On the 17th September 2000, a Catholic delegation, including the Bishop of Padua and a monk from the Abbey of St. Justina, donated part of the rib bone flanking the heart region to the Metropolite Hieronymos of Thebes. The gesture was much appreciated by the Greek Church. The final results of the research were presented in an International Congress, held in Padua in October 2000. The scientific data – as they have been upheld at the conclusion of the meeting – do not contradict the traditional claim that the remains are those of the Evangelist St. Luke. Rather, they stand as precise data, complementary to the manuscript sources, using which further historical investigation may proceed with better grounding. Of major historical interest, of course, is the issue regarding how, when and why the transfer of the body from Constantinople to Padua occurred.
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From the Benedictine Abbey of St. Justina, Padua.