“Thus, evocative memory, directly perceived and experienced, cannot fail to provoke deep reflection and therefore, for believers, prayer; a prayer addressed to the Lord, God of life and savior, but also to the martyrs and to those who witnessed their faith, whose example and intercession support us on our current journey,” the press release continues.
The commission was created by Pope Pius IX in 1852 “to take care of the ancient sacred cemeteries, ensure their preventive preservation, their explorations, research and studies” as well as to “safeguard the oldest memories of the first Christian centuries , the remarkable monuments and venerable basilicas of Rome.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see many ancient symbols “that speak of prayer”, such as the 3rd century Velata’s cabin in the Catacombs of Priscilla, as well as ancient artwork depicting scenes from the Ancient and the New Testament.
The Catacombs of Rome are early Christian burial sites scattered throughout the city that were dug underground at the height of Christian persecution. Here many popes, martyrs and Christian families of Rome were buried.
These sites have taken a deeply significant place in popular piety and have long been a place of meeting, prayer and reflection for many of the Church’s saints, including St. Jerome and Saint Philip Neri.
On March 2, several of Rome’s most important catacombs will be open to the public, including the Catacomb of Priscilla, the Catacomb of Saint Agnes (where the third-century Roman martyr was buried), the Catacomb of Saint Callixtus (which contains the burial places of the popes). between the 2nd and 4th centuries), the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian, the Catacombs of Domitilla, the Catacombs of the Saints. Marcellino and Pietro, and the catacombs of San Pancrazio.
