On our day touring the major Basilicas of Rome, we were able to stop and see the Holy Stairs. These were believed to be the stairs that Jesus walked up to Pontius Pilot. These stairs were brought to Rome by Constantine’s mother, who looted Palestine and brought back many relics for the city of Rome, also including the piece of the manger and the column from Jesus’ flagellation. Many Catholics make a pilgrimage to these stairs to crawl up on their knees along the path Jesus took. Coming from a protestant denomination, I find it hard to understand the concept of relics in general. I also wonder how sure we can be that these were the exact steps that Jesus walked. But more related to the story of Rome, why did they think they had a claim to these objects? Were the artifacts not precious to their homeland as well? I think that it says a lot about Rome’s sense of their own power. Perhaps they thought they were entitled to anything within their grasp, or perhaps they thought too much of their own strength. Either way, I believe that it shows a great lapse in Rome’s respect for other cultures and lands, and I think that they let their sense of entitlement overshadow the larger picture of the Catholic and Protestant faiths in the world.