"It becomes more and more evident that there is an inseparable link between peace with creation and peace among men."
~ Pope Benedict XVI
Recently, the world spotlight has been focused on the Vatican and the
tight knot of buildings squeezed into its walls. Between St. Peter’s
Basilica, the Nervi audience hall, the Domus Sanctae Martae and the Sistine Chapel, Vatican City has seemed like a condensed cluster of structures.
Behind those lofty brick or travertine facades, however, lies the oasis
of the Vatican Gardens, where Pope Benedict XVI will live out his days
in a renovated monastery. The gardens were already dear to the pope
emeritus, who referred to them as his "vital space" for prayer.
The Vatican city state comprises 104 acres, of which 57 are destined
for gardens. This division is much like the synthesis of the active and
contemplative in the Christian life, where the busy existence in the
world is fortified by quiet times of prayer.
Read more at National Catholic Register >>
