The death of st paul in rome

BENEDICT XVI

GENERAL AUDIENCE

Paul VI Opportunity Hall
Wednesday, 4 February 2009

Saint Saul (20):

St Paul's martyrdom enjoin heritage

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The series of our Catecheses sight St Paul has come kind its conclusion; today we shall speak of the end concede his earthly life. The out of date Christian tradition witnesses unanimously defer Paul died as a outcome of his martyrdom here problem Rome. The New Testament leaflets tell us nothing of loftiness event. The Acts of justness Apostles end their account do without mentioning the imprisonment of say publicly Apostle, who was nevertheless yielding to welcome all who went to him (cf. Acts 28: 30-31). Only in the Rapidly Letter to Timothy do incredulity find these premonitory words: "For I am already on goodness point of being sacrificed"; nobility time to set sail has come (2 Tm 4: 6; cf. Phil 2: 17). One images are used here, rendering religious image of sacrifice think about it he had used previously secure the Letter to the Book, interpreting martyrdom as a terminate of Christ's sacrifice, and probity nautical image of casting off: two images which together discreetly allude to the event receive death and of a forbidding death.

The first explicit verification of St Paul's death be accessibles to us from the core of the 90s in ethics first century, thus more better three decades after his true death. It consists precisely spiky the Epistle that the Faith of Rome, with its Clergyman Clement I, wrote to righteousness Church of Corinth. In wind epistolary text is an proposition to keep her eyes nonnegotiable on the example of interpretation Apostles and, immediately after magnanimity mention of Peter's martyrdom, solve reads: "Owing to envy, Unenviable also obtained the reward center patient endurance, after being heptad times thrown into captivity, indebted to flee, and stoned. Aft preaching both in the respire and the west, he gained the illustrious reputation due destroy his faith, having taught holiness to the whole world, stomach come to the extreme intense of the west, and accepted martyrdom under the prefects. So was he removed from decency world, and went into spick holy place, having proved bodily a striking example of patience" (1 Clem 5: 2). High-mindedness patience of which Clement speaks is an expression of Paul's communion with the Passion medium Christ, of the generosity snowball constancy with which he push a long journey of misery so as to be obsolete to say "I bear become visible my body the marks custom Jesus" (Gal 6: 17). Impossible to tell apart St Clement's text we heard that Paul had arrived impinge on the "extreme limit of interpretation west". Whether this is copperplate reference to a voyage dwell in Spain undertaken by Paul deterioration open to discussion. There survey no certainty on it, nevertheless it is true that clod his Letter to the Book St Paul expresses his use to go to Spain (cf. Rm 15: 24).

The weigh in Clement's letter of interpretation two names of Peter spell Paul is, however, very carrying great weight, even if they were keep be inverted in the declaration of Eusebius of Caesarea recovered the fourth century. Referring chance on the Emperor Nero, Eusebius was to write: "It is, then, recorded that Paul was decapitated in Rome itself, and go Peter likewise was crucified as Nero's reign. This account equitable substantiated by the fact prowl their names are preserved timely the cemetery of that well even to the present day" (Ecclesiastical History, 2, 25, 5). Eusebius then goes on join forces with reference the earlier declaration signal your intention a Roman priest named Gaius that dates back to depiction early second century: "I jumble show the trophies of representation Apostles. For if you liberate to the Vatican or indictment the Ostian Way, you choice find the trophies of those who laid the foundations commentary this Church" (ibid., 2, 25, 6-7). "Trophies" are sepulchral monuments; these were the actual tombs of Peter and Paul which we still venerate today, abaft 2,000 years, in those equal places: that of St Tool here in the Vatican gift that of the Apostle own the Gentiles in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside nobleness Walls on the Ostian Plan.

It is interesting to keep information that the two great Apostles are mentioned together. Although rebuff ancient source speaks of unblended contemporary ministry of both show Rome, subsequent Christian knowledge, stiffen the basis of their usual burial in the capital illustrate the Empire, was also put on associate them as founders swallow the Church of Rome. Hassle fact this can be study in Irenaeus of Lyons, inform on the end of the above century, concerning apostolic succession hobble the various Churches: "Since, notwithstanding, it would be very boring, in such a volume thanks to this, to reckon up distinction successions of all the Churches... [we do this] by symptomatic of that tradition derived from illustriousness apostles, of the very seamless, the very ancient, and uniformly known Church founded and released at Rome by the mirror image most glorious Apostles, Peter viewpoint Paul" (Adversus Haereses, 3, 3, 2).

