Description
Saint Peter is the Prince of the Apostles and the patron saint of popes and of Rome. He was crucified upside down and died as a martyr. Tradition designates Peter as author of two letters which carry his name, although doubt has been thrown on Peter's authorship of at least the second. Various apocryphal documents which certainly date from the 2d century are ascribed to Peter. There is also the fragmentary Acts of Peter, which purports to relate how Peter ended his life as a martyr.
St Peter - Prince of the Apostles Holy Card
9cm x 5cm card
He is the patron
saint
of popes and of Rome and of many cities that bear his name, such as
St
. Petersburg and
Saint
-Pierre. As a former fisherman, he is the patron
saint
of netmakers, shipbuilders, and fishermen, and, because he holds the keys of heaven, he is also the patron
saint
of locksmiths.
When faced with his fate, Peter asked to be crucified
upside down. It is said he did not feel worthy to be martyred in the
same manner as Christ. After St. Peters death, St. Linus went on to
become the first Roman pope of the Catholic Church. The line of
succession from St. Linus is unbroken, dating back to 64 A.D.
In the Gospel of John, we learn that Jesus alluded to St.
Peters death. He said, When you are old, you will stretch out your
hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to
go (John 21:18). Unfortunately, the death of Peter isnt reported
anywhere in the Bible. Writers of the time, however, say he died by
crucifixion under the reign of Emperor Nero in 64 A.D.
Peter's Death
It appears from the first of the two letters ascribed to Peter that
his outlook as a Jew and a Semite was never influenced by Greek or other
non-Jewish thought. He reflects the mentality of a 1st-century Jew who
believes that Jesus came as the Messiah of Israel and as the fulfillment
of all Israel's promises and expectations. Some of Peter's statements
would not now be acceptable to orthodox Christian thought. From what we
know of Peter and his life, he seems to have made the transition from
Palestine to Rome as from one Jewish community to another Jewish
community, never fundamentally changing his instincts as a Jewish
believer, except insofar as he totally accepted Jesus as the Messiah of
Israel.
Tradition designates Peter as author of two letters which carry his
name, although doubt has been thrown on Peter's authorship of at least
the second. Various apocryphal documents which certainly date from the
2d century are ascribed to Peter. There is also the fragmentary Acts of
Peter, which purports to relate how Peter ended his life as a martyr.
Excavations at the Vatican have yielded no cogent and conclusive
evidence either of Peter's presence in Rome or of his burial beneath the
Vatican. They have, however, uncovered an ancient shrine which dates
from approximately 160. Collateral evidence suggests that it was the
burial site of some venerated figure, and Roman Catholic tradition
identifies that figure with Peter. There is no direct testimony in the
New Testament that Peter's position as leader of the Apostles was meant
to be passed on to his successors, the bishops of Rome, as the primacy
of the popes over all of Christianity. This is a separate question and
depends on subsequent Church development and evolution of its beliefs.
From all we can learn and surmise, it does appear that Peter occupied
a position of importance in Rome and was martyred there under the rule
of Nero (37-68). The earliest testimony comes from a letter of Clement
written about the year 96 in Rome. A letter of Ignatius of Antioch (died
ca. 110) also implies Peter's presence and authority in Rome, as does
the saying of Gaius, a Roman cleric (ca. 200). Gaius speaks of the
Vatican shrine and the "founders" of this church. Finally, all the early
lists of the bishops of Rome start with Peter's name as the first
bishop.
Roman Sojourn
We are told of various missionary trips which Peter undertook in
order to preach about Jesus. He was finally imprisoned by Herod and
released miraculously by an angel. He then "departed and went to another
place" (Acts 12:17). After 49, we have no direct record in the Acts
about Peter, and we have to rely on external testimony.
In the early days after the death of Jesus, Peter is presented in the
Acts again as the leader of Jesus' followers. The Jewish Sanhedrin
treated him as the leader, and he preached the first mass appeal to the
Related Products
