Day 3 - Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls

Finally, Day 3, it felt like we were getting in the groove of things, feeling comfortable with the city and the time change.

Class focused on the idea of establishing a unified church through determining certain aspects of the organized faith. Topics included battling early heresies and differing ideas, the celebration of Easter, the establishment of the episcopate, the listing of the Canon of Scripture, and the "rule of faith".

After a small lunch at the College, the group met Prof. Coolman and walked to the San Giovanni stop of the Metropolitana. For anyone who doesn't know, the subway in Rome has only two lines that make a big "X" across the city with Termini ("ends") Station in the very center. They are currently trying to add another line or two, but construction is slow for the simple fact that Rome is an ancient city built on the ruins of past versions of itself. Digging a tunnel becomes difficult when much of the underground is important to Roman history.

A relatively brief ride brought us to our site for the day, the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. Originally larger than even the first Basilica of St. Peter, St. Paul Outside the Walls is considered one of the four major basilicas in Rome (the others will be seen as the trip continues). Following the independence of Vatican City from Italy, the basilica was given extraterritorial status by the Lateran Treaty, thus removing it from the jurisdiction of the Italian state. By walking on the property, you are essentially entering Vatican land.

My first reaction to seeing the basilica was at its shear enormity. The subway station was on the far side away from the entrance, so we had to walk all the way around the church to get inside.

St. Paul Outside the Walls

Inside the front entrance, we were greeted by the most photogenic statue I've ever seen. I took close to 10 different shots of this statue of Paul from different angles and each was magnificent.

Saint Paul

As people usually think of Peter when considering the church in Rome, Paul is often overlooked. We must all remember that Paul is altogether on the same level of importance to the Church as Peter. Without Paul, you have to discard the majority of the New Testament. Despite being a basilica for Paul, Peter is still depicted in a number of places around the church. He can be easily spotted holding the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. As I travel Rome, it's amazing how connected the idea of Peter is to the idea of Paul; people just seem to miss it.

St. Peter and the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven

The tabernacle and ciborium

According to tradition, following the martyrdom of St. Paul, Constantine erected a church near the site of his burial. This church was subsequently destroyed and rebuilt and added to as the centuries came and went. Excavations beneath the church discovered a sarcophagus that is traditionally believed to be that of St. Paul. Apparently the sarcophagus has never been actually opened to verify whether St. Paul is in fact within; many would rather live with the possibility of St. Paul being there than live with the knowledge that he's not. A few steps down from the main floor lead to a kneeler for the faithful to pray in the presence of Paul.

Prof. Coolman pays his respects in front of the Tomb of St. Paul and the Chains of St. Paul

In additon, tradition states that the Chains of St. Paul, those that bound him during his imprisonment before his decapitation, are also held at the basilica. Evidence of these chains existing at all surfaced only in the 4th century, so there is always the possibility that they are not the actual chains. The importance, however, does not lie in their legitimacy, nor does it lie on the location of the body of St. Paul.

The Chains that traditionally bound St. Paul during his imprisonment

The apse, depicting Jesus with the 12 Doctors of the Church, Peter and Paul, and two other Apostles

The ciborium and High Altar for the saying of Tridentine Mass

 A well known feature of St. Paul Outside the Walls is its collection of papal portraits. The original basilica had the portraits and, following a fire that destroyed the church, they were remade in the new basilica. Each pope since Peter has a portrait here, including Pope Francis and even popes like Alexander VI (it took me a while to find him - not surprisingly, his section of the wall was not illuminated).

Portrait of St. Peter as the first "pope"

I probably could have spent an entire week in that church; there was almost too much to see. Luckily for our group, the Solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul takes place during our course, so there is a possibility that some of us could attend a Mass there before we leave.

Originally, we had scheduled a trip to the Tre Fontane Abbey, the location of the decapitation of St. Paul where tradition states that three fountains sprang, but the tour was mostly outdoors and the weather today was absolutely brutal.

In lieu of the Abbey tour, we returned to the College with enough time to use the pool.

We finished the day off with another fantastic meal, where I had a traditional Roman dish of rigatoni with prosciutto and sheep cheese (yes, sheep cheese). I can't seem to find a bad tasting dish!

Tomorrow, we will visit the Catacombs of Priscilla and the Chiesa di San Clemente.

Thus ends the 3rd day.