The Clementine Chapel, also known as La Clementina, is a particular
Roman Catholic chapel located within the underground necropolitan grottoes of
Saint Peter's Basilica in
Vatican City. It is believed to mark the site when
Saint Peter was crucified.
It is the area where the relics of St. Peter were venerated in early medieval times, before his skull was removed to be housed at the
Archbasilica of St. John Lateran.
Open today for pilgrims,
Catholic Herald website, ''Private Mass restrictions come into force at St. Peter’s Basilica'', article by Courtney Mares dated March 22, 2021
/ref> the site venerates the original pavonazzo marble monument placed there by Emperor Constantine
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterranea ...
, and was used in early medieval times to house the skull of St. Peter.
History
Before the Clementine chapel was constructed, the skull of St. Peter was housed in its original resting place in the graffiti wall[Scribd website, ''Clementine Chapel'', entry by Jason Tiongco]
/ref> below the large tomb-like structure commissioned by emperor Constantine. The structure is visible behind the altar of the chapel.
/ref>
The Clementine chapel was constructed by the order of Pope Gregory Gregory has been the name of sixteen Roman Catholic Popes and two Antipopes:
*Pope Gregory I ("the Great"; 590–604), after whom the Gregorian chant is named
*Pope Gregory II (715–731)
*Pope Gregory III (731–741)
*Pope Gregory IV (827–844)
* ...
, due to the original Constantinian monument not having a high altar, thus a new structure was constructed around the Constantinian monument, and a more traditional high altar was constructed above it in order to celebrate Divine Liturgy, and the clementine chapel was constructed at the back to be used as a place for the veneration of the skull of St. Peter.
The chapel is named in honor of Pope Clement VIII, who used the chapel as his burial place and donated funds to install various religious mosaics that have been preserved to this day.
It is one of the two main untouched areas of Old St. Peter's Basilica, along with the chapel of the ''Niche of the Pallia''.Archpriest
The ecclesiastical title of archpriest or archpresbyter belongs to certain priests with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches and may be somewhat analogous ...
of the Basilica, Cardinal Angelo Comastri
Angelo Comastri (born 17 September 1943) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church. He was Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica from 2006 to 2021, and Vicar General for the Vatican City State and President of the Fabric of Saint Peter from 2005 t ...
, the chapel is the holiest site in the archaeological basilica.
The chapel itself is directly behind the present niche which is above the relics of St. Peter, thereby the site correlates to the present high altar of St. Peter's Basilica today.
The place where the recently discovered Bones of St. Peter are presently housed is not in the ''niche of the pallia'', nor the clementine chapel but in their original resting place in the graffiti wall''.''
The skull of St. Peter which was first venerated in the clementine chapel, (after being moved there by pope Gregory during its construction), is now housed in the golden reliquary above the high altar of the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, after being moved there in late medieval times.
References
{{reflist
External links
Clementine Chapel (Chapel of St Peter)The Tomb of St. Peter
St. Peter's Basilica
Saint Peter