Saint Peter

Roman Catholic Church

:Main articles: Primacy of Simon Peter, Primacy of the Roman Pontiff

Related Topics:
Primacy of Simon Peter - Primacy of the Roman Pontiff

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In Roman Catholic tradition, Peter is considered the first bishop of Antioch, and later bishop of Rome and therefore the first pope. The first epistle ends with "The church that is in Babylon, chosen together with you, salutes you, and so does my son, Mark." (1 Peter 5:13), but Babylon has sometimes been taken figuratively to mean Rome. It could also be a symbolic code-name for Antioch or some other large city. More literally, it could refer to some city in Mesopotamia.

Related Topics:
Bishop - Antioch - Rome - Pope - Babylon

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The Roman Catholic Church makes use of his position as first bishop of Rome and Jesus' statement that Peter was the rock upon which he would build his community as the case for papal primacy. The popes are thus the successors of Peter and as a result, retain his privileges, given by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 16:18-19). (Protestants argue against this.) In honor of Peter's occupation before becoming an Apostle, the popes wear the Fisherman's Ring, which bears an image of the Saint casting his nets from a fishing boat. The so-called "Keys of Heaven" or Papal Keys were, according to tradition, received by Peter from Jesus, marking Peter's role as head of the Christian faith on earth. Thus, the Keys are a symbol of the Pope's authority still to this day.

Related Topics:
Roman Catholic Church - Papal - Jesus - Gospel of Matthew - Fisherman's Ring

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Controversy between Roman Catholics and Protestants still remains to this day on the interpretatin of Mathew 16:18-19. Protestant theologians try to resolve this question by looking at two key words in the original Greek text: The word ?Peter? and the word ?rock.? In the original language of the New Testament, Koine Greek, the text reads: ?You are Petros, and on this petra I will build my church.? Jesus distinguished between Petros (Peter?s name in the Greek, which means ?stone? or ?pebble?) and petra (the Greek word for ?rock? or ?boulder?). For Jesus to have avoided any confusion He could have used the word ?Petros? twice. In this way, He would have clearly demonstrated that the church would be built upon Peter. However, as can be seen, He used a different word ? namely, ?petra? ? maybe to make it absolutely clear that He was referring to the foundation of the church. The context of the passage (which begins in verse 13) attests to a play, by Jesus, on these two words. Interestingly enough, He used ?petra? (or ?rock?) to refer to Peter?s confession ? that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Thus, Jesus (not Peter) is said to be the rock upon which the church would be established.

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Alternatively, "Petros" may merely be the word for boulder "Petra" with a Greek masculine sexed suffix "-os" seen so often, for example, in the names of Greek Heroes: Achilleus, Othiseus, Herakleos.

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Peter himself underscores this fact in Acts 4:11 and 1 Peter 2:4-8, when he alludes to Christ as a ?stone rejected by builders? and as a ?rock that makes unbelievers fall.? Furthermore, the apostle Paul calls Jesus the foundation (1 Cor. 3:11), the cornerstone (Eph. 2:20), and the spiritual rock (1 Cor. 10:4) of the church.

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St. Peter's Basilica is built at the site of Peter's alleged crucifixion, and beneath the main altar there is an altar dedicated to St. Peter. Recent excavations have discovered a burial chamber even deeper beneath this altar where one skeleton, which was missing its feet, was interred with special honor. Some archeologists propose that these are the actual remains of Saint Peter, supposing that after dying by crucifixion (upside-down according to tradition), his feet were cut off to remove him from the cross. They also cite, among other things, the age of the deceased (60-70, which would be consistent with Peter's age), and the fact that a piece of plaster which had come off the marble-lined repository in which the bones were supposedly buried bore the Greek inscription PETROS ENI - "Peter is within".

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Pope John Paul II would always visit the altar of Saint Peter before leaving Rome on an apostolic journey.

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