Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-07-08
THE TOMB OF ST. PETER.
Some Interesting Ancient EccIcSinsti-
cyl History.

the tomb could be reached from the UNI
foreground crypts of the baslica. the
greater part Of which preserves the
original floor OF the old church intact
There Is n small chapel in the old crypts
named for San Salvatorino, through
witch psychologists are convinced the
original steps leading down into the tomb
could be reached. such an exploration
could be easily undertaken secretly II the
Pope consented to have removed the
doubt as to whether tho body of ST
Peter hns escaped Dissertation.
Every year on the eve of the feast Of
ST. Petcr and st. Paul. juno 20, when the
vatican baeillca ls closed for the night
and everything + dark and quiet the
Pope accompanied ny his secretary and
four noble guards with drawn swords,
leaves his private apartment and cross
Ing many halls ana corridors Of the
great palaces descencs bya private stair
case to the silent and empty church,
where he kreels in prayer before the
tomb Of him whose successor he Is.
Ancient authorities are in complete
agreement that the place % crnclhxion
was In the Vatican ana close to the tomb
here tire apostle is N'lric1.
The undi7puted facts are tho follow
ing; After the martvrdom, tho body of
tire apostle together With that OF st.
Paul. who was heheadod on the same
day. June Is. In ether A. y. &C or Ct. un-
der the pcrsec .tlon Of Nero. was taken
down by some holy people, who, having
washed it. carefully embelmed it, wrap
ped 1t IN tne linen, placed it in a marble
urn and buried II on the Via Cornell,
close to the Circus Of Nero +he place
was marked by an inscription.
StAnacintus WHO had been ordained
~ ST. Deter and VINO succeeded st.
Linus on the naDM throne. built mo
mortal chapel memorial or oratory on
the apostles tomb The bodies of the
! two saints were not left long undisturb-
cd in their original tomb. In 25s they
We're removed to the catacombs Of ST.
Sebastian on tic Arpan Way, under
/ the Valcrian prosecutions. After a short
time the body of St. Peter was taken
back and again laid in the old tomb at
the Vatican, while that of St. Paul was
buried close to the place where he was
beheaded and where his church, San
! Paolo Fuori 70 Mura, now stands.
There Is evidence OF a second or a pre-
vious translation of 81 Peters rernains
II seems certain that I've tomb was on
tho point Of beirg destroyed or desc
Grated on several occasions. notably dur
ing the third century. under Emper r
Heliogabalus. who enlarged tho Circus
Of Nero Evidence that Il was spared IS
found in tive fact that for two centuries
the successors of 81. Peter In the papacY
were buried near his tomb which from
very carly times was known as st.
T,et,.,.'s confeesior and was oelrded as
1sp very hooyt n tho church
II is STATED " t,e "Idher Pontifcalis'
(f,trontclc of the porcs> that the EN-
noror Constantine aftor his conversion
oorso1 aNo,,, the vaar 993 the body of
.ho o,oeuo ~ ho cvrr-ra7 tn the nres-
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