Descending into the underworld

San Callisto Catacomb

When I was a young lad I'd hear stories from my teachers about how persecuted Christians in Roman times would meet underground for the mass and bury their dead in what have become known as the catacombs. I was therefore keen to see them for myself. So, Marilena and I travelled to south Rome to visit the Catacombs of St Callisto. It turned out to be a remarkable experience, not least because our guide - a Marist priest and probably a retired teacher, judging by his pedagogic style - provided us with a wonderful insight into what went on 2000 years ago in that place.

Looking down one of the many passageways

Given that the Roman persecution of Christians endured on and off for around 300 years, it's not entirely surprising  that there are 20 km of passages in these catacombs and the remains of around half a million people. I'd expected to see lots of bones and skulls as one does in ancient remains but we were told that corpses were covered with lime once placed in their burial spaces and so happily no bones were in evidence during our tour! 

This is the popes' chapel; around eight of the first popes were buried here.
Being a pope in Roman times was often a short career indeed;
several were martyred after only a few weeks or months in the role.