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Skriven 2006-12-11 20:45:44 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service (Press Release)
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                               VIS-Press releases

END OF EXCAVATIONS AT ST. PAUL'S OUTSIDE-THE-WALLS

VATICAN CITY, DEC 11, 2006 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office this morning, a
press conference was held to present recent excavations that brought to light
the sarcophagus of St. Paul in the Roman basilica of St. Paul's Outside-
the-Walls.

Participating in the conference were Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di
Montezemolo, archpriest of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls, Giorgio Filippi,
archeologist, and Pier Carlo Visconti, an official from the administration of
the basilica.

In his talk, Cardinal Cordero Lanza de Montezemolo mentioned the new name to be
given to the four great basilicas of Rome, which from now on will be referred
to as papal rather than patriarchal basilicas. He also touched on a plan to
completely reorganize the basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls, part of
which involves the creation of walking route for pilgrims and visitors
including, among other things, a new museum area centered on the cloister. The
cardinal also dwelt on the work taking place around the tomb of St. Paul and
mentioned a new transparent floor which will make it possible to see the
remains of the basilica's Constantinian apse.

For his part, Giorgio Filippi pointed out that "although it is an
incontrovertible historical fact that the basilica of St. Paul was built over
the tomb of the Apostle, the location of the original tomb remains an open
question.

"The chronicles of the monastery," he added, "speaks of a great marble
sarcophagus found during reconstruction work on the basilica following the
great fire of 1823, in the area of the Confession, under the two stones with
the inscription PAULO APOSTOLO MART[YRI]. However, there is no trace of it in
the excavation documents, unlike the other sarcophagi unearthed on that
occasion."

"Archeological investigations in the area traditionally believed to be the
Apostle's resting place, which began in 2002 and came to an end on November 22,
2006, brought to light an important area of stratification, formed by the apse
of the Constantinian basilica enclosed within the transept of the building of
the Three Emperors. On the floor of this building, under the papal altar, we
found that great sarcophagus of which all trace had been lost, considered since
the time of Theodosius to be the tomb of St. Paul."
OP/ST. PAUL OUTSIDE-THE-WALLS/... VIS 061211 (380)

SUMMARY

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