A Catholic's Guide to Rome: Discovering the Soul of the Eternal City
The year 2000 promises to be particularly significant in the city of Rome. Following a tradition begun by Boniface VIII in 1300, John Paul II has declared 2000 a year of Christian jubilee, during which pilgrimages and religious celebrations will mark Rome as not only the city of the Caesars but also the city of Christ. Moreover, the completion of 2000 years since the birth of Jesus and the hope that Christians have for the next millennium give cause for special celebration in the city. A Catholic's Guide to Rome (CG) and Holy Rome (HR) are part of the panoply of guidebooks being published in connection with the jubilee. CG, which is organized from the perspective of religious history, provides the religious pilgrim with contemporary details and historical traditions surrounding the important churches and shrines of the city. HR is organized largely from the perspective of city geography. After providing a readable history of Christian Rome and an essay on Rome's jubilees, it provides brief descriptions of the chief religious attractions of the city's 22 regions, supplies a color atlas, and gives basic information on the events planned for the jubilee celebration. While both books are usable, they should be viewed as supplements to, not replacements, for the venerable Blue Guide to Rome and Georgina Masson's classic The Companion Guide to Rome.ADavid I. Fulton, Coll. of St. Elizabeth, Morristown, NJCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.