Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Vatican confirms the authenticity of the tomb of Saint Paul

Vatican announced that it will open the sarcophagus that lies underneath the Basilica San Pablo, outside Rome. Recent excavations seem to confirm that the marble tomb, which was disenterred, indeed has the remains of Saint Paul the Apostle, who converted to Christianity on his way to Damascus after having had a vision.

This confirmation is important both religiously and archeologically: "There is no doubt that the sarcophagus under the ground of the Basilica San Pablo belongs to the Apostle", the Archpriest Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo explained.

Back in 2002, some excavations were initiated that revelead the tomb to the pilgrims. It is estimated to date back to 390 A.D. The slab on the tomb reads "Paulo Apostolo Mart" (Paul, Apostle and Martyr) and has the hole that was done in order to connect the relic with the altar, but also for pilgrims to introduce pieces of cloth to touch the remains.

According to Montezemolo, the intents to see the contents of the sarcophagus through X rays were impeded by the thickness of the marble walls of the coffin, therefore the possibility to open it was put forth.

San Paul, of the town of Tarsus, in present day Turkey, was a great persecutor of Christians, until he embraced the faith himself, through a vision of the Resurrected Christ. After years of fighting for Christianity, for which he was called the Apostle to the Gentiles, he was beheaded in 65 A.D.

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