I’ve just returned from a sojourn in Rome. The purpose of the visit was to present a paper at a conference at Santa Croce University on “The Dawn of Christian Literature in the Twentieth Century”. Whilst there I found time to ensure that the working trip was also a pilgrimage, visiting quite a few churches and praying at the shrines of sundry saints, most particularly the tomb of St. Monica in San Agostino’s (having taken a few moments to admire the Caravaggio masterpiece in one of the side chapels). The highlight, as always, was the pilgrimage to St. Peter’s. Apart from praying at the tomb of the newly beatified John Paul II and at the tomb of his illustrious predecessor, St. Pius X, I was also shriven prior to receiving communion at Mass. If anything, the St. Peter’s experience was more spiritually dynamic on this occasion than on any of my previous visits. As I arrived, there were four Masses being said simultaneously; one at the high altar, another at the chapel that now houses JPII’s tomb, and two others at small side altars. The choir was excellent and the pageantry of the Swiss Guards as they paraded the full length of the basilica represented the Church Militant at its resplendant best. I am guessing that this new dynamism is the work of Pope Benedict who has been working tirelessly to restore splendour and majesty to the Church. Deo gratias!