The History Channel a la Vatican

The History Channel aired a two-hour special on the Vatican that featured some rarely-seen footage of Benedict XVI at work and prayer (and play, on the piano) in the papal apartments.The show provides an overview of the history of the Vatican, and focuses on everyday life in the city-state today, and how it all works, or doesn’t, as the case may be. A clip of the pope at work and other elements were segments on science and faith with Jesuit astronomer Brother Guy Consolmagno and the Vatican’s finances with Cardinal Lajolo.

Much of the information in the program may be familiar, but I do think it will be of interest to a lot of Catholics and others, piercing a number of myths and providing a personal portrait of the place and its people.