Transcript Slide 1

THE MASS:
Underground
Part IVb:
The Mass
of the Catacombs
250-313
100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000
The Martyrs of the Catacombs
In the catacombs, the martyrs are buried who were killed during the cruel
persecutions willed by Emperors Decius, Valerianus and Diocletian.
Around the tombs of the martyrs, a form of devotion developed rapidly
among the pilgrims who left their graffiti and prayers at these exceptional
burial places. The Christians tried to arrange the burial places of their
deceased as close as possible to the martyrs’ tombs because it was
thought this would also establish a mystical nearness in heaven.
Catacombs of San Callixtus (via Appia Antica)
These are the largest catacombs of the city. They originated as private
tombs of the second century and become the official tombs of the Roman
bishops in the third century.
They extend over four floors. Burial recesses carved into the rock line
both sides of the corridors. Some recesses that were created to hold
many bodies, for many members of the same family, have also been
excavated. By way of a fourth century ladder, the Crypt of the Popes can
be reached, one of the oldest nucleuses, where various pontifical
martyrs, recorded in the Greek inscriptions, were buried.
The catacombs of St. Callixtus are among the greatest and most important
of Rome. They originated about the middle of the second century and are
part of a cemetery complex which occupies an area of 90 acres, with a
network of galleries about 12 miles long, in four levels, more than twenty
meters deep.
In it were buried countless martyrs, 16 popes and very many Christians.
They are named after the deacon Callixtus who, at the beginning of the
200s was appointed by pope Zephyrinus as the administrator of the
cemetery and so the catacombs of St. Callixtus became the official
cemetery of the Church of Rome.
In the open area are two small basilicas with three apses. In the Eastern
one were perhaps laid to rest pope Zephyrinus and the young martyr of the
Eucharist, St. Tarcisius.
The underground cemetery includes several areas. The Crypts of Lucina
and the area of the Popes and of St. Cecilia are the most ancient areas
(2nd century). The other areas are named after St. Miltiades (half of the
3rd century), St. Gaius and St. Eusebius (end of 3rd century), the Western
Area (first half of the 4th century) and the Liberian Area (second half of 4th
century).
The St. Callixtus complex, between the second and third mile of the ancient
Appian Way, is made up by above ground cemetery areas with an annexed
ancient underground burial chamber that can be dated to the end of the second
century.
These were originally independent from one another and were later connected
to form one vast network of community catacombs. The complex owes its name
to the pope and martyr St. Callixtus (217-222) who before his papacy, was
entrusted by Pope Zephrinus (199-217) with the administration of the cemetery
which was considered the pre-eminent cemetery of the Roman Church, the burial
place of many pontiffs and martyrs.
One of the most ancient and important regions of the catacombs is that of the
Popes and of St. Cecilia. Along one gallery of this region the cubicula called “of
the Sacraments” developed (first decades of the third century A.D.), which
preserve some of the most ancient paintings in the catacombs.
In one crypt of the region, almost all the pontiffs of the third century were
buried: Pontain, Anterus, Fabian, Lucius, Stephen, Sixtus II, Dionysius, Felix and
Eutychian. Next to the crypt of the Popes, the crypt of St. Cecilia is found to
whom a cult was attributed especially in the high middle ages.
Some other regions with catacombs of importance are those of: Pope St.
Cornelius (251-253), who died in exile in Civitavecchia; Pope St. Miltiades (311314); Popes Sts. Gaius (283-296) and Eusebius (309), and the so-called “Liberian”
catacomb because of the many inscriptions from the era of Pope St. Liberius
(352-366
The Crypt of the Popes
It is the most important and venerated crypt of the cemetery, called “the
little Vatican” as it was the official burial place of nine popes and, probably,
of eight dignitaries of Rome's 3rd century Church. In the walls you can still
see the original inscriptions, in Greek, of five popes. On four tombstones,
near the name of the pope, there is the title of “bishop,” since the Pope
was regarded as the head of the Church of Rome, and on two of them
there is the Greek abbreviation of MPT for “Martyr.”
Here are the names of the five popes: Pontianus, Antherus, Fabian,
Lucius and Eutichian. In the front wall was laid to rest Pope Sixtus II, a
victim of emperor Valerian's persecution.
