St. Peters bones

[Montie_Claunch]

My aunt and I were havin a little chit chat, and she told me that she though that some time during the early 1960s they had found st. Peters bones under the Vatican hill. Has anyone heard of this? Is this true? Thanks and God bless.

 

[kleary]

Not on Vatican hill. Excavation in the grottoes under St Peter’s Basilica were ordered by Pope Pius XII, started in 1940 and went on for about a decade. The work uncovered an ancient necropolis, and a tomb found at the site was declared to be that of St Peter.

 

[alterserver_07]

I know before they were in the Caticombs in St. Sebation. And yes I believe they were in the grottoes like kleary.

 

[Batjacboy]

There’s a great book on this subject called “The Bones of Saint Peter” by Walsh, that details the excavations and the conclusions:

The Bones of Saint Peter

 

[rwoehmke]

Been there in the grottos. Its called the Scaivi Tour. If one goes to Rome it is now necessary to sign up at least several months ahead for the tour. The bones are there and one can see them through a plexiglass window. The Basilica was built and rebuilt on top of the old graveyard that was once outside the walls of Rome.

 

[jordan]

I’ve also done the tour. Pretty neat as long as you’re not claustrophobic. The Catholic Exchange is running an article on this today:

catholicexchange.com/vm/PFarticle.asp?vm_id=39&art_id=32278&sec_id=62131

Here’s an online book on the topic:

stpetersbasilica.org/Necropolis/MG/TheTombofStPeter-1.htm

But what really is cool is the latin circumscription in the barrel of the main dome of the basilica. Michelangelo designed this directly over the main altar, which was in turn reputed to be on top of the burial site of St. Peter. About twelve centuries after Constantine’s Basilica was built on the same spot, with its altar over the grave of the “first among the Apostles,” Michelangelo took it on faith that the bones of the man whose name the basilica bears was under his dome. It took a few hundred more years before the excavations would unearth what is, with a high degree of certainty (records indicate the site was being venerated as such within memory of those who had witnessed the apostle’s martyrdom), the tomb of St. Peter. Now, the inscription, “TU ES PETRUS ET SUPER HANC PETRAM AEDIFICABO ECCLESIAM MEAM - ET TIBI DABO CLAVES REGNI CAELORUM,” or, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church - and I will give to you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.”

Kinda gives the phrase a whole new meaning…

An image of the dome is here:
stpetersbasilica.org/Pics/Users/AR/SPinterior-04-AR.jpg

If you get the chance, go. It’s breathtaking.
God, bless,.

jb