Featured Image Caption: Vatican Museum Tourist Attractions
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Numerous renowned museums are located in Vatican City, one of the holiest locations on earth for Christians globally, and they welcome millions of people every year. Thus, Vatican excursions are among the most popular tourist destinations worldwide. The Vatican Museum tour is among the most popular tours in the world and rightfully so.
It has got so many artistic things for visitors. Italy is home to many religious and cultural sites, as well as vast, precious collections of historical and artistic treasures produced by the greatest painters in the world dispersed throughout the famed Vatican Museums while having the lowest geographical area in the world (44 hectares).
However, there are some recent events that are pertinent to the museum and may pique your curiosity. If you plan to take a Vatican Museum tour, be sure to read this article to gain an understanding of what is relevant.
Cardinal George Pell’s passing is lamented in Rome
Australian Cardinal George Pell passed away on Tuesday night as a consequence of complications following hip surgery. He was 81 years old. The Secretariat for the Economy prefect emeritus since February 2019 was his last position.
After his trial in Australia, he was in Rome
He had just returned from his trial in Australia and was in Rome. Cardinal Pell, who had long-standing heart difficulties and has been fitted with a pacemaker since 2010, returned to Rome in 2020, two years after his trial there for suspected child abuse in the 1990s.
The Cardinal was held in custody pending trial until being returned to his nation in June 2017. Pope Francis granted him a leave of absence so that he may make his defense. Following his indictment in December 2018, the Cardinal’s bail was cancelled by the County Court of the State of Victoria, which issued the arrest warrant after a drawn-out legal process.
After Pell was given a six-year prison sentence in March 2019, the Supreme Court of Australia granted the appeal motion put out by Pell’s counsel in light of the several formal mistakes in the trial procedures identified by Judge Mark Weinberg. In the end, the Cardinal was completely cleared in a High Court ruling in April 2020. In a statement, the Holy See hailed the ruling and said that it has always had faith in the Australian legal system.
Prison History
Cardinal Pell spent 404 days behind bars between February and July 2019 in two maximum security prisons, one each in Melbourne and Barwon. The Cardinal wrote about it in a memoir titled “Prison Journal,” which Ignatius Press published in three volumes. It was a trying experience that involved some time spent in isolation. Pell kept daily journals in which he wrote about his interactions with other prisoners, the letters and visits he got, and the prayers and liturgies he participated in while inside.
In an interview with Vatican Radio – Vatican News, he said, “The Church’s teachings are very helpful to us, and prayer and seeking God’s mercy are very helpful.” In the same interview, he explained that he continued to write uninterrupted throughout his incarceration because he “thought it might be helpful for persons who are in difficulty, for those who are going through a time of agony, as I did.” He wrote, “I then considered that maintaining a diary might be of some significance from a historical point of view because so few Cardinals had experience in prison.”
Inclusion in the Roman Curia
Prior to being asked by Pope Francis on April 13, 2013, to join the Council of Cardinals to look into a reform project and assist him in leading the Church, the Ballarat, Victoria, native was the archbishop of Sydney and Melbourne. He was born in 1941. On February 24, he was chosen to serve as prefect of the recently formed Secretariat for the Economy. This sparked the start of several financial reforms. He left the two jobs in December 2018 and February 2019, respectively.
As a Tribute to the Pope’s
The Pope greeted Cardinal Pell in the Apostolic Palace on October 12, 2021, following his release from custody and return to Rome. Pell was praised by Pope Francis at the time as his “witness.” In a pre-Christmas interview with Mediaset that same year, the Pope acknowledged the Cardinal’s economic insight and added that Pell had to “distance himself from this government” due to a “calumny” (referring to the claims of abuse in Australia).
A blueprint for the way forward had been laid out by Pell, the Pope said. “Those of us who know him are indebted to him in so many ways.”
Make sure to conduct your homework on the Pope if you plan to take a Vatican Museum tour to feel relevant. Don’t forget to purchase the tickets online ahead of time to avoid the rush. Travel carefully!
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