Show Rome Finds First Christian Church Unearthed During Repairs on St. St John Rome The Rome The first Christian church ever er built and the original seat of ot the first popes years after the death of Christ was discovered re re- The discovery was made by accident and crowned more mOle than a century of ot efforts by Vatican archeologists arche- arche to find It Workman were repairing the floors In the lowest level of ot the Basilica of ot St St. John mother moth er church of oC Christendom and traditional tra tra- episcopal see of ot the pope as bishop of ot Rome They were driving numerous lateral crypts Into the walls for the rebuilding and strengthening of ot the ancient fours foun oun A laborers laborer's pick struck Into another wall outside the present present present pres pres- ent foundations Vatican archeologists were called and or ordered ered the workmen to trace t the e outlines of the discovery with their picks Fourth century m masonry mason mason- son son- ry was revealed which were Identified identified fied fled as ns the original origin walls wails of ot the first church of Christendom First of Se Seven en Churches Vatican circles were elated eluted b by th the discovery Efforts will be made to uncover unco all lJ that remains of the historIc his his- historic his his- tone edifices to be be- preserved as a priceless relic of ot the church The rhe present St. St John was built over the ruins of the basilica erected by bv the first Christian Chris tian emperor Constantine I In I The basilica was the first of the seven se churches constructed under Constantine Christian Rome had been divided Into seven parishes under but only for the purpose of writing the history of the martyrs In the reign of ot Trajan r bishop of ot Rome Home used the time seven sc districts districts dis dis- for ecclesiastical purposes appointing a priest to each Of ot the seven churches constructed in the districts the Is the tho only one which can be truly traced to the efforts of ot Constantine The name Is used because because because be be- cause the land Jan on which the time church was built formerly belonged to Senator Sen Senator ator who was killed by Nero for Cor conspiracy Marcus Marcus Mar Mar- cus Aurelius came Into possession of ot the ground and It finally passed Into the hands of Fausta Constantine's Constantino's Constan Constan- tines lines wife Built by Constantino Const ConstantIne erected the time Basilica at the request of Pope S Sylvester I I. I The name was retained until the Ninth century when it became the Basilica of St. St John Joan with the time a addition of ot the worship of ot St. St John the Baptist and St. St John the Evangelist to that of ot the Savior The church had a troubled his his- tory Spared by AlarIc In It later was sacked and despoiled by the Vandal I. I It was shattered by the earthquake of 89 and rebuilt by Sergius III and John X t between and I In the roof root was badly damaged damaged dam dam- aged b by fire Clement V and John XII were responsible for the restoration some of the timbers coming from Avignon A where the popes made their residence after atter 1309 1300 Another fire partially destroyed destroyed de de- de ed the church In 1360 and Urban Urban Urban Ur Ur- Ur- Ur ban V rebuilt It In L t Several times Umes In the years following the structure was as altered to conform to changing hang standards As a result re ro result sult suit almost nothing remains of ot Constantine's original Basilica or of ot the time splendid monuments with which It was so richly en endowed owe In Inthe Inthe inthe the course of ot nearly twelve cen cen- |