Pope Remembers a Hero: Lawrence the Deacon

In honor of the 1,750th anniversary of Lawrence's martyrdom, the Pope celebrated Mass on the tomb of the Roman deacon.

ROME (Zenit) - Though a beloved treasure for Romans, the Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls hovers at the bottom of the must-see list for most pilgrims and tourists. Although one of the minor patriarchal basilicas and a stop on the St. Phillip Neri Seven Churches route, St. Lawrence's often remains devoid of visitors.

Last Sunday however, Benedict XVI, with his tireless efforts to reclaim our Christian traditions, put St. Lawrence back on the hot spot map. In honor of the 1,750th anniversary of Lawrence's martyrdom, the Pope celebrated Mass on the tomb of the Roman deacon.

After Lawrence's slow death by torture and fire at the hands of the Emperor Valerian, his remains were laid to rest in a simple grave outside the city walls. Along with Sts. Peter and Paul, St. Lawrence was given a shrine by the Emperor Constantine and, as in the case of St. Agnes, a large U-shaped covered cemetery was constructed around his tomb to accommodate the many people who wanted to be buried near one of Rome's most illustrious martyrs.

Even today, the cemetery of Verano engulfs St. Lawrence's Basilica as Rome's most important burial ground.

The shrine and cemetery grew into a large church under Pope Pelagius, who brought the body of St. Stephen, the first martyr, to rest side by side with Lawrence, but the basilica truly blossomed in the 13th century.

In wake of attacks and harsh struggles with the temporal issues of the age, the church of St. Lawrence became an emblem of a stronger and brighter Rome. An elegant bell tower, an ornate porch and numerous decorations in inlaid marble rekindled admiration for this churchman who served the poor, obeyed his Pope and loved Christ unto death.

Martyred by an empire intolerant of the Christian message, St. Lawrence has fueled the resolve of many others in like situations over the centuries. Blessed Pope Pius IX, who died in exile within the walls of the Vatican palace in 1878, asked to be buried near the proto-martyrs. The predicament of the 19th-century Church, emarginated and homeless after the unification of Italy, bore similarities to that of the early Christian martyrs.

Mosaics sheathe Pope Pius's burial site in a dazzling skin of color and light; the ancient form of art recalls the early Christian homages to their martyrs. Although the tomb shelters a man who was humiliated and scorned in his lifetime, the brilliantly shimmering space extols Pius' glory in heaven.

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Just as St. Lawrence suffered in the turmoil of his age, so his church fell victim to the tumult of our modern times. On July 19, 1943, the Minor Patriarchal Basilica of St. Lawrence was bombed, destroying almost the entire building, causing extensive damage in the cemetery, and killing 3,000 people.

During his homily on Sunday, Benedict XVI praised his "venerated predecessor" Pope Pius XII, reminding the Romans how Pius " ran to help and console the harshly affected people, among the still-smoking ruins."

It seemed as Pope Benedict noted that "this year is the 50th anniversary of the death of the servant of God, Pope Pius XII," there was a comparison to be made. St. Lawrence suffered a slow and painful martyrdom, while the memory of Pope Pius XII has also endured a long destructive roasting by the hostile forces of secularism.

Yet the church still stands, restored through the efforts of the Pope and the Romans in five years and still ready to rally what Pope Benedict described as examples "of intrepid Christian fidelity to the point of martyrdom." In this year of St. Paul, as we revisit the very roots of the Church, we have a new opportunity to see our tradition with eyes unclouded by misinformation, and at long last recognize our heroes and history.

Benedict XVI also stopped at the tomb of Alcide de Gasperi in the porch of the church. This Italian statesman, who strongly opposed the establishment of a Communist government in Italy and became a co-founder of the European Union, is under consideration for beatification.

Jailed for opposing fascism, Alcide de Gasperi suffered poverty and was ostracized during the hard years of pre- and post-war Italy. His simple monument was made by Giacomo Manzů and represents Gasperi's favorite saint, St. Virgilius, the patron of his home of Trento. This eighth-century saint was nicknamed the "Geometer" for his knowledge of geography as he evangelized from one part of Europe to another.

As a great statesmen and a powerful witness of Christ, Alcide de Gasperi and the many others resting in St. Lawrence Outside the Walls, suggest that this overlooked basilica has many lessons to offer future generations of Christians as they try to live out their vocations in troubled times.

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Elizabeth Lev teaches Christian art and architecture at Duquesne University's Italian campus. She can be reached at lizlev@zenit.org.