The Mothership

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I’m not a religious man, but that doesn’t mean I don’t respect religion. And it certainly doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the sometimes magnificent architecture that comes with places of worship. To be truthful, I have often stated that “if you’ve seen one cathedral you’ve seen them all”. This is obviously not true, they are all unique in various ways, but many churches and cathedrals resemble each other. A lot. Same shape, same exterior, same interior, same purpose.

A lot of the things that can be found in most churches can be found in St. Peter’s Basilica as well. And then some. This is the boss of all churches. The mothership. Naturally in the sense of its administrative, historical, religious, spiritual, or what have you power as a seat for Christianity. But also and equally important as a building that outranks pretty much every single church in the world with its size, beauty, and glory. This is the works.

Most people in the Western world have visited a church. Many people have visited large churches. But they all have to bow for this giant. The Vatican really went all the way when they built this one. The sheer size - with a capacity of hosting some 60.000 people - makes a statement saying “Hey, I’m the boss! Don’t mess with me!”. This is one of those things in life where the saying “it can’t be described in words, it has to be seen” truly applies. Also “a picture says more than a thousand words” doesn’t really cut it. I don’t impress easily, but this one did the trick. The most commonly word uttered in the construction? If I had to take a guess, it would be “Wow!”.

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