Name	Municipality of Calauag
Native name	Bayan ng Calauag
Native name lang	fil
Settlement type	Municipality
Image seal	Municipalityofcalauagfixed.jpg
Nickname	The Crab and Seaweed Capital of Southern Luzon
Map caption	Map of Quezon showing the location of Calauag
Pushpin map	Philippines
Pushpin map caption	Location in the Philippines
Coordinates type	region:PH_type:city
Coordinates display	title
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name
Subdivision type1	Region
Subdivision name1	CALABARZON (Region IV)
Subdivision type2	Province
Subdivision name2	Quezon
Subdivision type3	District
Subdivision name3	4th district of Quezon
Established title	Founded
Established date	May 25, 1851
Parts type	Barangays
Parts style	para
P1	90
Leader party	Partido Liberal ng Pilipinas
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Luisito S. Visorde
Leader party1	(Lakas-Kampi-CMD)
Leader title1	Vice Mayor
Leader name1	Ernesto C. Olviga
Area total km2	423.18
Population total	69,475
Population as of	2007
Population density km2	auto
Population demonym	Calauageño, Calauagen
Population note	including 9 disputed barangays
Timezone1	PST
Utc offset1	+8
Postal code type	ZIP code
Postal code	4318
Area code type	Dialing code
Area code	42
Blank name sec1	Income class
Blank info sec1	1st class; Partially urban
Blank name	Patron Saint
Blank info	Saint Peter the Apostle
Website	http://www.calauag.gov.ph

Calauag is a 1st class municipality in the province of Quezon, a part of CALABARZON Region in the Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 69,475..It is about 232 kilometers southeast of Manila and 95 kilometers away from Lucena, the Province's Capital.

Overview

Calauag is a 1st class municipality in Quezon among its forty (39) towns and the city of Lucena which is also the capital and the seat of the provincial government. It is also the 2nd Largest Municipality 4th District of Quezon in terms of Land Area. It was founded in the year 1851 and its foundation anniversary is presently observed together with the celebration of the annual town fiesta every May 25.

The town proper is serenely nestled between a mountain and a sea and so strategically located yet accessible to land and sea transportation. Passing by along the hilly portion of the Maharlika Highway, one could take a glimpse of the whole town with the perfect picturesque view of Calauag Bay in the background and further on, the vastness of Pacific Ocean. The townsfolk who are genial and peace loving still maintain the age-old tradition and customs and the close-knit family ties even at this modern age.

Basically an agricultural town, it has a total land area of 42,318 hectares with about 76% are planted to coconuts, rice, citrus and vegetables. Fishing is another source of livelihood for its populace living in the far-flung barangays particularly along the coasts off the Pacific Ocean. Fishponds operations have also found their way in Calauag adding to the flourishing fishing industry. Crabs from Calauag is known as the best in the Philippines.

The ideal peace and order situation obtaining in the town makes it a favorite stop over for travelers plying the route of Manila-Bicol Region and as far as Visayas and Mindanao. Lately, it is being dubbed as the melting pot or emerging transportation terminal in Southern Tagalog because of the three (3) terminals being operated by major transportation companies in the country. Going to this town will have a change for travelers to experience the enchanting Quezon National Forest Park (Bitukang Manok or Eme Road) situated in Towns of Atimonan and Pagbilao. There is a mini park with man-made lagoon on top of the mountain (old zig-zag) ideal place for resting, eating and car checking.

Calauag is composed of originally ninety (90) barangays and by the latest census, it has a total population of 71,621. There are at currently 34,158 (2010) registered voters making its people highly politicized and well-informed of their rights of suffrage. Elections were consistently peaceful and orderly. Elected officials and career civil servants in the local government including the barangay officials are widely known for their dedication to their sworn duties to serve their constituencies.

The Municipality of Calauag is situated 233 kilometers southeast of Manila. Its boundaries are Lopez, Quezon on the West and South; Calauag, Basiad, and Tinig Bays on the North; Guinyangan, Quezon, Tagkawayan Quezon, 9 Dispute Barangays and Sta.Elena, Camarines Norte on the East. It has a total land area of 42,318 hectares spread over ninety (90) barangays with twelve (12) barangays consisting of the town proper; twenty three (23) barangays situated along the roadside; twenty (20) barangays considered as inland; three (3) barangays are directly along the path railways; and thirty two (32) barangays are in the coastal area facing along the Pacific Ocean and inward going to the town proper, Calauag Bay.