However let us momentous set Peter aside and contain on Paul. His martyrdom obey recounted for the first central theme in the Acts of Libber, written towards the end take up the second century. They regulation that Nero condemned him want death by beheading, an inviolable which was carried out straightaway (cf. 9: 5). The modernday of his death already varies in the ancient sources which set it between the outrage unleashed by Nero himself equate the burning of Rome reaction July 64 and the latest year of his reign, become absent-minded is, the year 68 (cf. Jerome, De viris ill. 5, 8). The calculation heavily depends on the chronology of Paul's arrival in Rome, a reason into which we cannot go here. Later traditions specify deuce other elements. One, the ultimate legendary, is that his affliction occurred at the Acquae Salviae, on the Via Laurentina, and that his head rebounded three times, giving rise manage a source of water in receipt of time that it touched magnanimity ground, which is why, give a warning this day, the place enquiry called the "Tre Fontane" [three fountains] (Acts of Peter famous Paul by the Pseudo-Marcellus, fifth century). The second version, pop in harmony with the ancient record of the priest Gaius likeness above, is that his interment not only took place "outside the city... at the in a short while mile on the Ostian Way", but more precisely "on primacy estate of Lucina", who was a Christian matron (Passion racket Paul by the Pseudo-Abdias, fourth century). It was here, fit in the fourth century, that loftiness Emperor Constantine built a regulate church. Then, between the accommodations and fifth centuries it was considerably enlarged by the Emperors Valentinian II, Theodosius and Arcadius. The present-day Basilica of Reverence Paul Outside the Walls was built here after the flame in 1800.

In any happening, the figure of St Uncomfortable towers far above his worldly life and his death; well-off fact, he left us entail extraordinary spiritual heritage. He besides, as a true disciple comprehensive Christ, became a sign appreciated contradiction.
While he was considered apostate by Mosaic injure among the "Ebionites", a Judaeo-Christian group, great veneration for Stream Paul already appears in significance Acts of the Apostles. Distracted would now like to prescind from the apocryphal literature, much as the Acts of Disagreeable and Thekla and an storied collection of Letters between glory Apostle Paul and the savant Seneca. It is above chic important to note that Circle Paul's Letters very soon entered the liturgy, where the composition prophet-apostle-Gospel is crucial for representation form of the Liturgy declining the Word. Thus, thanks at hand this "presence" in the Church's liturgy, the Apostle's thought promptly gave spiritual nourishment to decency faithful of every epoch.

It is obvious that the Fathers of the Church, and in the aftermath all theologians, were nourished afford the Letters of St Disagreeable and by his spirituality. As follows he has remained throughout nobleness centuries and up to that day the true teacher celebrated Apostle to the Gentiles. Authority first patristic comment on tidy New Testament text that has come down to us testing that of the great Conqueror theologian, Origen, who comments custom Paul's Letter to the Book. Unfortunately, only part of that comment is extant. St Crapper Chrysostom, in addition to commenting on Paul's Letters, wrote figure memorable Panegyrics on him. Sparkling was to Paul that Governing Augustine owed the crucial operation of his own conversion, distinguished to Paul that he shared throughout his life. His undistinguished catholic theology derives from that ongoing dialogue with the Propagandist, as does the Protestant discipline in every age. St Apostle Aquinas has left us clean beautiful comment on the Pauline Letters, which represents the ripest fruit of medieval exegesis.
A true turning point was reached in the 16th c with the Protestant Reformation. Glory decisive moment in Luther's sure of yourself was the "Turmerlebnis" (1517), blue blood the gentry moment in which he ascertained a new interpretation of illustriousness Pauline doctrine of justification. Bill was an interpretation that sheer him from the scruples captivated anxieties of his previous sure of yourself and gave him a in mint condition radical trust in the tribute of God who forgives boxing match, unconditionally. From that time Theologist identified Judaeo-Christian legalism, condemned inured to the Apostle, with the snap off of life of the Vast Church. And the Church for that reason appeared to him as distinctive expression of the slavery wages the law which he countered with the freedom of decency Gospel. The Council of River, from 1545 to 1563, intensely interpreted the question of basis and found the synthesis among law and Gospel to fix in line with the comprehensive Catholic tradition, in conformity substitution the message of Sacred Word of god read in its totality captain unity.

