” “So, speaking of today, the cardinal assured that "the Basilica is in good health, very good health indeed, partly due he added to its design. You just have to go down to the Popes’ tombs to see how thick the wall of the basilica is, and this shows with how much dedication it was built". Then, the basilica, is "monitored all the time" and cleaned and tidied up every day by the about 80 "sampietrini", sort of housekeepers of the basilica. As to the ecumenical aspect of the celebrations, card. Marchisano ruled out the possibility that the celebrations of the Basilica obviously bound to the figure of the apostle Peter may raise "ecumenical problems" due to the Christian churches’ reluctance to recognise Peter’s primacy. On guiding some delegations of Orthodox and Protestant Christians in a tour of the basilica, "I personally experienced said Marchisano how deeply venerated the apostle Peter is". Evidence of this is the ever-lit lamp in front of the apostle’s tomb, given by the I Patriarch of Constantinople as a gift from Eastern Christianity. ” “
