– Anastasios
One of the most influential Christian minds for the development of Christianity is Saint Paul. The feast of Saint Paul and Saint Peter are celebrated together on June 29, because they are together the pillar of our faith, even if in different capacities.
In Rome the memory of Saint Paul was important and alive during the centuries, and this is testified by the fourth major Basilica, Saint Paul outside the walls. The emperor Constantine (yes, still him) wanted to build a place of worship in the place where Christians remembered Saint Paul beheaded under Emperor Nero, outside the Aurelian walls (‘outside the walls’). We must remember that Paul also lived at least two years in Rome, in the area near Trastevere, in the first century, which was the epicenter of the Roman Jewish community. So the place of worship was inaugurated in 324 and consecrated by Pope Sylvester. During the centuries, Popes will not spare attention for this Basilica, which was restored and embellished several times. In medieval times, Saint Paul’s was considered an artistic gem for the work of the many notable artists that contributed to its beauty. Unfortunately, on July 15, 1823, the Basilica was destroyed by a fire. What we see now is the reconstruction of the Basilica utilizing what was left from the fire, a quasi replica of the previous church. It was consecrated by Pope Gregory XVI and works for the church would go on and on until the first half of the past century.
It is in this Basilica that the Apostle Paul is buried, as explained in the Vatican official website: “In 61 A.D. Paul arrived in Rome to undergo judgment. Here he was beheaded between 65 and 67 A.D. His body was buried two miles away from the place of his martyrdom, in the sepulchral area along the Ostiense Way, owned by a devout Christian woman named Lucina, which was part of a pre-existent burial place. Even though he was a Christian, it was possible to bury the Apostle Paul in a Roman necropolis, due to his Roman citizenship. Shortly thereafter, his tomb would become a place of worship and veneration. Upon it was erected a cella memoriae or tropaeum, namely a memorial, where during the first centuries of persecution many of the faithful and pilgrims would go to pray, drawing the strength necessary to carry out the work of evangelization of this great missionary. At 1.37 meters below the present Papal Altar lies a marble tombstone (2.12 m. x 1.27 m.), bearing the Latin inscription PAULO APOSTOLO MART (Apostle Paul, martyr)… It is composed of various pieces. On the piece where PAULO is written there are three holes, a round and two square ones. It is above a massive sarcophagus, measuring 2.55 meters long, 1.25 meters wide and 0.97 high, that the ‘Altars of Confession’ were later placed. During recent work in the Basilica, a large window-like opening was made just below the Papal Altar, in order to allow the faithful to see the Apostle’s tomb.”
It has to be remembered that this Basilica is very important for ecumenical celebrations, often with the presence of the Holy Father. It was here that Saint John XXIII announced in 1959, the gathering of an Ecumenical Council, that will be Vatican II. Also this Papal major Basilica, as the other three, is governed by an Archpriest appointed by the Pope.
Let us remember that at this place there is also an important Benedictine monastic community, dating back to Pope Gregory the Great (590-604). “Pope Gregory II established a stable Benedictine community, which is still present today. In 936, Odon of Cluny reformed it and the abbot took the name of “abbas et rector Sancti Pauli.” Hildebrand of Soana was the most illustrious monk among them, who, after having worked for the renewal of the Basilica and the life of its monastery, was elected Pope and took the name of Gregory VII (1073-1085). As Pope, he initiated the reform of the Church, the so-called Gregorian reform.
“The Abbey became the owner of a huge feudal patrimony. From then on this complex passed through periods of great splendor but also dark ones as well, until the seizure of its goods in 1870. Nevertheless the monks, even at that time, did not abandon their charge by the tomb of the Apostle. Even before the beginning of the 20th century, the monastic activity retrieved its vigor in a particular way by administering the Sacrament of Penance and promoting Christian Unity” (vatican.va).
Even if this Basilica is not so close to the center of Rome as the other three, it is certainly worth a visit.
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