Commemorative Feast 18 November

The Dedication of the Basilicas of St Peter and of St Paul

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
17 Nov 2010

St Peter's Basilica and the main altar

Today the Catholic Church celebrates the  dedication of Rome's two most famous churches.

St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Church is the second patriarchal church in Rome. The body of St Peter was buried on Vatican hill immediately after his martyrdom in the place where the basilica now stands today.

St Paul was martyred on the Ostian Way where his church, St Paul's Outside the Wall, now stands.

The martyrdom of St Peter took place at the Circus of Caligula in Nero's gardens on the Vatican Hill, and he was buried nearby. It is believed that in the year 258, to avoid desecration during the persecution of Valerian, the relics of St Peter, together with those of St Paul, were moved for a tomb to the obscure catacomb now called St Sebastian's. However they were returned to their original resting place and in 323 the Emperor Constantine began the rebuilding of the basilica of St Peter over the tomb of the Apostle.

For nearly twelve hundreds years the church remained substantially the same, a great papal establishment growing up between it and the Vatican Hill.

This was made the permanent residence of the popes on their return from the exile at Avignon.

In 1506 Pope Julius 11 inaugurated a new building design by Bramante and the building was carried out over a period of 120 years, undergoing many alterations, modifications, additions and modifications at the hands of various popes and architects, especially Paul V and Michelangelo.

St Paul's Outside the Wall

As the church was built on a sloping hill with a large cemetery nearby, the builders had to rebuild the hill and reinforce the new buildings but all were built over the original tomb of St Peter.

The new basilica, as it is seen today, was consecrated by Pope Urban V111 on 18 November, 1626, the day of its original dedication.

The high altar was set up over what was believed to be the Apostle's resting-place, which until 1942 has been inaccessible for many centuries.

It was only relatively recently, through painstaking work by archaeologists, forensic scientists and Vatican staff that bones were found, which numerous testing determined they were those of a male, of a certain height and weight and age at death. Along with all other factors gathered and determined over the years, it is now believed these are the bones of St Peter.

Metres above this tomb, towards the upper end of the church, under a magnificent altar is where only the Pope says mass.

The martyrdom of St Paul took place about 10 klms from that of St Peter at Aquae Salviae (now called Tre Fontane) on the Ostian Way. He was buried on a nearby property of a lady named Lucina, in a small vault. Early in the third century, according to Eusebius, a Roman priest, Caius, refers to the tombs of Sts Peter and Paul: "I can show you the trophies [tombs] of the apostles. If you go to the Vatican or on the road to Ostia you will see the trophies of those who founded this church.'

Statue of Saint Peter in front of his basilica

Constantine is said to have begun a basilica here too, but the great church of St Paul's Outside the Wall was principally the work of Emperor Theodosius 1 and Pope Leo the Great. It remained in its priomituive beauty and simplicity till the year 1823, when it was consumed by fire. The whole world contributed to its restoration, non-Christians as well as non-Catholics, sending gifts and contributions. During the course of the woerk the fourth-century tomb was found, with the inscription PAULO APOST MART: To Paul, apostle and martyr. It was not opened.
 
The new basilica, on the lines of the old one, was consecrated by Pope Pius IX on 10 December, 1854, but the annual commemoration was appointed for this day.

Churches are dedicated only to God, although often have a patron saint so that all faithful may implore the intercession of that saint, departed this life but whose soul lives with God.