VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Close to the start of the ancient Appian Way in Rome is the earliest known underground cemetery in the city, a network of catacombs containing remains of early Christian believers, popes and martyrs. On Wednesday (June 4), Vatican officials gathered with archaeologists and historians to celebrate the restoration of the tomb of St. Eusebius, a fourth-century pope who, after only four months as pontiff, was exiled to Sicily by Emperor Maxentius.
The tomb, in a complex known as the Catacombs of St. Callistus, has its own spacious room, a rare honor in the tight confines of most Roman catacombs. Adorned with marble and mosaics, its vault was painted with geographical shapes in red and blue. A hole in the high wall allowed natural light to enter the crypt. A large marble slab is inscribed with an epitaph for Eusebius, which recounts the goodness and mercy of the deceased pope.
As pope, Eusebius was in favor of forgiving the “lapsi” — those who recanted the Christian faith to avoid persecution or death, citing Christ’s call to forgive sinners if they repented. His opponent Heraclius made the case that they should not be allowed to rejoin the Christian community. When H …