In front of his tomb pope Damasus (4th century) placed a marble slab,
with a Latin poem celebrating the glorious memories of the Martyrs and
Christians buried in these catacombs
It originated towards the 2nd century as a private crypt. When the first area
came under the direct dependence of the Church of Rome, it was thought
suitable to transform that burial chamber into the cemetery of the Popes.
In its lower part the crypt had four niches containing sarcophagi, and
twelve tombs, six on each side: sixteen sepulchers in all. In front of the
end-wall, a table-tomb (“a mensa”) was built
The sepulchers, now empty, once contained the remains
of nine Popes and of eight Bishops of the 3rd century.
Still seen are the original inscriptions on the wall, though broken and
incomplete, regarding five of the Popes. Their names are written in Greek,
following the official usage of the Church in that time.
In chronological order, their names were:
St. Pontianus (230-235) - banished by the Emperor Alexander Severus to
forced labor in the Sardinian mines, where he died from ill
treatment. Pope Fabian had his remains brought back to Rome
and laid within the crypt.
St. Antherus (235-236) - his 43 day pontificate was spent in prison where
he died.
St. Fabian (236-250) - the large part of his pontificate was during a period
of little persecution. He was decapitated when the persecutions
of the Emperor Decius began.
St. Lucius (253-254) - his short pontificate was during a period of violent
persecutions.
St. Stephen (254-257) - he was pope during the violent persecution of the
Emperors Valerian and Gallienus.
St. Sixtus II (257-258) - beheaded along with his deacons by soldiers of the
Emperor Valerian.
St. Dionysius (259-268)
St. Felix (269-274) was martyred under the Emperor Aurelian.
St. Eutichian (275-283)
“The companions of Sixtus” are the four deacons: Gennarius, Magnus,
Vincent and Stephen, who were martyred with him. “The group of the
elders, who keep guard of the altars of Christ” are clearly the popes buried
in this catacomb.
“The bishop who lived through the long peace” refers to a pope who lived
before the great persecutions roused by Diocletian between the end of the
3rd and the first years of the 4th century: he is either Fabian or Dionysius
or Eutichian.
“The holy confessors sent to us from Greece” are probably a group of
martyrs : Martia, Neon, Hippolytus, Adria, Paulina, Martha, Valeria,
Eusebius and Marcellus, who were buried in the “Callixtian Complex.”
http://www.catacombe.roma.it/index.html
The Crypt of St. Cecilia
In a crypt is found the tomb of Saint Cecilia, martyred at the beginning
of the third century. Her remains were transferred to the Church of Saint
Cecilia in Trastevere. The cubicle is decorated with frescoes from the
fifth to ninth centuries.
The Cubicles of the Sacraments
Passing through imposing galleries full of loculi, there are five small
chambers, truly family tombs, commonly known as the cubicles of the
Sacraments, and particularly important for their frescoes.
The frescoes can be dated to the beginning of the 3rd century (200s) and
represent symbolically the sacraments of Baptism and of the Eucharist.
Also depicted is the prophet Jonah, a symbol of the resurrection.
Apostles Peter, Paul, John and Andrew
The “Fractio Panis” (Breaking of the Bread)
Catacomb of Priscilla
A very good example of the painting of the Eucharist, the fractio panis, in
the catacombs of Priscilla which reminds us of the important rite
celebrated in all the tituli, in the various domus ecclesiae, such as those
which existed here in Trastevere (tituli of Cecilia, Chrysogonus and
Callixtus). The Breaking of Bread was not just the opening gesture of the
agape as such, but was surrounded by a complex liturgy: there were
psalms, readings from the prophets, homily of the celebrant, etc.
Returning to the painting of the fractio panis in the catacombs of Priscilla,
the eucharistic gesture is indicated and brought out well by the presence
of the one shown seated at the head of the table in the banquet (in the
ancient world, the most important person was seated at the head of the
table). The presider at the feast in this picture holds a strange posture for
a communal meal but one very well suited to a eucharistic celebration: his
outstretched hands are breaking the bread. In front of him is a chalice. It is
clearly a painting of a eucharistic banquet. Many are the eucharistic
paintings preserved in the catacombs.
From under the Earth
to above the Ground:
the Basilicas
End of
The Mass of the Catacombs, Part IVb
Go to
The Mass of the Basilicas, Part Va