Well I have some more photographs to share. This time they
are of St. Paul’s Cathedral, which is located in downtown London. I've been to St. Paul’s Cathedral many
times and I have been able to see inside it as well as outside. Now while I
have gone inside I have not been around too much of the inside because it
requires special tours. They do have a cafe and a gift shop under the Cathedral, which I have visited and photographed. But I don't have photographs of the inside of the Cathedral itself. They don't allow photographs to be taken because they want to minimize distraction for any of the parishioners there.
Though I can say each time I've been inside that building or near that building
there aren't many people there to pray rather they are there to look and take
photos.
On a side note it has been interesting to see how many large
and old churches there are here in London, which I've noticed are fairly empty when I pass them even on Sundays. And I must say there is
something very encouraging about seeing an empty church. It provides me hope for the future of
the States that eventually churches and religion will lose its hold over people’s
minds and practices there and that Americans will be able to basically grow up the way that
most people have here in the UK and in Europe.
Here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia about the building:
"St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of London and mother church of the Diocese of London. It sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. The present church, dating from the late 17th century, was designed in the English Baroque style by Sir Christopher Wren. Its construction, completed within Wren's lifetime, was part of a major rebuilding program which took place in the city after the Great Fire of London.
The cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognisable sights of London, with its dome, framed by the spires of Wren's City churches, dominating the skyline for 300 years. At 365 feet (111 m) high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1962, and its dome is also among the highest in the world. In terms of area, St Paul's is the second largest church building in the United Kingdom after Liverpool Cathedral.
St Paul's Cathedral occupies a significant place in the national identity of the English population. It is the central subject of much promotional material, as well as postcard images of the dome standing tall, surrounded by the smoke and fire of the Blitz. Important services held at St Paul's include the funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill; Jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria; peace services marking the end of the First and Second World Wars; the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer, the launch of the Festival of Britain and the thanksgiving services for the Golden Jubilee, the 80th Birthday and the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II."St Paul's is a very beautiful building and definitely worth the visit if you're in London.
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