Posted on 12/18/2009 5:28:45 AM PST by GonzoII
Following on from Gregor's post yesterday, I took a further look through the videos at British Pathe and there are some interesting historical items there that show various liturgical and ceremonial aspects of the Vatican. Here are just a few.
(Excerpt) Read more at newliturgicalmovement.org ...
In before the Catholic baiting.
I’d lijke to see some history of the vatican prior to Christianity. It’s always interested me, especially given the association with mithraism, but I’ve never found any “Reliable” source on it. Only the dodgy ones Dan Brown and co use...
This cool link was posted a few weeks back...
http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_giovanni/vr_tour/index-it.html
All of this, from an archaeological POV, was rediscovered during the preparations for Pius XI's gravesite in 1939, when the lower church floor was breached for the grave, and the walls of what turned-out to be a pagan tomb were revealed after some digging.
Long story short, the archaeologists were called in, and it was realized that the ancient pagan cemetery long-believed to be under the church was a fact. Over the course of the next ten years or so, Pius XII gave permission for excavations to proceed under the basilica westward toward the traditional site of Peter's grave. Pagan mausoleums and grave became mixed with Christian ones, the closer one got to the traditional spot. A grave with fairly conclusive clues regarding St. Peter was found, with a multitude of Latin inscriptions carved by 4th Century pilgrims present on an adjoining support wall. The site was directly under the main altar of both the current basilica and the known location of the Constantinian one!
I got most of this from a book I purchased and read the very day I took the tour under the basilica (highly recommended if you're ever in Rome! Just set it up at the tour office run by the Swiss Guards on the south (left) side of the Basilica.), called "The Bones of St. Peter," By John Walsh. This book is available from Amazon, of course, but it is also available right here: http://saintpetersbasilica.org/Necropolis/JW/TheBonesofStPeter-1.htm , complete with the original book's pictures! You might want to check it out...
Thanks. Very interesting.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.