Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-10-06
WANT TO OPEN THE
TOMB OF ST. PETER
Controversy Started in Rome Has
Caused Serious Considera.
ton of The Subject.
MANY FAVOR PROPOSITION.
History Of the Sacred Shrine--Church
Rich In Forgotten Treasures
Some Disputed Claims.
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
ONE. Sept. 25,---In the highest
ID circles OF the vatican grave con-
IN. sideration s being given to the
suggestion that the tomb Of ST.
Peter should be opened to ascertain
II the remains OF the great apostle and
first OF the pontiffs are really there.
singularly enough tbs project origin
ated In the SCOTS OF an anonymous and
irreyerent sceptic. Writing under the
name OF Marcellus he addressed an
open letter TO Pope Plus x. ridiculing
the claims put forth on behalf Of the
church to the possession of the holy
relics, and daring him to submit the
claims TO actual proof
The challenge was seriously taken
up by two well known archaeologists,
prof. Maruochi and Father Grisar At
the last international congress Of
Christian archaeology resolution was
passed In favor OF reopening tho tomb.
Thus polemical discussion has been
started which has been pursued with
UNUSUAL rigor. The church itself Is
hand 1t is urged that 1t would be an
act OF sacrilego and Dissertation which
nothing could justify. on the other
hand Il Is contended that the church
has moth ing TO fear from investigation,
and that she now has A glorious OPP
portuuity To vindlcate her claims 10
the possession Of the most yenerated
relics In Christendom and confound
the sceptios Otherwise II Is main
a..
she will gain by the controversy that
has been aroused VIII the pope Yield
his consent? That Is the question
everyone Is asking but It Is one the
pope alone can answer, and At present
an that can be said is that he has
not yet given any decision one way or
the other
AS TO ST. PETERS REMAINS.
An the evidence thus far adduced
goes to prove that 81. Peters remains
really 10 IN their gorgeous setting IN
81. Peters cathedral. There Ii srf-
hclent proof extant to satisfy all, ex-
cept the most sceptcal. that st. Pc
ter was cruched under Nero, in the
circus OF Nero. at the foot Of the vail
can hin. I'm the year 81 or there
abouts whore the magnificent edifice
built 20 his memory now stands Ha
considered himself honored to suffer
the same death as his Lord, while his
friends were thankful for the mercy
that he was NOT made a living torch.
as $50 many who diod with him were.
Probably his own death was thus flu
minated. perhaps By relatives. certain
Is by friends. He was buried near
the scene Of his martyrdom, and two
years later. II f. alleged. was laid In
the very spot over which his tomb now
stands. his body remaining untouched
for $50 years. The Nalarian persecu-
ton az that date broke out. and the
Christlans FASTENED TO hide the voner-
ated remains IN some catacombs on
tho Applar Way, which are still In
existence. called lad cataoumbas," but
before long they were IN their old rest
ing place from which, x Is asserted.
they have never been removed since.
Records in the vatican OF tho sixth
and seventh centuries state that the
tomb Of the great apostle became the