Two Gentlemen of Rome

Today is the feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of the Apostles Peter and Paul. Like Sts. Peter and Paul’s joint feast day, this feast combines the dedication of the two basilicas in Rome which bear their names.

I’ve always found it odd that they share a feast day. Both are such huge powerhouses in the life of the Church you would think they each get their own day. Plus, they have such strong, differing personalities; I can’t imagine during their earthly life they would have been pleased to know they would always be lumped together. (Though I’m sure now, perfected in heaven, they’re fine with it.)

Both St. Peter’s Basilica and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls were built by Constantine in the 4th century, over the site where each saint was buried. Despite several miles separating them, the two basilicas were originally connected by a long colonnade.

But perhaps they are most connected because pilgrims have long come to these places to pay respects to these apostles and martyrs. In fact, bishops are required to go to “the tombs of the Apostles” during their ad limina visits every five years. For most pilgrims, like me, it’s more of a once-in-a-lifetime visit. I was able to visit both basilicas and receive a testamonium from the Church, acknowledging my journey to their tombs.

The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls was originally founded by Constantine around 324 over the place where Paul was buried, just a couple miles from where he was martyred. The site was a sepulchral area along the Ostiense Way, owned by a Christian named Lucina. It is believed that around this time Paul’s remains were interred in a sarcophagus under the altar.

The church was adorned and expanded several times over the years. My favorite part is the mosaics of each pope that circle the basilica nave. Both Benedictine men and women established communities attached to the basilica. Because it lay outside the city walls, it was vulnerable to attacks; in the 1000s, it was heavily damaged during a Saracen raid. In response, Pope John VIII fortified it. It remained that way until an earthquake damaged it in the 1300s.

From 1215 until 1964, the basilica was the seat of the Latin Patriarch of Alexandria.

In 1823, a fire heavily damaged the building, and the current version is what was rebuilt from that damage. In 2006, the presence of a white marble sarcophagus was confirmed, and a few years later, the remains were confirmed to be a man from the first century.

On Oct. 23 this year, King Charles III visited the basilica, entering through the holy door. He received the title of Royal Confrater of the abbey, being honored with a specially-designed seat bearing the royal coat of arms and the Latin inscription from the Gospel of John, “Ut unum sint” (“That they may be one”).

St. Peter’s Basilica was also established by Constantine, over the burial site of St. Peter in what is now Vatican City, west of the Tiber, on the former site of the Circus of Nero. The basilica is regarded as the greatest church in Christendom.

In the 1500s, the Church raised money for the new basilica; one of the fundraisers included the selling of indulgences. This was one of the precipitating factors in the Protestant Reformation. The new basilica became known as a renowned example of Renaissance architecture and is the largest church in the world, with both Raphel, Michelangelo, and Bernini playing key roles in its design. At the time of completion in the early 1600s, it was the tallest building in the Old World, and it continues to be the tallest dome in the world. The bronze baldacchino is over 24 feet tall and is the largest piece of bronze in the world. The scale of the basilica is difficult to notice at first, as everything is proportionally oversized.

Although it is not the see of Rome, St. Peter’s, as the church of Vatican City, hosts many of the Church’s largest liturgies. It contains hundreds of relics and is the burial site of dozens of saints.

Visiting St. Peter’s felt like truly being a pilgrim, reaching the center of Catholicism. Visiting St. Paul Outside the Walls was pilgrim-like in a different way. I found it more peaceful—less crowded and more spacious. Visiting the two back to back did feel like a yin and yang. Together, they did create a singular pilgrim experience: important, serene, grand, and prayerful.