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I was very pleased to read your feature on the Sistine Chapel’s 500th anniversary (November 1). I commend Pope Benedict XVI for following in the footsteps of his long-ago predecessor, Pope Julius II, who held vespers on October 31, 1512, to inaugurate the ceiling where Michelangelo’s frescoes became one of the great wonders of the world.

The feature noted the Creation-panel where an arm of a gentle bearded God reached out to give life to the first man, Adam. That “symbol” has come to represent via imagery, the phrase: “God created Man in His own image”.

The sheer age of the Sistine Chapel shows us tangibly what 500 years (or what half a millennium) represents. It spans a time from the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus to the speed of the Internet age. Although many inventions, innovations, and even human concepts have evolved: this one room conveys a special meaning which has successfully spanned the generations. It is a sacred place and a holy place where countless people – including cardinals and popes – have meditated and lifted their prayers and intentions up to Our Lord. Let us celebrate the anniversary and let us never forget the incredible message that this wonderful artwork conveys.