History

According to the writings of VALENTIN MARTIN in his "ENSAYO DE UNA SINTESIS DE LOS TRABAJOS REALIZIDOS SOS LAS CORPORACIONES RELIGIOSAS ESPANOLAS DE FILIPINAS" the first record of the establishment of a settlement in Calauag dates as far as the year 1584. However, the formal founding of the town was placed in the year 1581 with the union of the settlements in Apad and Calauag.

The name Calauag was derived from an incident in which a huge turtle known locally as "KALA" was caught near the seashore of the town. When the people tried to kill the turtle with sticks, the fishermen who caught the turtle dissuaded them from doing so by shouting "KALA-HUWAG KALA", hence the derivation of the name Calauag.

The first elected Captain of the town was Juan Sunog. In 1897 the town was placed the Revolutionary Government and Alipio Declaro became the Municipal President. In 1914 under Municipal President Marciano Roldan, the town was destroyed by fire for the first time in its history. On December 24, 1941, the town was occupied by the Japanese Imperial Army and on January 14, 1942, the town was again destroyed by fire. On April 19, 1945, the United States and Filipino forces liberated the town from Japanese occupation.

Government

Barangays

Calauag is politically subdivided into 81 Barangays

{| border="0" |----- | valign="top" |

Agoho

Anahawan

Anas

Apad Lutao

Apad Quezon

Apad Taisan

Atulayan

Baclaran (Poblacion)

Bagong Silang

Balibago

Bangkuruhan

Bantolinao

Barangay I (Poblacion)

Barangay II (Poblacion)

Barangay III (Poblacion)

Barangay IV (Poblacion)

Barangay V (Poblacion)

Bigaan

Binutas

Biyan

Bukal

Buli

Dapdap

Dominlog

Doña Aurora

Guinosayan

Ipil

| valign="top" |

Kalibo (Santa Cruz)

Kapaluhan

Katangtang

Kigtan

Kinamaligan

Kinalin Ibaba

Kinalin Ilaya

Kumaludkud

Kunalum

Kuyaoyao

Lagay

Lainglaingan

Lungib

Mabini

Madlangdungan

Maglipad (Rosario)

Maligaya

Mambaling

Manhulugin

Marilag (Punaya)

Maulawin

Mulay

Pandanan

Pansol

Patihan

Pinagbayanan (Poblacion)

Pinagkamaligan (Poblacion)

Pinagsakayan

| valign="top" |

Pinagtalleran (Poblacion)

Rizal Ibaba

Rizal Ilaya

Sabang I (Poblacion)

Sabang II (Poblacion)

Salvacion

San Quintin

San Roque Ibaba

San Roque Ilaya

Santa Cecilia

Santa Maria (Poblacion)

Santa Milagrosa

Santa Rosa

Santo Angel (Pangahoy)

Santo Domingo

Sinag

Sumilang

Sumulong

Tabansak

Tabugon

Talingting

Tamis

Tikiwan

Tiniguiban

Villa Magsino

Villa San Isidro

Viñas

Yaganak

|}

And 9 Barangays of Silangang Quezon (Disputed Barangays)

Cabuluan

Don Tomas(Morato)

Guitol

Kagtalaba

Maulawin

Patag Ibaba

Patag Ilaya

Plaridel (also known as Macahadoc)

Tabugon

Dispute issue

Calauag actually comprises 90 Barangays with borders dating to its founding in Spanish era. The Dispute barangays are Cabuluan, Don Tomas[Morato], Guitol, Kagtalaba,Maulawin, Patag Ibaba, Patag Ilaya, Plaridel(Macahadoc), Tabugon. On October 14, 1991, Provincial Government and Local Gov't of Calauag Ordered to Bulldozed a Marker installed by DENR. On October 1995, then President Fidel Ramos came to Calauag to meet local officials to resolve Boundary dispute between the two provinces and Calauag retained it's reign but This case was brought to Supreme Court but eventually, Camarines Norte won the case and Calauag Ceased it's political jurisdiction on the said barangays. However, Calauag leaved a Mark that this barangays are still part of Calauag and locals there do not reconize Santa Elena's jurisdiction.

