Testamonia at Saint Peter’s Basilica: Rome—July 23

 

It was 37oC at St. Peter’s Square when we lined up in the full sun.  Thankfully it only took 15 minutes to get into the shade of the colonnade and to clear security.

The Pope was busy (on a flight to Canada) so the process of getting our testimonia was a bit anticlimactic.  The coat check attendant at St. Peter’s Basilica was responsible for stamping our credentials and verifying our pilgrimage, but was not interested in looking through our passports.

Rather, the attendant presented us with blank documents and allowed us to fill them out under his watchful eyes.  He indicated that we were only the third and fourth walking pilgrims to receive their testimonia that day.  My Latin is a little rusty, but the illustrations of Saint Peter and Saint Paul look unimpressed. Saint Peter: “Sure, but back in the day we did it in sandals!”  Saint Paul: “ Yes, and we didn’t need Pocket Earth to find Rome!!”  

Afterwards we took one last walk through the largest church in the world.