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St. Peter
Simon Peter or Cephas, the first pope,
Prince of the Apostles, and founder, with St. Paul, of the
see of Rome.
Peter was a native of Bethsaida, near Lake Tiberias, the son
of John, and worked, like his brother St. Andrew, as a
fisherman on Lake Genesareth. Andrew introduced Peter to
Jesus, and Christ called Peter to become adisciple. In Luke
is recounted the story that Peter caught so large an amount
of fish that he fell down before the feet of Jesus and was
told by the Lord, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be
catching men”. Jesus also gave Simon a new name: Cephas, or
the rock. Becoming a disciple of Jesus, Peter acknowledged
him as "... the Messiah, the son of the living God”. Christ
responded by saying: "... you are Peter and upon this rock I
will build my church.... He added: “I will give you the keys
of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall
be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven”. Peter was always listed as the first of
the Apostles in all of the New Testament accounts and was a
member of the inner circle of Jesus, with James and John. He
is recorded more than any other disciple, and was at Jesus’
side at the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus’
daughter, and the Agony of the Garden of Gethsemane. He
helped organize the Last Supper and played a major role in
the events of the Passion. When the Master was arrested, he
cut off the right ear of a slave of the high priest Malchus
and then denied Christ three times as the Lord predicted.
Peter then “went out and began to weep bitterly”. After the
Resurrection, Peter went to the tomb with the “other
disciple” after being told of the event by the women. The
first appearance of the Risen Christ was before Peter, ahead
of the other disciples, and when the Lord came before the
disciples at Tiberias, he gave to Peter the famous command
to “Feed my lambs.... Tend my sheep.... Feed my sheep”. In
the time immediately after the Ascension, Peter stood as the
unquestionable head of the Apostles, his position made
evident in the Acts. He appointed the replacement of Judas
Iscariot; he spoke first to the crowds that had assembled
after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; he was
the first Apostle to perform miracles in the name of the
Lord; and he rendered judgment upon the deceitful Ananias
and Sapphira. Peter was instrumental in bringing the Gospel
to the Gentiles. He baptized the Roman pagan Cornelius, and
at the Council of Jerusalem he gave his support to preaching
to Gentiles, thereby permitting the new Church to become
universal. Imprisoned by King Herod Agrippa, he was aided in
an escape by an angel. He then resumed his apostolate in
Jerusalem and his missionary efforts included travels to
such cities of the pagan world as Antioch, Corinth, and
eventually Rome. He made reference to the Eternal City in
his first Epistle by noting that he writes from Babylon . It
is certain that Peter died in Rome and that his martyrdom
came during the reign of Emperor Nero, probably in 64.
Testimony of his martyrdom is extensive, including Origen,
Eusebius of Caesarea, St. Clement I of Rome, St. Ignatius,
and St. Irenaeus. According to rich tradition, Peter was
crucified on the Vatican Hill upside down because he
declared himself unworthy to die in the same manner as the
Lord. He was then buried on Vatican Hill, and excavations
under St. Peter’s Basilica have unearthed his probable tomb,
and his relics are now enshrined under the high altar of St.
Peter’s. From the earliest days of the Church, Peter was
recognized as the Prince of the Apostles and the first
Supreme Pontiff; his see, Rome, has thus enjoyed the
position of primacy over the entire Catholic Church. While
Peter’s chief feast day is June 29, he is also honored on
February 22 and November 18. In liturgical art, he is
depicted as an elderly man holding a key and a book. His
symbols include an inverted cross, a boat, and the cock.
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