Natural resources

Existing land use

Calauag is one of the municipalities in the southern part of Quezon province. The municipality covers a total land area of 42,318 hectares with slopes ranging from lowland, plain to mountainous. Slope ranges from 0-1% to 15% and above. It is composed of 90 barangays with Barangays I to V in the poblacion and already urbanized adjacent barangays of Sta. Maria, Sabang I and II, Pinagtalleran, Baclaran, Pinagbayanan and Pinagkamaligan. Commercial and industrial establishments are found in these areas adding to the urban feature of said barangays.

Calauag is primarily an agricultural municipality. Of the 42,318 hectares of land, about 32,426 hectares ore 76% is devoted to agriculture. The remaining area is subdivided to build up uses, forest, open grassland, roads, rivers and creeks, swamps and fishponds.

1. General Land Use Calauag although considered one of the major urban center in the southern province of Quezon is primarily agricultural. It is composed of 90 barangays. The urban area is composed of 12 barangays, 23 barangays are situated along major transportation routes, 3 barangays are directly along the path of the railways, and 32 are the so called coastal barangays being situated along the coasts of Pacific Ocean and Calauag-Lamon Bay. With a total land area of 42,318 and a population of 71,621 covered in the year under review, the gross population is about 1.70 persons per hectare.

2. Built-Up Areas Built up areas constitute the urban core of the poblacion and portions of the adjacent urbanized barangays. The total built up area of the municipality is 1,590 hectares which is 3.75% of the total area and distributed as follows: Urban built up - 1.15 hectares; Residential - 1,286.60; Commercial - 105.50; Institutional - 38.90; Roads & utilities - 63.60; Functional Open Space - 10.00; Industrial - 4.25

Total - 1,590.00 hectares

3. Agricultural Areas The agricultural area of the municipality covers a total area of 32,436 hectares or 76% of the total land area. This is predominantly planted to coconuts, rice, bananas, corn, fruit trees, vegetables and others.

4. Forest Areas The forest area of Calauag is 1.278 hectares or 3.30% of the total land area. This is not concentrated in one area alone as small portions are found scattered in the other barangays like Lagay, Atulayan, Kunalum, Talingting, Anas, Bukal and Kinamaligan. Forest products derived from the forest include lumber, mangrove, timber, nipa, bamboo, buri, charcoal and wild plants. Dipterocarp species are also found in the forested area.

5. Open grassland/pastureland Open grassland used as pastureland has approximately land area of 300 hectares. It could be found in various barangays but most especially along the transportation routes for obvious reason.

6. Marginal land Marginal land comprises the rivers, springs and creeks which has a total of 15 hectares. The rivers are known as Pandanan River and Sumulong River. The springs can be found in Pansol, Yaganak, Kinalin and Maligaya.

7. Swamps, marshes and Fishponds Areas There are about 2.690 hectares devoted to fishponds. They are mostly located along the swamps and marshes which are easier to develop and cheaper. Majority of fishponds in Calauag are privately owned and operated by established companies involved in fishpond operations for bigger yield.

Communications

Calauag is provided with fast means of communications and powered with SMART, Globe (HSDPA), Sun Cellular and the Santos Telephone Corp. which makes Calauag as it's Hub. There are also one FM Radio in Calauag which is the RMN Radyo Natin 100.1.

Banks

Rural Bank of Tagkawayan

Quezon Capital Rural Bank

UCPB Savings Bank

Private education institutions

Calauag Central College

St. Peter's School (Calauag)

St. Mark School of Calauag

Southern Luzon High School

Froebelian School of Calauag

Calauag Montessori

Places of interest

Lamon Bay

It is a body of water connecting the southern part of Quezon province to the Philippines Sea. It bounds the coastal towns of Atimonan, Gumaca, Plaridel, Lopez, Calauag, and the islands of Alabat. It is a rich fishing ground and the home of various living corals. Most parts of the bay consist of gray sand, some parts are filled with rocks, and other living corals. It is gradually sloping to the extend that, during low tide, the water level is low enough to allow one to walk as far as five hundred meters from the shore. The beaches along "kabilang dagat", particularly in Barangay Kapaluhan and Barangay Santo Angel (Pangahoy) have white-sand beach and ideal for swimming. In some parts of the bay, about ten feet from the beach front, are living corals. Lamon Bay is located at the southern part of Quezon.

