Popes of the Vatican grottoes
The Vatican Grottoes – known to some as la Iglesia bajo de una Iglesia – is the final resting place of 91 popes who shaped the history of the Church.
Text size
The Vatican Grottoes – known to some as la Iglesia bajo de una Iglesia – is the final resting place of 91 popes who shaped the history of the Church.
The entrance to Saint Peter’s Tomb.
Statue of Saint Peter.
Pope Callixtus III.
Pope-Saint Paul VI.
The preserved body of Pope Saint John XXIII.
Tomb of Pope Francis in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
Pope Boniface VIII.
Secluded beneath the grandeur and splendor of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City is a sanctuary far less visited, though perhaps even more moving, poignant and heartwarming. The Vatican Grottoes — known to some as la Iglesia bajo de una Iglesia — is the final resting place of 91 popes who shaped the history of the Church.
While the above basilica dazzles devoted pilgrims and visitors, tourists and the forever curious with stateliness, what makes the place even made more dramatic with sunrays streaming through the iconic dome and massive windows. Meanwhile, the grottoes below welcome the devotees who whisper of a more intimate narrative of faith and mortality.
We passed by one of the most sacred sites in Christendom: St. Peter’s Baldachin. A large Baroque canopy, it is intended to mark the place of Saint Peter’s tomb, which lies directly underneath, in a place known as the Vatican Necropolis. Generations of the faithful have paid their respects here, pausing in reverence at the very spot, which anchors the very beginnings of the Catholic Church.
We only soon found out that directly beneath the marble floor of the papal basilica is a vast network of vaults, constructed between 1590 and 1591.
We bore witness to low, stone chambers stretched in solemn silence, as they formed a long corridor lined with tombs on either side. Some are marked by elaborate sculptures, others with mini altars, while the rest were simple slabs engraved with a little more than just a name and milestone date.
Buddies, associates? One happy family?
A traditional dish called zongzi is served during China’s Dragon Boat Festival, which falls in June. It is a rice…
Divina credited the firm’s achievements to its members, thanking them for their ‘hard work, dedication, teamwork, and…
‘Sec. Vince Dizon, please explain how this finding of your own team should not be flagged as a ghost project in Taguig.’
Deep in thought and walking through the grottoes, we encountered frescoes, mosaics and carved inscriptions — salvaged from the old St. Peter’s Basilica, which once stood before the current one. They lend the hallowed ground a sense of continuity, as if the structure itself continues to respect the memories of centuries past.
Among the best were remembered for their papacies in both triumph and tragedy.
Pope Benedict XV is honored for his tireless attempts to mediate peace during World War I and his humanitarian outreach to all those affected by it. Nearby, Pope Pius XII, who led the Church during World War II and the Holocaust, lies in a modest tomb, which reflected his austere nature.
Pope Nicholas V, who witnessed the fall of Constantinople and the end of the Hundred Years’ War, also rests here — he is appreciatively admired for his contributions for the Roman Renaissance and instructions for the St. Peter’s Basilica we are all in awe today.
Pope Clement XI was likewise a patron of the arts and sciences. A great benefactor of the Vatican Library, he ordered excavations, which rediscovered ancient Christian writings. He declared the Feast of the Immaculate Conception a major holiday.
John Paul I, affectionately called “the Smiling Pope,” eternally sleeps among them as well. His brief 33-day papacy brings to mind his warmth and ability to turn even complex teachings understandable to the laity. Further along was Boniface VIII, who proclaimed the first Holy Year in 1300, establishing a Jubilee tradition that continues to the present — and one we faithfully adhere to by praying as we crossed the four papal doors last summer.
Pope-Saint Paul VI, the first pope to visit the Philippines in 1970, is buried in an austere deep niche — upon his wish to lie in “the real earth” as a sign of piety. He intricately balanced the conflicting expectations of various Catholic groups.
Not all popes remain here, however. Two of the most beloved figures of the modern era, Pope-Saint John XXIII and Pope-Saint John Paul II, were both elevated to sainthood, and thus their tombs found solace at the basilica proper.
Pope Francis — lovingly known locally as “Papa Kiko,” due to his five-day mission to our islands — meanwhile, had expressed his wish to be buried elsewhere, at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, his favorite Marian churches in Rome — wherein he dropped by to unfailingly pray to the image of the Salus Populi Romani before and after his overseas missions.
The grottoes held another surprise. We were alerted that amid the papal tombs, two queens lie in repose: Christina of Sweden, who famously abdicated her throne to convert to Catholicism in the 17th century; and Charlotte of Cyprus, who lived her final years in exile under papal protection. Their presence adds an unexpected human touch to this sacred space. It made us realize that faith — not birthright — determines one’s destiny here.
Above ground, the basilica draws the eyes upward toward heaven. Below ground, the grottoes draw the spirit toward reflection. We surmised: while the Vatican Grottoes may be out of sight, they remain the quiet heart of St. Peter’s Basilica.
