We continued our theme of the early Christian church by visiting the Roman catacombs. These catacombs, or underground burial chambers, date from the 2nd century AD and became the resting place for early Christians, martyrs, and Popes.
This underground area consisted of tunnels and passageways carved out of soft rock, with niches in the walls to lay the corpses.Some theorize that Christians used these tunnels to hide during persecution. However, the air inside would have been toxic due to decaying of corpses. Plus, the location of these catacombs were known to the Romans. Although the stench must have been difficult to breathe, small chapels were carved out of the rock for families to have a memorial service. In one of these small chapels, Father Dan led us in Mass which we offered for all those still being persecuted today for their Christian faith.
After the bodies were laid, the niche was sealed with slabs of tile. Beautiful frescoes were painted on the wet slab that depicted images of Christianity we still recognize today, like the cross, fish, or Mary holding baby Jesus. One of the rooms, on the left, was completely hidden for centuries until archeologists found it. This room was very well preserved, and was probably used by a noble family.
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