Featuring timely on-location footage and archival photography, VATICAN CITY & THE PAPACY WITH BURT WOLF reveals the far-reaching influence of the papal office, its rich 2,000-year history and the future course of the world's smallest country. Burt Wolf, who was in Rome taping his Travels and Traditions series when Pope John Paul II passed away, was given extraordinary access to the Vatican by Roman Catholic Church authorities. During the program, Wolf visits the first-century tomb of St. Peter, takes a private tour of St. Peter's Basilica, beholds the artistry of the Sistine Chapel and learns about the techniques that preserve and restore its magnificent mosaics. He climbs the sacred staircase Jesus walked to confront Pontius Pilate, and discovers the origin of Holy Years and why they fueled Martin Luther's anger. He also witnesses the arrival of two million pilgrims coming to bid farewell to John Paul II, and is afforded an insider's perspective on the process of electing a new pope.