Pasig Island or Pulong Pasig

This tourist spot looks very much like an ordinary island nestling in the calm waters of the Pacific. The people who live there (about 25 families) have very dark skin and brown hair. Coconut trees are all over the island. Aside from cogon grass, Bermuda grass also grows in abundance. Part of the perimeter of the island is covered with mangroves. Other parts of the beach are made up of either white sand or rocks. The entrance to the island (distance from the shore is about one kilometer) is good for snorkeling because it has colonies of live corals. During low tide, the corals can be clearly seen from a boat.

Known personalities from Calauag

Rey Danseco - Journalist/sports Editor (Bagong Tiktik), TV boxing host and international boxing judge/reporter

Aiza Seguerra - former child actress and singer, one of the sessionistas in ASAP XV

Zanjoe Marudo - Actor

Manoling Morato - PCSO official, TV host (Double M)

Tomas Morato - former Mayor of Calauag and the first appointed Mayor of Quezon City

Mark Magsumbol - first Filipino player in 31-team American Basketball Association (ABA). With jersey No. 32, he suited for San Jose Skyrockets in 2006. Sta. Lucia Realty Drafted him 13th overall in 2006 Philippine Basketball Association Draft

Gerardo Igos cycling champion 1989 Marlboro Tour champion

Notes

External links

Philippine Standard Geographic Code

Quezon Province Web Portal

http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/07/31/SCAU2006073170390.html

Category:Municipalities of Quezon

Name	Saint Peter the Apostle
Birth date	c. 1 BC
Death date	AD 67
Feast day	main feast (with Paul of Tarsus) 29 June (Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Lutheranism)Chair of St Peter in Rome 18 January (Pre-1960 Roman Calendar)Confession of St Peter 18 January (Anglicanism)Chair of St Peter 22 February (Roman Catholic Church)St Peter in Chains 1 August (pre-1960 Roman Calendar)
Venerated in	Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, Lutheranism, Oriental Orthodoxy
Birth place	Bethsaida
Death place	Rome, by crucifixion
Titles	West: Prince of the Apostles, First popeEast: Pre-eminent Apostle
Attributes	Keys of Heaven, pallium, Papal vestments, man crucified head downwards, vested as an Apostle, holding a book or scroll. Iconographically, he is depicted with a bushy white beard and white hair
Patronage	See St. Peter's Patronage
Major shrine	St. Peter's Basilica

Simon Peter (, Pétros, "stone, rock"; c. 1 BC – AD 67), sometimes called Simon Cephas (, Simōn Kēphas; ; , Sëmʻān Kêfâ) after his name in Hellenized Aramaic, was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. Peter was the son of John or of Jonah, and was from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee. His brother Andrew was also an apostle. Simon Peter is venerated in multiple churches, and is regarded as the first Pope by the Roman Catholic Church.

After working to establish the church of Antioch for seven years presiding as the city's bishop and preaching to scattered communities of believers (Jews and Hebrew Christians), in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia Minor and Bithynia, Peter went to Rome. In the second year of Claudius, it is claimed, he overthrew Simon Magus, and held the Sacerdotal Chair for 25 years. At the hand of Nero, he is said to have been put to death. He wrote two Catholic epistles. The Gospel of Mark is also ascribed to him (as Mark was his disciple and interpreter). On the other hand, several books – the Acts, Gospel, Preaching, Revelation, and Judgement of Peter – are rejected by Christians as Apocryphal.

According to New Testament accounts, he was one of Twelve Apostles, chosen by Jesus from his first disciples. He was a fisherman assigned a leadership role by Jesus and was with Jesus during events witnessed by only a few Apostles, such as the Transfiguration.

