On Saturday afternoon, we had the pleasure to once again take a break from studies and head north into downtown Mexico City. There, we toured, among other things, the National Cathedral.
It is unlike any church building I have ever seen (and goodness!-- look at the smog! the smog was terrible on Saturday). First, the building is, like St. Peter's in Rome or the Old Cathedral of Guadulpe in Tepeyac, sinking into the ground. However, the National Cathedral was sinking rather quickly-- or, at least, one side of it was. In fact, in the people-who-were-in-charge-of-seeing-that-it-doesn't-sink had, in their attempts to see that it doesn't sink, made the building become, well, rather lopsided. Here, you can see a picture from inside the attached offices of the cathedral:
It's quite a slant.
Anyway, what they did was they filled the ground underneath the side of the cathedral that was sinking (because Mexico City is built on what used to be a giant lake) with a bunch of cement. This didn't help too terribly much. In fact, it only made matters a worse. While it helped raise the one side, the other side began to sink. Eventually, so the plan goes, when that "other side" sinks enough to equal where the "cemented side" currently is, the "architects" will cement the other side and, hopefully, the cathedral will then be level.
Do you understand that? I don't.
Anyway, because of all the concrete and raising of the cathedral, the old steps of the cathedral are actually
under the current steps. In a pretty classy move, the constructors have placed strong glass over those old steps so that tourists can get a good picture of how much the cathedral has been raised since "old times." Here's Tony catching a glance:
Inside the cathedral provides another few reasons why I find it unlike any other church I have visited. First, when you walk in, you aren't greeted with a long aisle or nave with spectacular views. Instead, there are a few pews and an amazingly golden altar-- right there at the entryway.
Along the sides of the giant sanctuary-- here at the front!-- are the long aisles, but without grand views. Instead, there are many side-chapels which are attached to the two long aisles. In them is a wealth of art and history. As seminarians accompanied by two priests and a deacon, we were extended a most gracious privilege of going inside the side-chapels. Ordinarily, they are locked (interesting item #3).
Anyway, I will let the pictures speak for themselves of the wealth and history.
(in the "Chapel of the Angels")
(I'm not quite sure what this chapel was named-- but, wow!)
(here, a statue of Jesus-- which is interesting item #4, because, as we have found in Mexico, it is decorated with real clothing and pretty realistic hair. Almost every statue of Jesus I have seen in churches here has been clothed in real linens and has very real-looking hair. This particular statue is extraordinarily special to the cathedral; for, as the people were trying to fund the cathedral's building, this statue was carried around with a basket preceding it. People placed cocoa beans in the basket which were sold. As the story goes, from the selling of the donations the people gave, the cathedral building was funded. Interesting).
(one of my favorite paintings there...)
(... followed closely behind by this one-- and not because it depicts women praying and scrubbing the floors. On the contrary, it depicts them as saints, precisely because they are doing the small things which God is calling them to do, things which we are all called to do; things which ultimately bring us holiness. How awesome that the woman on the left has a choir of angels above her as she works!)
(how would you like to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass here?)
Perhaps you would like to go to the Sacristy. Ordinarily closed to the public, we were able to go in (with a crowd of tourists quickly flowing in from behind!). Like many of the sacristies I have seen here in Mexico, this one is huge, well-decorated, and bespeaks so well the events which the priests and those who serve at the altar are about to partake in: a holy and living sacrifice of which is so heavenly and yet so human.
(The
entrance to the sacristy. wow!)
(inside the sacristy.... ummm, wow!)
(one of four cabinets that have chalices and patens, I believe...)
(... and, above the tables where the priest prepares for Mass, exquisite art. If anyone is looking for birthday items..... :)
Beyond the side-chapels and the "entry-way altar" (seen above), there is, in the middle of the cathedral, a huge place for a large choir-- and with an equally huge/large organ. This is interesting point #5, for I have never seen the placement of the choir in the middle of a church (for areference point, it is immediately behind the entry-way altar as you head further into the church).
As you head further into the church, finally!, there is a long aisle and a high altar (of which the sacristy is immediately to the side).
Again, note how the cathedral leans. In fact, in the middle of the aisle (which doesn't appear to be used, ever) is a huge... pendulum-thing. It is attached to the ceiling and freely dangles, nearly touching the floor below. Here is a close-up:
As you can see, it is pretty huge. And it serves a purpose: it shows how far off the cathedral is leaning. The chart underneath it depicts how the cathedral has shifted since the 1600s. Amazingly, the pendulum is slowly shifting back to its original starting place. Wow!
(huge candle-bearers. Again, if you're looking for ideas for someone's birthday...)
And, at the end of the aisle, the high altar:
Absolutely amazing.
Lastly (but actually the first thing we saw), we were given a special tour of the crypt below the church. There, many people are buried-- most especially, nearly all of the past bishops. A very solemn place.
And that's the National Cathedral in Mexico! Phew! What a tour! (And to think, there are at least three other churches that we have visited that I have yet to post on!....)
See you in a few days!
