Free Republic

VATICAN CITY—President Biden emerged from his meeting with Pope Francis greatly relieved and brimming with joy, claiming that the Holy Father had requested Biden’s son, the great artist Hunter, repaint the dated Sistine Chapel ceiling. “We’ve been planning a remodel for about 1,000 years,” the Pope reportedly told President Biden, “but we just never felt we had the right artist. It would be an honor to have such a devout Catholic and brilliant child protégé complete the epic task.” The Papal Committee for Making the Church More Culturally Relevant (PCFMTCMCR) has been seeking ways to make the church more acceptable...

When Cardinal electors enter the Sistine Chapel from the Sala Regia the first thing they see is Pietro Perugino's fresco The Handing of the Keys. Two monumental figures facing one another: Christ entrusts the keys of the Kingdom to his Vicar, and Peter on his knees receives them. All is harmony, solemnity, deep silence: the Primate of Peter and consequently of Roman Pontiffs is represented with majestic simplicity and striking naturalness. However, when the Cardinal electors raise their eyes what they see is the Final Judgment by Michelangelo: the depiction of a scene that is the negation of what is...

Sistine Chapel Closed to PublicSections of the Vatican Museums were closed today at 1 p.m. Rome time, about 60 minutes ago, to begin to prepare the Sistine Chapel for the upcoming papal conclave.In 2005, it took seven days to prepare the Chapel for the Conclave after it was closed.By this measure, the Sistine Chapel should be ready for the Conclave on March 12.However, the cardinals must vote to move the Conclave up from the March 15-20 time-frame foreseen by the regulations currently in effect. Such a vote would require the presence of all 115 voting cardinals.In meetings this morning, there...

The Sistine Chapel (Cappella Sistina) is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and frescoes by the greatest Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini, and Sandro Botticelli... The chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who restored the old Cappella Magna between 1477 and 1480. Under the patronage of Pope Julius II, Michelangelo painted 12,000 square feet of the chapel ceiling in the four years between 1508 and 1512. Today the ceiling of the chapel -and in-particular The Last Judgement- is widely believed to be Michelangelo's crowning achievement....

Speaking of harnessing the beauty of the Catholic faith…the Vatican just did a little harnessing themselves and to one of the most beautiful beauties in the world: The Sistine Chapel. That’s right. This great world wonder and treasure of the Church has gone web 2.0 with a virtual tour. This new, interactive website allows you to explore just about every inch of the Sistine Chapel in fairly decent detail. I’ve yet to visit the Sistine Chapel in person. I hope to one day, of course! But this gave me a neat little preview. And if you’ve been before, I’m...

This is the most amazing virtual tour inside the Sistine Chapel...you won't believe what you are able to see. Like standing inside it in person. Most amazing and gorgeous. I would have never been able to see this in my lifetime.