Rome (dpa) – In a surprise announcement Pope Benedict XVI has said scientific tests carried out on an ancient Roman tomb confirm the long-held Roman Catholic belief that it contains the remains of Saint Paul.
Benedict on Sunday evening told the faithful gathered at the Basilica of St Paul Outside-the-Wall, that a white marble sarcophagus which has never been opened in centuries has yielded bone fragments believed to be Saint Paul’s.
Paul a one-time persecutor of Christians who famously converted after seeing Jesus in a vision while on the road to Damascus, became, together with Saint Peter, one of the greatest of the early Christian missionaries.
He is believed to have been beheaded in the year 67 in Rome after years of travel around the Mediterranean, spreading the word of Jesus and making new converts.
Carbon dating showed they belonged to someone who lived between the first and the second century AD, the pontiff said.
“This seems to confirm the unanimous and uncontested tradition that they are the mortal remains of the Apostle Paul,” Benedict said while presiding over a service in the basilica to mark the end of the Vatican’s Pauline year in honor of the saint.
Archaeologists collected the bone fragments using a probe introduced through a tiny hole made in the tomb which is situated under the basilica’s main altar.
They also discovered some grains of incense, and pieces of purple linen with gold sequins and blue linen textiles, Benedict said.
The Vatican had known the results of the scientific tests for over a year, the basilica’s chief priest, Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, said in an interview published by Rome-daily La Repubblica on Monday.
“But we said nothing because it was announcement that had to be made by the Holy Father,” Montezemolo said.
Benedict is expected to eventually authorize more testing, including the opening of the tomb – a “delicate task” because every care will have to be taken not to damage the marble of the sarcophagus, Montezemolo said.
Since late 2006, visitors to the basilica have been able to see the coffin through an opening made in the main altar.
The basilica was founded in the 4th century by Rome’s first Christian emperor, Constantine I, to mark the spot – then outside Rome’s city walls – of Saint Paul’s burial place.
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) – June 29, 2009
Copyright 2009 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
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posted June 29, 2009 at 8:03 pm
I’m so excited I can’t handle it! And the DNA they have on record proves this is THE ST. Paul. Of course. It can be anyone the RCC wants it to be.
posted June 29, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Unless they have an old handkerchief (pre-tissue days) or a certifiable hairbrush or comb, this entire line of discussion is at best pure speculation. Were the cervical bones even separated? Is this just a way to sell more relics and holy-moley chatkas? I can’t believe b16 went for this bald-faced marketing ploy.
posted June 30, 2009 at 10:34 am
Funny that you should mention “relics” jestrfyl. One of the first things I thought of when I read this was the selling of fingers, toes etc. from the Saints…or the worshiping of them when they were displayed in a church. How anyone could fall for something NOW like that is beyond me. What did PT Barnum(?) say? “There’s a sucker born every minute.”
posted June 30, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Hey folks, I’m not Roman Catholic, but there is every reason to believe that these are the remains of St Paul. Chief amoung the reasons is tradition. It is reasonable to believe that the early church would have found his martyrdom to be sacred and made an effort to preserve the gravesite. History shows that when Constatine converted to Christianity, there was a concerted effort to find the legitimate artifacts and holy spots that would authenticate this new religion. I don’t believe the RCC is interested in selling any artifacts today.
posted June 30, 2009 at 2:44 pm
“I don’t believe the RCC is interested in selling any artifacts today” Your Name
Who knows? They still need money to pay off the folks molested by the priests. Around where I live, RCC schools are closing as are churches. Less revenue. So if a relic shows up? Sell it to the highest bidder. I really don’t know why someone’s bones would be collectable, but some might be interested.
posted July 1, 2009 at 11:35 am
I think Pope John Paul II had a better grasp of science than Benedict.
posted July 1, 2009 at 11:49 am
I don’t know if these are the bones of the Apostle Paul or not, and I doubt that it could be proved 2,000 years after the fact. What I do know is that the man who wrote “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” is just that, present with the Lord. That is what matters.
posted July 1, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Your Name,
The effort to locate and venerate artifacts was not Constantine’s but his mom’s. She was responsible for more chapels being built on sites of actual as well as questionably historical sites than anyone else in all Christian history.
p.s.
For a good/amusing/crime fiction take on relics try “The Stolen Tongue” by Lisa Holman. Gross but funny in a CSI kind of way.
I think b16 knows a marketing strategy when he sees one. Forget science, this is hagiography gone wild. Saint stuff on display, bring cash or credit card, souvenir reproductions available in the gift shop.
posted July 1, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Thanks, jestrfyl for the book suggestion. I love a good read! Tongue? That’s sounds really extreme!
posted July 4, 2009 at 11:20 am
p.s.
I got the title and the author’s last name right, but her first name is not Lisa, and I have forgotten what it is (the book is in my office and not at hand right now). Prepare to be amused and grossed out – all at once. I hope you enjoy it.
Star Trek: Next Generation had an episode, “Rightful Heir” that deals with something along these lines. In it the Klingon version of Jesus returns and there is a scandal and a crisis of faith for Worf. I recommend it highly. What if this was Peter and some of his DNA were reclaimed and a clone produced. Crazy thought, eh?!
posted July 4, 2009 at 11:21 am
Oops, my bad – I meant what if this were Paul – though it is St Peter’s Cathedral. Hmmmm
posted July 4, 2009 at 8:55 pm
jestrfyl,
I have probably seen that episode of Star Trek, as I have a husband and 2 children who are BIG fans of Star Trek…all generations! Just can’t recall it this instant…
Not to worry, I’m sure I can find the book without her first name.