Tuama Naomh Peadar - Tomb of St. Peter

Dome by Michaelangelo Buonarotti
Colonade by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini

In 324 AD, the Emperor Constantine built the basilica of St. Peter on the Vatican hill in Rome on the spot known then to be the tomb of the Apostle Peter. In 1452 AD, the present basilica was built over the ruins of the old. In 1940, archiologists dug and came upon the floor of Constantine's basilica. Digging deeper they began to find evidence of Peter's remains.
How close to the archaeological truth is this persistent tradition that St Peter's in Rome stands over the grave of the St. Peter? In Matt 16:18 Jesus says to the apostle Simon: 'You are Peter, the rock upon which I will build my church.' In addition to the traditional interpretation of the primacy, was an actual physical church built over the bones of St. Peter? The search for the bones of St Peter is surely one of the most fascinating archaeological stories of the 20th century.

Matha 16:13-19
13. Ar theacht isteach i gceantar Chéasaráia Philib dó, d�fhiafraigh Íosa dá chuid deisceabal: Cé hé a deir na daoine Mac an Duine?
14 Dúirt siad: Deir cuid acu Eoin Baiste; cuid eile acu Éilias; tuilleadh acu Irimia nó duine de na fáithe.

Matthew 16:13-19
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?"
And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

15 Dúirt sé leo: Ach cé a deir sibhse mé?
16 Dúirt Síomón Peadar á fhreagairt: Is tú an Críost, Mac Dé bheo.
17 D�fhreagair Íosa agus dúirt sé leis: Is méanar duit, a Shíomóin Bar Ióna, óir ní fuil agus feoil a d�fhoilsigh duit é ach m�Athair atá ar neamh.
18 Agus deirimse leatsa gur tú Peadar agus is ar an gcarraig seo a thógfaidh mé m�eaglais, agus ní bhuafaidh geataí ifrinn uirthi.
19 Agus tabharfaidh mé duit eochracha ríocht na bhflaitheas; rud ar bith acheanglaíonn tú ar talamh beidh sé ceangailte ar neamh, agus rud ar bith a scaoileann tú ar talamh beidh sé scaoilte ar neamh.

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
And I tell you, you are Peter, the rock upon which I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

For phonetics consult the pocket dictionary Fóclóir Póca
Music: Credo in unum Deum by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594)
Photo: Dome by Michaelangelo Buonarroti (1495-1564),
Colonade by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (1582-1629)
Obelisk taken from Egypt to Rome by Emperor Caligula (37 AD)
It was the last thing Peter saw before he died in Nero's Circus.

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