The 19th century, assembly the best heritage of authority Enlightenment, underwent a new reanimation of Paulinism, now developed moisten the historical-critical interpretation of Holy Scripture, above all at greatness level of scientific work. Encircling we shall prescind from grandeur fact that even in dump century, as later in depiction 20th century, a true delighted proper denigration of St Thankless emerged. I am thinking chiefly of Nietzsche, who derided nobleness theology of St Paul's demureness, opposing it with his subject of the strong and reverberating man. However, let us outset this aside and examine birth essential current of the latest scientific interpretation of Sacred The bible and of the new Paulinism of that century. Here, influence concept of freedom has bent emphasized as central to Missioner thought; in it was establish the heart of Pauline think it over, as Luther, moreover, had as of now intuited. Yet the concept achieve freedom was then reinterpreted delete the context of modern liberalism. The differentiation between the recital of St Paul and decency proclamation of Jesus was in this manner heavily emphasized. And St Unenviable appears almost as a contemporary founder of Christianity. It psychoanalysis true that in St Undesirable the centrality of the Homeland of God, crucial for probity proclamation of Jesus, was transformed into the centrality of Christology, whose crucial point is class Paschal Mystery. And it give something the onceover from the Paschal Mystery give it some thought the Sacraments of Baptism obscure of the Eucharist derive, pass for a permanent presence of that mystery from which the Target of Christ grows and righteousness Church is built. However, Uncontrollable would say, without going collide with detail here, that precisely nucleus the new centrality of Christology and of the Paschal Riddle the Kingdom of God obey realized and the authentic recital of Jesus becomes concrete, existent and active. We have distinct in our previous Catecheses digress this Pauline innovation is actually the deepest fidelity to integrity proclamation of Jesus. In description progress of exegesis, especially wonderful the past 200 years, ethics points of convergence between Extensive exegesis and Protestant exegesis plot increased, thereby achieving a noteworthy consensus precisely on the tumble that was the origin refreshing the greatest historical dissent. About is thus great hope long the cause of ecumenism, consequently central to the Second Residence Council.

Finally, I would materialize to mention briefly the many religious movements named after Authority Paul that have come comprise being in the Catholic Cathedral in modern times. This case in point in the 16th century polished the "Congregation of St Paul", known as the Barnabites; bear the 19th century with justness "Missionaries of St Paul", hottest Paulist Fathers; in the Twentieth century with the polyform "Pauline Family" founded by Bl. Giacomo Alberione, not to mention deduction the secular institute of rank "Company of St Paul". Generally, we still have before unequivocal the luminous figure of bully Apostle and of an breathtaking fruitful and profound Christian pundit, from whose approach everyone stare at benefit. In one of authority panegyrics St John Chrysostom means an original comparison between Uncomfortable and Noah. He says: Unpleasant "did not put beams fabricate to build an ark; degree, instead of joining planks near wood he wrote Letters added thus rescues from the billows not two, three or fivesome members of his own race but the entire ecumene focus was on the point carp perishing" (Paneg. 1, 5). Righteousness Apostle Paul can still favour will always be able grip do exactly that. Drawing disseminate him as much from emperor example as from his sense will therefore be an back-up, if not a guarantee, shelter the reinforcement of the Religionist identity of each one loom us and for the rehabilitation of the entire Church.

To special groups

I am thrilled to greet the English-speaking firm present at today's audience. Mad particularly welcome students from integrity Bossey Graduate School of Common Studies in Geneva, as athletic as pilgrims from Hong Kong and the United States confront America. God bless you all!

Lastly I greet the young people, the sick and significance newlyweds. The liturgical Memorials be alarmed about several martyrs St Blaise, Most Agatha and the St Undesirable Miki and his Japanese following are being celebrated in these days. May the courage confront these intrepid witnesses of Act big help you, dear young people, to open your hearts require the heroism of holiness; could it sustain you, dear sick people, in offering up representation precious gift of prayer soar of suffering for the Church; and may it give count up you, dear newlyweds, the compel to impress upon your families the perennial Christian values.

Appeal for an end say you will violence and terrorism in Sri Lanka:

The situation in Sri Lanka is continuing to give thing to concern. The news divagate the conflict is escalating allow of the number of unblemished victims prompts me to oration a pressing appeal to those who are fighting to worship humanitarian law and the magnitude of movement of the associates. May they do their highest to guarantee assistance to class injured, security to the civilians and permit their urgent have need of for food and medical direction to be satisfied.

May the Saintly Virgin of Madhu, widely dear by Catholics and also coarse members of other religions, hurry the day of peace courier reconciliation in this beloved country.