Churches of a thousand years
Nothing could be more obvious in Italy than the pervasive influence of the Church for over a thousand years. Religion being what it is, basically a political, power-driven institution under a veneer of spiritualism, it is easy to imagine how powerful an influence it was in medieval life. In the name of religion, it was possible to skim enough resources from a poor agrarian society to finance these huge constructions that would take decades or even centuries to complete.
So there is a certain sense of awe at seeing these old structures, one the still-functioning alabaster cathedral at Sant Antimo, the other a long abandoned ruin at San Galgano. At Sant Antimo a small group of priests “perform” daily Mass and several periods of prayer for a tiny group of tourists, with well-practiced Gregorian chant and clouds of incense.
Somewhere in the midst of any ritual performed regularly and mindfully, there is some element of true spirituality, whether it is these priests and their incense and chanting, or Zen monks with their incense and chanting, or any of many tribal cultures with their sage, dances, and singing.
These are ancient practices that call us to mindfulness, and even though we maintain our skepticism about the politics of religion, maybe we all long for some kind of authentic connection to the Absolute, some understanding of the Mystery of what and why we exist. Seeing these priests perform their rituals, experiencing the sound of the chanting and the way the morning sun illuminates the incense-filled air, and feeling small under the vaulted roof so high overhead, it is easy to imagine how susceptible people must have been a thousand years ago…and how powerful were those who held Authority over them.
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