The pope’s statement emphasized that the primary credibility rests on the pedigree of the veneration of the tomb. This is the basic way that all relics are authenticated. The carbon-14 dating is merely a corroboration. Had the C-14 dating given a date hundreds of years earlier or hundreds later it would have cast doubt on authenticity. But the C-14 dating of 1st-2nd century is at best mildly corroborative.
That’s what the pope said. What the media are making of this is something else—they accent the C-14 dating. If I were the pope, I’d have not even made this public. It’s asking for misinterpretation. But then, I’m not the pope.
DNA testing is impossible. You can’t do DNA testing unless you have authenticated descendents identified. In the case of St. Paul that’s absolutely impossible. He was unmarried and we know nothing, nada about his blood relatives.
So just put the DNA idea out of your mind. It’s totally irrelevant.
That this place as been venerated as the tomb of St. Paul from a time in which living memory of his execution still persisted (3 or so generations) is the main source of credence that the bones are St. Paul’s. The same applies to St. Peter’s bones under the altar at St. Peter’s Basilica—we have solid evidence that it was venerated as the site of his burial at least within 3 generations of his death, which suggests (but does not absolutely prove) unbroken veneration.
condition of the skeleton would be of interest, as would its contents, but I guess that is asking too much (exhumation).
“Veneration” isn’t idol worship - it’s simply ascribing someone special with appropriate respect because of the generally accepted importance of their life. They were special. Like Billy Graham, Like Abraham Lincoln. Like William Wilberforce. Like John Wesley. Like John Calvin. Like Martin Luther. Like the Venerable Bede. Like Augustine of Hippo. Like Paul of Tarsus. Although human and flawed, we thank God they were special and we remind ourselves why they were special that we might model ourselves on their example.
As Christians we can pride ourselves that we don’t need to go looking for bones. But if the remains of Paul do turn up, we shouldn’t be so keen to send them to land-fill but should give them the respect our Christian hero deserves.
Go on....venerate someone really holy. Someone really set apart by the Lord. Someone really special. Someone really ‘sanctified’ (made righteous as an effect of receiving unmerited grace) as well as ‘justified’.
Bump! Well said.