The POPE Encyclopedia
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TOMB OF PETER
The final resting place of the Prince of the Apostles, traditionally said to be located on the Vatican Hill and held now to be beneath the main altar of St. Peter's Basilica. After his crucifixion, around 62, Peter was believed to have been interred on the Vatican Hill and so, when Emperor Constantine theGreat (d. 337) choose to erect a basilica in his honor, he naturally placed it upon the very spot where the bones of the first Bishop of Rome were supposedly placed. As the actual site was a cemetery, the emperor took the unusual (and cost-effective) step of leaving the honored dead where they were, simply building on top of them after filling in the tombs with earth. This had the beneficial effect of preserving the tombs completely intact. When work began on the new; St. Peter's in the sixteenth century, workmen discovered the long-forgotten tombs, but the dead were left undisturbed owing to respect for the deceased, a demanding time schedule, and the oft- repeated stories of curses striking anyone who might violate the sacred ground. The cemetery was discovered again in 1939 when workers were preparing a crypt for the recently deceased Pius XI. A full investigation was undertaken, and at the deepest level, under the altar, a simple grave was uncovered; in it were the bones of an old man, with bits of fabric in gold and purple. The find caused a major stir in the Church, but the cautious Pius XII awaited further research before announcing in his Christmas message for 1950 that archaeologists had unearthed the tomb. Final declaration came only in 1968 when Pope Paul VI proclaimed that the bones were, indeed, St. Peter. There naturally remains some question as to the absolute authenticity of the bones, but the tomb is still one of the most moving sites in all of St. Peter's.
THE POPE ENCYCLOPEDIA - Matthew Bunson Published by Crown Trade Paperbacks 201 East 50th Street, New York New York 10022, USA ISBN 0-517-88256-6
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