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Treasures of the Church- Holy Sites |
SAINT
PETER IN CHAINS
Basilica Dedicated to the Apostle Peter in Rome, Italy
by SCTJM
This
Basilica is one of the “tituli,” one of a set number of Early
Christian churches built round the edges of the city of Rome. It is
known as the Titulus Eudoxiae o la Eudoxiana. It was constructed
over the ruins of the imperial villa in the year 442 AD in order to
serve as a home for the chains that bound St. Peter in the Jerusalem
prison (Acts of Apostles, chapter 5 and 12). The priest Philip
constructed the Church with the help of Eudoxia, wife of Emperor
Valentinian III.
According to ancient tradition, St. Peter was condemned in a court
that used to be in the same place as the current Basilica; in the
3rd century a chapel was constructed in the same place. Later in the
4th Century it was replaced by the church we see today. However,
there is no concrete proof that supports this tradition, and the
remains beneath the Basilica indicate that there existed a villa
rather than a church.
It was restored by Pope Adrian I (772-995) and reconstructed by
Popes Sixtus IV and Julian II (1471-1484) (1503-1513). Since 1970,
it has been a property of Italy. The titular bishop of the Basilica
is Cardinal Loius Marie Billé, Archbishop of Lyon, who was assigned
there on February 21, 2001. The Feast of the Chains of St. Peter is
celebrated with great solemnity on August 1st, and on June 29 they
celebrate the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.
St. Peter in Vincula
¨In vincula¨ means “in chains.” Peter was imprisoned by the order of
Herod Agrippa in order to satisfy the demand of the town who asked
for his head. Herod intended to execute Peter after the Passover,
but the night before the execution, an angel of the Lord appeared to
him and said, “Peter, arise quickly, dress yourself, and put on your
sandals and cloak.” After hearing these words, the Apostle felt the
chains come off him and fall to the floor, and the doors of the
prison opened. He passed unseen through the midst of the guards and
miraculously left the city. Where this took place is unknown. It is
possible that after leaving the prison he returned to Rome where he
wrote his first letter to the churches he had founded in Asia,
manifesting in them his primacy in a more evident way.
The mother of Eudoxia (Eudocia, wife of Emperor Theodosius II) sent
her daughter the chains that had held St. Peter and fell with the
words of the angel. According to tradition, Eudocia had received
them from Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem. In order to house and keep
the chains, Eudoxia built a church that is known today as the
Basilica of San Pietro en Vincula or Eudoxiana. The central area of
the Basilica is divided by 20 columns, taken from an older,
preexisting monument; some traditions tells us that they were taken
from the court basilica where Peter was condemned to death.
ST. PETER IN VÍNCULA IN CHAINS
On
August 1st, the Holy Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the
chains of the glorious Prince of the Apostles, St. Peter, who was
liberated by the Lord from the imprisonment of Herod Agrippa. This
cruel king, after cutting the head of James the Greater, patron and
Apostle of Spain, ordered the arrest of St. Peter in order to kill
him as well. Knowing this, the Church pleaded to the Good and
Heavenly Shepherd that He not allow his flock to be abandoned. The
Lord heard the voices of His servants and sent His angel to the
prison to approach the holy Apostle and summon St. Peter to follow
him. Free of his chains, the Apostle arose and went to give the good
news to the faithful that were praying for him. Upon seeing him,
they were overjoyed and gave great thanks to the Lord.
The Moses of Michelangelo
In
the Basilica is found the famous statue of Moses, sculpted around
1515 by Michelangelo. It was originally built as part of the
unfinished tomb of Pope Julian II. Originally meant to be comprised
of 40 statues, the full project was never completed. The statue of
Moses occupies a prominent place due to the beauty and greatness of
the work. This entire work took Michelangelo no less than 40 years
to complete – from April of 1505 until 1545. Art critics consider
this large period to be a compendium of the Michelangelo’s artistic
evolution that, together with his contemporary Leonardo de Vinci, is
considered to be the paradigm of Renaissance genius. Michelangelo
was 30 years when he was commissioned with the work by Pope Julian
II.
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