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Vatican archaeologists unearth St. Paul's tomb
Pravda ^ | December 6, 2006

Posted on 12/06/2006 6:18:21 AM PST by NYer

Vatican archaeologists have unearthed a sarcophagus believed to contain the remains of the Apostle Paul that had been buried beneath Rome's second largest basilica. The sarcophagus, which dates back to at least 390 A.D., has been the subject of an extended excavation that began in 2002 and was completed last month, the project's head said this week.

"Our objective was to bring the remains of the tomb back to light for devotional reasons, so that it could be venerated and be visible," said Giorgio Filippi, the Vatican archaeologist who headed the project at St. Paul Outside the Walls basilica.

The interior of the sarcophagus has not yet been explored, but Filippi didn't rule out the possibility of doing so in the future.

Two ancient churches that once stood at the site of the current basilica were successively built over the spot where tradition said the saint had been buried. The second church, built by the Roman emperor Theodosius in the fourth century, left the tomb visible, first above ground and later in a crypt.

When a fire destroyed the church in 1823, the current basilica was built and the ancient crypt was filled with earth and covered by a new altar.

"We were always certain that the tomb had to be there beneath the papal altar," Filippi told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Filippi said that the decision to make the sarcophagus visible again was taken after many pilgrims who came to Rome during the Catholic Church's 2000 Jubilee year expressed disappointment at finding that the saint's tomb could not be visited or touched.

The findings of the project will be officially presented during a news conference at the Vatican on Monday.


TOPICS: Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: apostlepaul; archaeology; catholic; christianity; godsgravesglyphs; paul; relics; romancatholicism; rome; saintpaul; stpaul; vatican
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1 posted on 12/06/2006 6:18:22 AM PST by NYer
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To: NYer
unearthed a sarcophagus believed to contain the remains of the Apostle Paul

I saw one on eBay last week.

2 posted on 12/06/2006 6:19:35 AM PST by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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To: Lady In Blue; Salvation; narses; SMEDLEYBUTLER; redhead; Notwithstanding; nickcarraway; Romulus; ...

St. Paul Outside the Walls

Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list


3 posted on 12/06/2006 6:19:51 AM PST by NYer (Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to Heaven. St. Rose of Lima)
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To: SunkenCiv

Ping!


4 posted on 12/06/2006 6:20:56 AM PST by NYer (Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to Heaven. St. Rose of Lima)
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To: AppyPappy

I think you're confusing it with St. Pauli Girl paraphernalia. :-)


5 posted on 12/06/2006 6:21:49 AM PST by Rb ver. 2.0
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To: NYer

Would the Apostle Paul himself be in favor of people venerating his casket? Answer: NO!


6 posted on 12/06/2006 6:24:15 AM PST by AmericaUnited
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To: NYer
"Our objective was to bring the remains of the tomb back to light for devotional reasons, so that it could be venerated and be visible,"

Isn't 'ancestor worship' an ancient pagan practice?

7 posted on 12/06/2006 6:25:33 AM PST by GourmetDan
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To: Rb ver. 2.0

He said that's very niiiice but we alrady have one!!!


8 posted on 12/06/2006 6:26:13 AM PST by GulfBreeze (I asked God about it and he doesn't believe in atheists either. So can you prove they exist?)
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To: NYer
Paul would not have wanted to be visited or touched, IMO.

He would want folks to venerate CHRIST....not him.

His writings clearly point away from himself and to Christ.

9 posted on 12/06/2006 6:26:20 AM PST by Guenevere (Duncan Hunter for President....2008!)
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To: AmericaUnited
... maybe CSI can be called in to find his thorn.

One less mystery.

10 posted on 12/06/2006 6:27:31 AM PST by kinsman redeemer (The real enemy seeks to devour what is good.)
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So how many folks read this and say...."open it up, open it up, open it up!"

Jeezzz


11 posted on 12/06/2006 6:27:59 AM PST by Vermont Lt (I am not from Vermont. I lived there for four years and that was enough.)
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...for devotional reasons, so that it could be venerated and be visible

But it would be wrong and ignorant for anyone to cite this as further indication that Roman Catholics worship idols.

Dan
Biblical Christianity BLOG
Pyromaniacs

12 posted on 12/06/2006 6:28:17 AM PST by BibChr ("...behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?" [Jer. 8:9])
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To: GulfBreeze

May we come up and see it?


13 posted on 12/06/2006 6:29:48 AM PST by rabidralph (The pajama-wetters are at it again.)
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To: AmericaUnited

Exactly.

"venerated and be visible" = bring more money into the Catholic Church


14 posted on 12/06/2006 6:29:56 AM PST by ritewingwarrior (Where does free speech end, and sedition begin?)
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To: GulfBreeze

Silly English K-niggets!


15 posted on 12/06/2006 6:30:55 AM PST by 50sDad (I respect other religions by allowing them the right to worship. But they still are wrong.)
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To: Guenevere
His writings clearly point away from himself [all others] and to Christ.

I hope you don't mind.

16 posted on 12/06/2006 6:32:01 AM PST by rabidralph (The pajama-wetters are at it again.)
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To: NYer

I love freedom of speech ...

It helps us to identify the ignorant idiots.


17 posted on 12/06/2006 6:32:41 AM PST by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: AmericaUnited

"Would the Apostle Paul himself be in favor of people venerating his casket? Answer: NO!"

Wow!
How amazing that you have a direct pipeline to St.Paul.
Are you channeling him after a seance or something like that?

Aside from that, I have trouble understanding why folks who are not really Christian feel compelled to criticize traditional Christian practices.


18 posted on 12/06/2006 6:33:18 AM PST by rogator
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To: GourmetDan
Isn't 'ancestor worship' an ancient pagan practice?

The word that is used is "venerated":

From en.wikipedia.org; Veneration is a religious symbolic act giving honor to someone by honoring an image of that person, particularly applied to saints.

By "venerating" St. Paul's tomb, they are honoring him, not worshipping him.

19 posted on 12/06/2006 6:33:50 AM PST by rochester_veteran (born and raised in rachacha!)
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To: rabidralph

of course not! you are English types!


20 posted on 12/06/2006 6:36:16 AM PST by babble-on
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