize
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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