Since Pope Benedict XVI have established the year of St. Paul which ended this year, excavation and archeological studies were made on the tomb believed to be the burial place of St. Paul the apostle which was covered by the Basilica of St. Paul outside the walls (one of the four major Basilica’s of the Catholic Church). And as tradition and faith says that the bones underneath the Basilica are from the Apostle of the Gentiles, Science this week has confirmed that the tradition and faith that we catholics held on to for 2000 years is true. According to some reports:

Pope Benedict announced on Sunday that fragments of bone from the first or second century had been found in a tomb in the Basilica of St Paul in Rome, which he said confirmed the belief that it housed the apostle’s remains. Christian tradition had it that St Paul was buried together with St Peter in a catacomb on the Via Appia, before being moved to the basilica erected in his honor. For centuries it was believed that his remains were buried beneath the altar.

But it was not until a stone sarcophagus was discovered there in 2006 that Vatican archeologists could apply scientific research to the religious tradition. The first results come during the “Pauline Year,” when the Roman Catholic church has been celebrating the second millennium of the birth of the “Apostle of the Gentiles.” Pope Benedict gave details of the discovery, saying a tiny hole had been drilled in the sarcophaguus to permit inspection of the interior, revealing “traces of a precious linen cloth, purple in color, laminated with pure gold, and a blue colored textile with filaments of linen.” “It also revealed the presence of grains of red incense and traces of protein and limestone. There were also tiny fragments of bone, which, when subjected to Carbon 14 tests by experts, turned out to belong to someone who lived in the first or second century,” said the pope.

And after the astonishing announcement made by the Pontiff on the eve of the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the bones were subjected to scientific test and analysis to determine the details and owner of the bone. The scientists performed a carbon dating test on the bones inside the sarcophagus and found out that the bones were from the first or second century. The scientists took the bones from an 8 feet coffin which dates at least 390 AD and was buried under the said Basilica’s main altar. The excavation was ordered when during the Jubilee Year 2000 (which the whole Catholic Church celebrated 9 years ago), pilgrims from all over the world complained that the they cannot visit the saint’s tomb because it was covered with plaster and an iron grilled blocks the entrance. With this, the Vatican ordered and excavation which started last year during the opening of the Pauline Year.

Scientists said that when they dug the sarcophagus, they found small openings which were covered with mortars. During the early Christian times, the faithful and the pilgrims used to touch the remains or insert offerings o the coffin. Along with the Sarcophagus, is a Latin inscription embedded on the floor, particularly in the cracked marble slab, was also found. The inscription reads (in Latin) “Paul Apostle martyr”.

This particular discovery on the Catholic Church gives emphasis on the striking truth that indeed, the succession of Peter and Paul up to now has been unbroken for 2000 years.