The six-century tradition of holding papal elections here was ratified by St. John Paul II, who emphasized that the space contributes to the experience of divine presence.
From Genesis to Revelation, Michelangelo’s masterful hand will guide the cardinals present through the holy Scriptures from the beginning of the world to the final pages of history in a vibrant catechesis through art that will remind them of the threat of sin and death but also of the hope of eternal life.
As the cardinals gaze up at the ceiling, they will feel the power of the “Creation of Adam,” one of the most famous frescoes by the Italian Renaissance master, hovering over their heads.
Another witness to the historic election will be “The Last Judgment,” which will preside over the conclave from the altar wall. There will be placed the ballot box and the lectern with the Gospel, upon which the cardinals will take their solemn oath.
In this masterpiece, Christ is the universal judge of the living and the dead. Surrounding him are angels awakening the dead with trumpets, skeletons taking on new flesh as the resurrection of the dead progresses, and numerous saints and martyrs populating heaven.
Below, Charon, with his boat, facilitates the passage from death to hell, showing the damned their destiny. And, at the very top of the fresco, the symbols of Christ’s passion are clearly visible: the column where he was scourged, the dice with which his garments were divided, the crown of thorns, and above all, the cross, which emphasizes the path to heaven.
First-time cardinals are often overwhelmed by the visual grandeur that surrounds them. Painted by the greatest Renaissance artists, the works of the Sistine Chapel speak to consciences, as pointed out by Pope Benedict XVI, who, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Michelangelo’s vault in 2012, invited people to interpret the works with the help of prayer in his address.
“Praying in the Sistine Chapel, enveloped in the story of God’s journey with humanity, admirably represented in the frescoes above and around us, is an invitation to praise, an invitation to raise to God, creator, redeemer, and judge of the living and the dead, with all the saints in heaven, the words of the Canticle of Revelation: ‘Amen! Alleluia!’” he asserted.
In fact, the artists Michelangelo, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, and Perugino did not work alone: The iconographic themes were dictated by the most experienced theologians of Popes Sixtus IV and Julius II, who commissioned their decoration.
This is the only way to explain the coherence between the frescoes of Genesis, the scenes from the lives of Moses and Christ, and the Last Judgment that crowns the apse.
