Found in a bin, Pope’s bone from AD 100
A BONE thought to belong to one of the earliest popes – who died around 2,000 years ago – has been found in a bin by waste collectors.
The fragment was contained in a red and gold wax-sealed case marked ‘Ex. Oss. S. Clementis’ – meaning ‘from the bones of St Clement’ in Latin.
Enviro Waste found it during a routine collection in central London, but workers did not realise what it supposedly contained until several days later.
Though little is known of his life, St Clement is thought to have been a disciple of both St Peter and St Paul and died around AD 100. Records of early popes place him either as the second pope after St Peter or later as the third or fourth. According to legend, he was martyred by drowning after being tied to a ship’s anchor.
Enviro Waste did not record where precisely it was found but has now called on the public to help decide its final resting place. James Rubin, the firm’s owner, said: ‘We often come across some weird and wonderful things on clearances, but we were definitely not expecting to find a bone fragment of an apostle. We know this is an important piece of history and are keen to find the most appropriate place for its final resting place.’
Georges Kazan, an expert in saints’ relics from the University of Turku in Finland, said: ‘It could have been stolen, or belong to someone and been accidentally thrown out.
‘If it’s authentic, it’s not the kind of thing you throw away. It looks like a nice piece, with quite a decent-sized bit of bone.’