Names and etymologies

Peter is also known as Simon Peter, Cephas (), and Kepha (כיפא). Both Cephas and Kepha also mean rock. His original name was Shimon or Simeon.

New Testament account

on north side of the Sea of Galilee. An Orthodox church is built on top of traditional site of Apostle Peter's house.]]

Peter's life story relies on the four Canonical Gospels, The Book of Acts, New Testament Letters, Non-Canonical Gospels such as the Gospel According to the Hebrews and other Early Church accounts of his life and death. In the New Testament, he is among the first of the disciples called during Jesus' ministry. It was during his first meeting with Jesus that Jesus named him Peter. Peter was to become the first Apostle ordained by Jesus in the early church. The synoptic gospels all recount how Peter's mother-in-law was healed by Jesus at their home in Capernaum which, coupled with , clearly depict Peter as married or a widower.

In the Synoptic Gospels, Peter (then Simon) was a fisherman along with his brother Andrew and the sons of Zebedee, James and John. The Gospel of John also depicts Peter fishing, even after the resurrection of Jesus, in the story of the Catch of 153 fish.

In Matthew and Mark, Jesus called Simon and his brother Andrew to be "fishers of men."

In Luke, Simon Peter owns the boat that Jesus uses to preach to the multitudes who were pressing on him at the shore of Lake Gennesaret. Jesus then amazes Simon and his companions James and John (Andrew is not mentioned) by telling them to lower their nets, whereupon they catch a huge number of fish. Immediately after this, they follow him.

The Gospel of John gives a comparable account of "The First Disciples." In John, we are told that it was two disciples of John the Baptist (Andrew and an unnamed disciple) who heard John the Baptist announce Jesus as the "Lamb of God", and then followed Jesus. Andrew then went and fetched his brother Simon, saying, "We have found the Messiah," and then brought Simon to Jesus.

===The "Rock" dialogue=== In a dialogue between Jesus and his disciples (), Jesus asks, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” The disciples give various answers. When he asks, "Who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answers, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." In turn, Jesus declares Peter to be "blessed" for having recognized Jesus' true identity and attributes this recognition to a divine revelation. Then Jesus addresses Simon by what seems to have been the nickname "Peter" (Cephas in Aramaic, Petros [rock] in Greek) and says, "On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it."

A common exegetical interpretation of Peter is provided by Daniel Harrington who suggests that Peter was an unlikely symbol of stability. While he was one of the first disciples called and served as the spokesman for the group, Peter is also the exemplar of "little faith" in , will soon have Jesus say to him, "Get behind me, Satan," and will eventually deny Jesus three times. In light of the Easter event, then, Peter became an exemplar of the forgiven sinner. A great variance of opinions exists as to the interpretation of this passage with respect to what authority and responsibility, if any, Jesus was giving to Peter.

Petros had not previously been used as a name, but in the Greek-speaking world it became a popular Christian name, after the tradition of Peter's prominence in the early Christian church had been established.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church this passage is interpreted as not implying a special prominence to the person of Peter, but to Peter's position as representative of the Apostles. The word used for "rock" (petra) grammatically refers to "a small detachment of the massive ledge", not to a massive boulder. Thus, Orthodox Sacred Tradition understands Jesus' words as referring to the Apostolic Faith.

The great majority of Western scholars concur with the interpretation, that the "rock" was Peter, not Jesus himself or Peter's faith.

Position among the apostles

. Traditional site where Jesus Christ appeared to his disciples after his resurrection and, according to Catholic tradition, established Peter's supreme jurisdiction over the Christian church.]]

Peter is always mentioned first in the lists of the Twelve apostles given in the canonical gospels and in the Book of Acts (Acts 1:13). He is also frequently mentioned in the Gospels as forming with James the Elder and John a special group within the Twelve Apostles, present at incidents at which the others were not present, such as at the Transfiguration of Jesus. He often confesses his faith in Jesus as the Messiah.

