The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1906-10-24
ST. PETERS TOMB.
There Is Little Doubt That the Amos
ties Relies Rest i'm the
Eternal City.


Apropos of the suggestion that has
been made and is now being serious
ly discussed in Rome, that the tomb
of st. Peter should be opened to see
if the relics of the great apostle are
really there, a writer, evidently ia
miliar with the matter, says:
All the evidence thus far adduced
goes to prove that st. Peters remains
really lie in their gorgeous setting
in st. Peters Cathedral. There is
sufficient proof extant to satisfy all,
except the most skeptical, that st.
Peter was crucified under Nero, in
the Circus of Nero, at the foot of
the Vatican Hill, in the year 67 or
Whereabouts, where the magnificent
edifice builtto his memory now stands.
He 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 so many who died
with him were. He was buried near
the scene of his martyrdom, and two
years later, it is alleged, was laid in
the very spot over which his tomb
now stands, his body remaining I'M
touched for $50 years. The vale
rian persecution at that date broke
out and the Christians fastened to
hide the venerated remains in some
catacombs on the Appian Way, which
are still in existence, called lad cata-
cumbas;" but before long they were
in their old resting place, from
which, it is asserted, they have never
been removed.
Records in the Vatican of the sixth
and seventh centuries state that the
tomb of the great apostle became the
center of the official cemetery of the
popes. many of whose remains were
found the last time St. Peters shrine
was opened. The form of the ap0s-
Ties sepulchre has changed several
times, but the place never; indeed
both the old and new churches OF
st. Peter were built round the tomb.
and at present it is not in the exact
center of the edifice.
In the year 800 the tomb was
ouened that the Emperor Constan-
tine and his mother, Flava Gullla
ELENA. might view st. Peters re-
mains, They were then encased IN
a silver coffin, over which was
large gold cross, weighing 10y
mounds. the gift of the emperor and
his mother. There is also supposed
to be gold plate, jewels, candelaora
and other valuable objects IN tne
tomb. over it, by order OF ConstdI-
tine. an imposing basilica was falseu'
After this there were only two oc-
casions in which the tomb cOuld nave
hnan interferred within $40, our
inc the invasion of the Saracens, ana
in 1927, during the sack OF Rome
hv the constable of Bourbon, Wheh
the Rasilica of St. Peters was aI
their mercv-but the fact that POPE
Clement VIII saw the coffin sur sur
mounted by it's gold cross in i99S
is isi almost certain proof that the body
was not stolen, as to both Sarace9
and Bourbon soldiers the CONN anu anu
cross would have been much more
precious than the dust OF a SAM SAINT
Clement VIII did not open the conn,
That he saw it at all was due to an IN
accident. The present basilica was
in course of construction, and strlG I
~ had been given not to touch
tbo az shrine of the apostle, which was
in the vaults under the aIVat % ~ ~
basilica, but IN 1929 Inc
pavement of the crypt collapsed eA-
poeing the sacred tomb.