Catacomb

From Churches of Rome Wiki

The catacombs were the first Christian burial grounds in Rome. One of the things that is often said about the catacombs is that they were hiding places for Christians during the persecutions. This is not true; they were official burial grounds, well known to Roman authorities. During persecutions, they were at times closed, but they often remained open since the Romans respected the dead and since the bodies would still have to be buried somewhere outside the city walls.

The reason why they were made was that Romans usually cremated bodies at that time. That was unacceptable to Christians, because of faith in the resurrection. A different type of cemetery was needed, and underground chamber, cut into the soft tufa stone, was a practical solution - expanding was only a matter of digging deeper or further away from the entrance. Some have reached a length of up to 16 kilometres. There are also non-Christian catacombs; about ten are Jewish or of some unknown sect. Historical importance

We can learn a lot about the early Church from the catacombs. While we have a lot of texts from the Church Fathers and other early theologians, they say little about the practises of ordinary people. But here, we can find inscriptions and paintings that explain some of their thoughts and bring some of the pious actions to light.

Contents 1 The decline 2 Rediscovery 3 Excavation and new discoveries 4 List of catacombs open to the public

[edit] The decline

After tolerance was granted to Christians in 313, use of the catacombs declined. New cemeteries were opened, and only the tombs of martyrs were visited. Churches were built above some of the catacombs, but with time the chambers below were more or less forgotten. Only the one under San Sebastiano fuori le mura was remembered. During the 5th to 9th centuries, barbarian raiders sacked and damaged the catacombs. Martyr's tombs were restored, but in the 9th century it was no longer considered safe to keep relics there, and they were moved to churches within the city. Pope St Paschal I (817-824) was responsible for moving a large number of relics to safety; he even carried some of them himself as a pious act. The practice of sealing the relics of martyrs into or beneath altars was introduced at that time.

[edit] Rediscovery

While most people had forgotten about the catacombs, scholars knew of them from written sources. In the late 16th century, Antonio Bosco started searching and found several - he even left his name written in candle-smoke on some of the walls. It was at this time they got the name 'catacombs'. The word means 'the hollows', and Catacomba di San Sebastiano was referred to as ad catacumbas, 'into the hollows'. As others were found, the name was used for them too. One important discovery was made by the archaeologist Giovanni Battista de Rossi (1822-1894) in the 19th century. At a gardener's cottage, probably identical with one of the chapels at Catacomba di San Callisto, he discovered that one of the steps in a stone staircase has an inscription: ...NELIUS MART. Knowing that the martyr Pope St Cornelius had been interred in the catacomb of St Callixtus, he searched the area and found an entrance. There, he stumbled across a part of the same insciption, saying COR.... Soon after, he brought Pope Pius IX to the Chapel of the Popes, where nine popes had been interred in the 3rd century.

[edit] Excavation and new discoveries

In 1929, the Lateran Treaty was signed. The Vatican became an independent state, and the Christian catacombs became Vatican territory. This also includes those discovered after 1929. Maintenance and further excavation is the responsibility of the Pontificia Commissione di Archeologia Sacra, the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archaeology.

New discoveries continue to be made. Currently, about sixty fifty, 50 of them Christian, are known, but there are most likely more. One problem in this respect is that they are often on private land, and the landowner is reluctant to report his findings to the authorities should he stumble across one - the compensation for lost land is quite low.

[edit] List of catacombs open to the public

Most of the catacombs are closed to the public. Those that are regularly open are the ones where a religious community has been established by the entrance:

• Catacombe di Sant'Agnese
• Catacomba di Domitilla
• Catacombe di San Callisto
• Catacombe di San Lorenzo
• Catacombe di Santi Marcellino e Pietro
• Catacombe di San Pancrazio
• Catacomba di Santa Priscilla
• Catacombe di San Sebastiano
• Memoria Apostolorum (at San Sebastiano)

Visitors must take a guided tour. This is simply a matter of your safety - it would be all too easy to get lost down there. The religious communities that are responsible for the tours are good at providing guides speaking different languages, so it is usually possible to get guided tours in Italian, English, French and German - at times other languages are offered as well. If you travel in a group, it might be a good idea to make an appointment - they might even be able to provide guides speaking other languages than the ones mentioned. You might have to wait a while before the next tour starts, so bringing a book or something might be a good idea. There are also the inevitable, and insanely expensive, mobile food and beverage stall outside most of them in case you get hungry while waiting. If you go to Rome off-season, you can apply for an extended tour. There is an admission fee at all the catacombs.

Mass is regularly celebrated in the catacombs, and it is possible to attend. This is a very special experience, which I highly recommend. During Holy Years, pilgrims obtain indulgences by assisting at Mass in the catacombs. This should be booked in advance, due to the limited space available.