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.
I saw one on eBay last week.
Catholic Ping
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Ping!
I think you're confusing it with St. Pauli Girl paraphernalia. :-)
Would the Apostle Paul himself be in favor of people venerating his casket? Answer: NO!
Isn't 'ancestor worship' an ancient pagan practice?
He said that's very niiiice but we alrady have one!!!
He would want folks to venerate CHRIST....not him.
His writings clearly point away from himself and to Christ.
One less mystery.
So how many folks read this and say...."open it up, open it up, open it up!"
Jeezzz
But it would be wrong and ignorant for anyone to cite this as further indication that Roman Catholics worship idols.
May we come up and see it?
Exactly.
"venerated and be visible" = bring more money into the Catholic Church
Silly English K-niggets!
I hope you don't mind.
I love freedom of speech ...
It helps us to identify the ignorant idiots.
"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.
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.
of course not! you are English types!
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