as there are no taxis from the catacombs back to central rome, how do I get back to my hotel near the pantheon
Public Transport Bus connects to the Metro which takes you back to center of Rome.
One solution would be to take the public bus to Stazione Termini and then take the Metro Line A to the Spagna (Piazza di Spagna) stop. From there you could walk or take a taxi to your hotel. If you walk go down Via del Corso toward the Piazza Venezia follow the signs for Trevi and then the Pantheon. You could also map the route on google.com/maps and then look for directions. Buon viaggio,
Ron in Rome tells you how to get back into Rome at San Sebastiano. It really sounds like a time-consuming hassle. You might consider the Catacombs of Priscilla which many people say are the best catacombs in Rome. Again, Ron In Rome has info here. They're also easier to get to and from.
It's not really difficult to take public transport...it's just time consuming because you go to the outer edge of the metro and then take a bus farther out. If you can be patient then public transport is an OK way to go.