Filed under: Patristics An ancient church may be caving in …
ANTIOCH, Turkey, MARCH 12, 2008 (Zenit.org) – The Cave Church of
St. Peter, considered the first Christian church in Antioch, has
been closed due to structural concerns. Capuchin Father Egidio
Picucci, noted historian of Turkey and the Early Church,
confirmed Sunday to L’Osservatore Romano that Turkish
authorities closed the church March 1 due to risks that the
structure could cave in. Also known as St. Peter’s Grotto, the
church is a natural cave on the western face of Mount Stauris,
which towers over Antioch. After the collapse of large sections,
said Father Picucci, “the possibility that further collapses
could constitute a serious danger for the security of visitors
led the museum directors — for the Turkish government St.
Peter’s Grotto is only a museum — to take these measures.” It is
widely believed that St. Peter himself dug the cave as a place
for the first community of Christians in Antioch to gather.
Father Picucci explained that St. Pete