Saint Peter

Saint Peter^[a] is one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. He is often talked about in the New Testament of the Bible across the different Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).^[6]

Pope Saint Apostle Peter
Apostle, Pope, Patriarch, and Martyr
Saint Peter (c. 1468) by Marco Zoppo, depicting Peter holding the Keys of Heaven and a book representing the Gospel
Church	Early Christian Great Church
See	First bishop of Rome (pope), according to Catholic tradition First Bishop of Antioch (patriarch), according to Eastern Christian tradition
Installed	AD 30[1]
Term ended	between AD 64 and 68[2]
Successor	Bishop of Rome (according to tradition): Linus Bishop of Antioch (according to tradition): Evodius
Orders
Ordination	AD 33 by Jesus Christ
Personal details
Born	Shimon (Simeon, Simon) c. AD 1 Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire
Died	between AD 64 and 68 (aged 62–67) Rome, Roman Empire[3][4]
Parents	John (or Jonah; Jona)
Occupation	Fisherman, clergyman
Sainthood
Feast day	Main feast (with Paul the Apostle) 29 June (Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Lutheranism) 18 January - Confession of Saint Peter (Anglicanism) 22 February - Chair of Saint Peter (Catholic Church)
Venerated in	All Christian denominations
Canonized	Pre-Congregation
Attributes	Keys of Heaven, Red Martyr, pallium, papal vestments, rooster, man crucified upside down, vested as an Apostle, holding a book or scroll, Cross of Saint Peter. Iconographically, he is depicted with a bushy white beard and white hair.
Patronage	Patronage list
Shrines	St. Peter's Basilica

Overview

Most of what we know about Peter comes from the Bible. In the Gospel it is written that Jesus Christ would make Peter the "rock" (foundation) of the Church (Gospel of Matthew 16:18, you are Peter (rock), and upon this rock I will build my church).

It is not known when Peter was born, but the date of his death is said to be about the year 64 AD. He died by being nailed to a cross in Rome, the modern capital of Italy. This type of death is called crucifixion.

According to the apocrypha's Acts of Peter, Peter asked to be crucified upside down, as he felt unworthy to die as Jesus did. Most historical sources only say that he was crucified this way.

Historicity

The historical accuracy of the accounts of Peter's role in Rome is a matter of ongoing debate.^[7]

Paintings from later centuries often show him holding the keys to the kingdom of heaven^[b] – a reference to Matthew 16:19. Peter was married according to the Gospel of Mark. The name of his wife is unknown.

Saint and Pope

The Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Lutheran Churches, as well as the Anglican Communion, consider Simon Peter a saint. Roman Catholics believe that the Pope is Peter's successor. For this reason, he is the rightful head of all other bishops. Eastern and Oriental Orthodox also recognise the Bishop of Rome as the successor to Saint Peter and the Ecumenical Patriarch sends a delegation each year to Rome to participate in the celebration of his feast.

Ravenna document

In the Ravenna document of 13 October 2007, representatives of the Eastern Orthodox Church agreed that

Rome, as the Church that 'presides in love' according to the phrase of St. Ignatius of Antioch, occupied the first place in the taxis (order), and that the bishop of Rome was therefore the protos (first) among the patriarchs.^[8] They disagree, however, on the interpretation of historical evidence from this era regarding the rights of the bishop of Rome as protos, a matter that was already understood in different ways in the first millennium.

Christian tradition says Saint Peter was the first leader of an early apostolic community for at least 34 years. Back then, the word Pope or "Papa" was not used to name the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. At that time there was only one Christian Church. Later, the Roman Catholic Church would say that Peter was their first Pope.^[9] Tradition^{[clarification needed]} also locates his burial place where St. Peter's Basilica was later built, in Vatican City.

Related pages

• Twelve Apostles

Footnotes

1. "Rock"; birth name: Shimon Bar Yonah, Simon Bar-Jonah, or Simon Bar Jonah, formerly Shimon bar Yonah or Simon bar Jonah,^[5] also called Simon (Kephas).
2. Interpreted by Roman Catholics as the sign of his primacy over the Church