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 a disciple. In the Gospel
of 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 of the Apostles. 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.
