VATICAN CORNER
The religious devoted always believed the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica was erected directly above the actual tomb of Peter. But the experts merely smiled, considering this an improbable fairy tale. History tells us that in the year 49 AD Peter returned to Rome and served as the bishop of the small Christian community, holding Mass in homes. During this time, he also dictated the Gospel attributed to his secretary St. Mark and writing his two letters that appear in the New Testament. In 64-65 AD, Emperor Nero set fire to Rome so that he could build his new palace. Needing a scapegoat, he blamed the Christians and a horrific persecution followed. St. Peter himself was arrested and condemned to death. He was taken to the Vatican Hill where the Circus of Caligula (also known as the Circus of Nero), a chariot race course was located. St. Peter protested that he was not worthy to die in a manner as the Lord had, so he was crucified upside down. After his death, the faithful recovered the body and buried it in a necropolis northwest of the circus at the present site of the Basilica. The faithful secretly worshiped the grave and protected it from desecration. Pope Anicetus (155-166 AD) built a memorial to mark the grave and over time other popes were buried nearby. In the year 330 Emperor Constantine, who had legalized Christianity began building a huge basilica at the grave site to honor St. Peter. The builders had to level the land and consequently filled the necropolis. The altar of Constantine’s basilica was positioned over St. Peter’s burial site. By the year 1506, the original basilica had decayed and needing replacing. Pope Julius began construction of a new basilica over the same site which ultimately became the present day basilica. Centuries passed. In 1939 when Pope Pius XI died, worker started digging a new tomb in the sacred grottoes, the level beneath the main floor of the basilica. They uncovered the necropolis a catacomb of both pagan and Christian mausoleums. Pope Pius XII gave permission to excavate the necropolis including the area under St. Peter’s high altar. The work progressed slowly. World War II came and went. In 1949 they discovered some Greek graffiti on a wall from the 2nd century which said “Peter is within”. Further excavations found bones that were initially identified as those of a man in his 60’s, about the age Peter would have been if crucified under Nero. In 1950 Pope Pius XII stunned the world with a radio broadcast announcing the find. Feelings of elation were later replaced by consternation when it was discovered that the bones, tentatively identified as St. Peter’s, were actually the remains of an older man, a younger man, a horse, a pig and a chicken. To be continued…
Sources: lifeadahuman.com, independent/co/uk, catholicstraightanswers.com, the guardian.com,pbase.com