vatican

Sistine Chapel in Official Virtual Reality Simulation

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The Vatican's 360 degree photographic virtual reality simulation of the Sistine Chapel.

The Vatican’s 360 degree photographic virtual reality simulation of the Sistine Chapel.

Several years ago I build a computer generated three-dimensional model and virtual reality walk-through of the Sistine Chapel for a class at BYU. I wrote about this on TempleStudy here.

It appears that the Vatican has commissioned an official virtual reality simulation of the Sistine Chapel that I just stumbled upon, which you can see at this link (http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html).  This is a bit different than a true 3D walk-through, however. It is a stationary 360 degree photograph that you can pan/rotate and zoom with your mouse.  Still incredible though, far more accurate than my reconstruction, complete with choir music.

The Sistine Chapel remains one of the most spectacular artistic masterpieces in the world.

One interesting detail of the chapel is the screen or partition in the middle of the room, also known as a transenna. Wikipedia describes how this screen creates separate and distinct areas:

A screen or transenna in marble by Mino da Fiesole, Andrea Bregno, and Giovanni Dalmata divides the chapel into two parts. Originally these made equal space for the members of the Papal Chapel within the sanctuary near the altar and the pilgrims and townsfolk without. However, with growth in the number of those attending the Pope, the screen was moved giving a reduced area for the faithful laity. The transenna is surmounted by a row of ornate candlesticks, once gilt, and has a wooden door, where once there was an ornate door of gilded wrought iron.

Freedom’s Gate: U.S. Capitol as a Temple

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Book Cover

Book Cover

Some of you may remember I wrote about The Apotheosis of Washington painting in the U.S. Capitol.  A friend just informed me that someone has published an ebook that investigates the U.S. Capitol as a type of temple, including this painting, and many other interesting details.  It is called Freedom’s Gate: The Lost Symbols in the U.S. Capitol, by William Henry and Dr. Mark Gray.

Here are some of his main points: ((http://williamhenry.net/freedomsgate.html))

  • The Dome of the U.S. Capitol is a mirror image of the Vatican Dome and was thought of as a recreation of Solomon’s Temple by its builders.
  • The art of the interior corridors of the Capitol mirrors Vatican art.
  • Higher Wisdom flows through the Capitol’s spiritual imagery and artwork.
  • The bell-shaped Capitol Dome is a stupa that creates a vortex or field of energy that extends into the world.
  • The Freemasons who built the Capitol viewed it as a ‘beehive’ buzzing with energy.
  • Literally, we can alter this energy field by visiting the Capitol Dome and praying or meditating inside. This will raise the frequency of the Dome and the Capitol, helping to clear out negative or harmful energies.
  • This is the great secret of the Founding Fathers. They left us a bell to ring in times of distress. Let Freedom’s Ring!

Reading up about the author, William Henry, shows he believes in some interesting New-Age metaphysics, with stargates and wormholes among other things.  I’m not so sure about all of that, but this book might still include some interesting insights about the U.S. Capitol being a type of temple to the Founding Fathers.  Thanks Jennifer!

Has anyone read this book?  What are your thoughts about it?  Please share your impressions in the comments.

Baptism for the Dead: An Erroneous Practice? – Part 1

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Salt Lake Temple Baptistery

In a letter dated April 5th, and reported by the Catholic News Service on May 2nd, the Vatican issued an order to all Catholic dioceses throughout the world to not give genealogical information in parish registers to Latter-day Saints in an effort to “block posthumous rebaptisms” of LDS ancestors. The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had “grave reservations” about this LDS practice (no pun intended I’m sure), and labelled it “detrimental” and “erroneous.” Father James Massa, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, added that it was “unacceptable”:

As Catholics, we have to make very clear to them their practice of so-called rebaptism is unacceptable from the standpoint of Catholic truth.

Catholic World News reports that the Catholic church objects to this practice, again termed “rebaptism,” for two reasons: [Read more…]