Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-08-08
FOUNDING OF ST. PETERS.
A Little Oratory Built Over the
Apostles Tomb.

- 1luttIc OTUtOTy oNCT tu0
Apostles Tomb.
In the deep Mamertine prison, be.
hind the Tabulary of the Forum, 1t was
customary to put to death only political
INSIDERS, and their bodies were then
thrown down the Gemonian steps.
"vixcrunt," said Cicero. grimly, when
Catiline and his fellow cOnsplratOrs lay
there dead and perhaps the sword that
was to fall upon his own neck was even
then forged. The prison Is still intact.
The blood Of Cataline, of VercingetOrix,
and Of sejanus is on the rocky floor.
Men say that st. Peter was Imprisoned
here. But because he wds not Of high
degree Nero's executioners led him out
and across the Forum and over the
sublician bridge up to the heights Of
Janiculus. He was then very old and
weak, so that he could not carry his
cross. as condemned men were made to
do When they had climbed more than
halfway up the height, seeing that he
could not walk much farther, they cru
cited him. He said that he was not
worthy to suffer as the Lord had suffer.
ed, and begged them to plant his cross
with the head downward In the deep
yellow sand. The executioners did SO.
The Christians who had followed were
not many, and they stood apart, weep
ing.
When he was dead. after much tor
ment. and the sentinel soldier had gone
away, they took the holy body. and car.
ried It along the hillside, and buried 1t
ut night close against the long wall OF
Neros circus. on the north side. near
the place where they buried the mar
tyrs killed daily by Nero's wild beasts
and In other cruel ways. They marked
the spot, anC went there often to pray.
After that, within two years, Nero
fell and persisted miserably. scarcely
able to take his own life In order to
escape being beaten to death In the
Forum. In little more than a year
there were four emeprors In Rome.
Galba, Otho. and vitellius followed one
another quickly; then came Vespasian.
and then Titus. with his wars In Palcs.
tine. and then Domitian. At last. nearly
thirty years after the apostle had died
on the Janiculus, there was bishop
called Anaclctus. who had been ordain.
ell priest by st. Peter himself.
The times being quictcr then, this
Anacletus built little oratory, n very
email chapel. In which three or four
persons could kneel and pray over the
grave. And that was the beginning OF
1t. Peters Church. But Anacletus died
q martyr. too. and the bishops after him
nil persisted In the same way up to Eu.
| tychianus, whose name means some.
thing like the fortunate one" In bar.
barous Grcck-Latln, and who was In.
deed fortunate, for he died a natural
death. But In the meantime certain
Greeks had tried to steal the holy body,
so that the Roman Christians carried 1t
away for nineteen months to the cata.
combs Of st. Sebastian, after which
they brought 1t back again and laid Il
In Its place. And again after that,
when the new circus was built by Ella.
gabalus. they took It once more to the
same catacombs, where 1t remained In
safety for long time.
Now came Constantine, In love with
religion and inclined to think Chris.
tianity best, and made famous cdict
in Milan. And It Is said that lie laid
the deep foundations Of the old church
Of st. Peters, which afterward stool
more than eleven hundred years. He
built II over the little oratory Of Ana.
cletus. whose chapel stood where the
saints body had lain. under the nea rest
lcft.hand pillar Of the canopy that COW
crs the high altar rs you go up from the
door. COnstantine's church was found
on the south side, within the lines Of
Ncro's circus, outside Of 1t on the north
side. and parallel with Its length. Most
churches are built with the apsc to the
east. but Consta ntine's, like the prcsens
basilica. looked west. because from
time lmmemorial the Bishop Of Rome.
when consecratlng, stood on the farthc.
side Of the altar from the people, facing
them over II. And the church was con.
secrnted by Pope Sylvester l., In the
year 320.-Century.