Easter

While talking to the director of the Vatican Library, I asked him how they make sure readers do not damage the unique books in their collection. He told me that anyone who did so would face the most terrible punishment of all: exhumation.

Our entire delegation was rather baffled by this answer. Exhumation is the most terrible punishment? Surely by then the offender would no longer care.

Seeing our confusion, the people accompanying us explained that for believers at the Vatican, life is just a very brief moment—roughly 100 years. After that, if you go to heaven, a heavenly life begins and lasts for eternity. Eternity is far longer than 100 years. But if events take such a turn that a person’s body is exhumed for some reason, that eternal life in heaven comes to an end. Forever.

They gave us an example. The obelisk in the centre of St Peter’s Square did not always stand there. In 1586, it was transported to the square from the Circus of Nero. The operation involved 800 workers, who were under strict orders to remain silent so that they could hear the engineers’ commands. But when the obelisk began to tilt dangerously, one worker broke the order of silence and started giving instructions to the others. Thanks to him, the obelisk did not fall and was not lost forever.

The Vatican authorities have yet to decide whether this worker was a hero who saved the obelisk or a man who disobeyed an order and should receive the punishment he deserved. They have been unable to reach a decision for several centuries, and it may well take several more. Just in case, though, this worker’s grave is set a little apart from all the others…

To be honest, this idea of being expelled from heaven struck me. Some people believe that death is the end of everything: do whatever you like in life, because the same ending awaits us all. Religion says it is not the end—there will still be a Last Judgement, after which a person will go either to hell or to heaven. You might think that once someone reaches heaven, that is it: they can finally relax. Apparently not. Reaching heaven does not guarantee staying there forever—your earthly sins can catch up with you even there. For some reason, I doubt anyone is ever expelled from hell…

Wishing everyone a happy Easter! Live in such a way that exhumation never becomes a threat.