VATICAN, Mar. 27, 01 (CWNews.com) - With visible emotion, Cardinal Virgilio Noe, archpriest of St. Peter's basilica, has noted that the body of Pope Bl. John XXIII, who died in 1963 and was beatified on September 3, 2000 by Pope John Paul II, has remained incorrupt.
"It is a providential coincidence, a sign of divine favor and of holiness," he said today during a meeting with reporters about his book, "Tombs and Monuments of St. Peter's and the Vatican."
On January 16, in the presence of Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Secretary of State of the Holy See, Bishop Leonardo Sandri, and Cardinal Noe, the tomb of John XXIII was opened for the recognition of his mortal remains which will be transferred from the Vatican crypt (located under the basilica) into the basilica itself. After only one-half day of work, the witnesses could see the face of John XXIII, " intact and serene," said Cardinal Noe, who also revealed "the emotion" which seized them at the opening of the tomb.
Pope John Paul had decided on the transfer to the basilica, as a mark of the holiness of John XXIII. "It was not easy to find a place in the basilica where we can build the new tomb for John XXIII," said the cardinal. Indeed, it was necessary that this place be accessible at the same time to the faithful, who will want to venerate the blessed, and out of the way of the crowds which come daily to visit the basilica. The choice was made for the St. Jerome crypt, located on the line of the central span, not far from the statue of St. Peter. John XXIII, a specialist in the fathers of the Church, was devoted to St. Jerome.
Blessed John XXIII will join the 47 other popes who rest in the basilica during a "liturgical ceremony," which should take place in the next few months. Among these popes is Boniface VIII, who died in 1303 and whose body was also found incorrupt in 1605.
For approximately twelve centuries, the basilica and the Vatican crypt have been a place of burial for the popes, in order to perpetuate the memory of Peter, apostle and first pope. The forms of crypts are very diverse, from the sarcophagus of the earliest days to crypts of contemporary art (like those of Pius XI or Pius XII) including those grand examples from the Renaissance and the Baroque period.
Catholic World News Service - Vatican Update
27. mars 2001