The Papacy & the Roman Church
Students have an opportunity for a first hand viewing at the Vatican with the Pope.
An examination of the history of the great city of Rome is not complete without studying the history and influence of the Roman Catholic Church and its leaders, the Popes.
CEA offers students the unique ability to not only study the historical circumstances that have shaped the modern church and contributed to the development of the papacy, but also the ability to investigate the topics onsite with the kind of access to places of historical significance that no other program can offer.
Students will examine both theory (the understanding and theology of the papacy) and reality (the actual lives of the men who filled this role and often fell far short of the ideal, the places they walked, and the buildings and artwork they inspired).
Many classes are held onsite, in the lavishly-decorated churches and grand palaces that have been the setting of papal history since the time of Saint Peter, while a special "up-close" opportunity for the whole class to attend a papal audience with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican will also reveal and underline the special characteristics and popularity of the contemporary papacy.