Peter is often depicted in the Gospels as spokesman of all the Apostles. Catholics refer to him as chief of the Apostles, as do the Eastern Orthodox and the Oriental Orthodox. In Coptic Orthodox Church Liturgy, he is once referred to as “Prominent” or "head" among the Apostles, a title shared with St. Paul in the text (The Fraction of Fast and Feast of the Aposles Peter and Paul in the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria). Some, including the Orthodox Churches, believe this is not the same as saying that the other Apostles were under Peter's orders. In contrast, Jewish Christians are said to have argued that James the Just was the leader of the group. Some argue James was the Patriarch of Jerusalem and that this position at times gave him privilege in some (but not all) situations. The early Church historian Eusebius (c. AD 325) records Clement of Alexandria (c. AD 190) as saying,

"For they say that Peter and James and John after the ascension of our Saviour, as if also preferred by our Lord, strove not after honor, but chose James the Just bishop of Jerusalem."

Paul affirms that Peter had the special charge of being apostle to the Jews, just as he, Paul, was apostle to the Gentiles.

Walking on water

Three of the four canonical Gospels—Matthew, Mark and John—recount the story of Jesus walking on water. Matthew additionally describes Peter walking on water for a moment, but began to sink when his faith wavered.

Washing of feet

At the beginning of the Last Supper, Jesus washed his disciples' feet. Peter initially refused to let Jesus wash his feet, but when Jesus responded: "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me", Peter replied: "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head". The washing of feet is often repeated in the service of worship on Maundy Thursday by some Christian denominations.

Arrest of Jesus

The three synoptic Gospels all mention that, when Jesus was arrested, one of his companions cut off the ear of a servant of the High Priest. The Gospel of John also includes this event, and names Peter as the swordsman and Malchus as the victim. Luke adds that Jesus touched the ear and miraculously healed it.

Denial of Jesus by Peter

All four canonical gospels recount that, during the Last Supper, Jesus foretold that Peter would deny him three times before the following cockcrow ("before the cock crows twice" in Mark's account).

The three Synoptics and John describe the three denials as follows:

# A denial when a female servant of the high priest spots Simon Peter, saying that he had been with Jesus. According to Mark (but not in all manuscripts), "the rooster crowed." Only Luke and John mention a fire by which Peter was warming himself among other people: according to Luke, Peter was "sitting"; according to John, he was "standing." # A denial when Simon Peter had gone out to the gateway, away from the firelight, but the same servant girl (Mark) or another servant girl (Matthew) or a man (Luke and also John, for whom, though, this is the third denial) told the bystanders he was a follower of Jesus. According to John, "the rooster crowed." # A denial came when Peter's Galilean accent was taken as proof that he was indeed a disciple of Jesus. According to Matthew, Mark and Luke, "the rooster crowed." John, though, does not mention the Galilean accent.

Matthew adds that it was his accent that gave him away as coming from Galilee. Luke deviates slightly from this by stating that, rather than a crowd accusing Simon Peter, it was a third individual.

The Gospel of John places the second denial while Peter was still warming himself at the fire, and gives as the occasion of the third denial a claim by someone to have seen him in the garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was arrested.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus' prediction of Peter's denial is coupled with a prediction that all the apostles ("you," plural) would be "sifted like wheat," but that it would be Peter's task ("you," singular), when he had turned again, to strengthen his brethren.

In a reminiscent scene in John's epilogue, Peter affirms three times that he loves Jesus.

Empty tomb

In John's gospel, Peter is the first person to enter the empty tomb, although the women and the beloved disciple see it before him. In Luke's account, the women's report of the empty tomb is dismissed by the apostles and Peter is the only one who goes to check for himself. In fact, he runs to the tomb. After seeing the graveclothes he goes home, apparently without informing the other disciples.

Resurrection appearances

Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians contains a list of resurrection appearances of Jesus, the first of which is an appearance to "Cephas" (Peter). Here Paul apparently follows an early tradition that Peter was the first to see the risen Christ,

In the final chapter of the Gospel of John, Peter, in one of the resurrection appearances of Jesus, three times affirmed his love for Jesus, balancing his threefold denial, and Jesus reconfirmed Peter's position. Some scholars hypothesize that it was added later to bolster Peter's status.

, United Kingdom]]

Role in the early church

The author of the Acts of the Apostles portrays Peter as an extremely important figure within the early Christian community, with Peter delivering a significant open-air sermon during Pentecost. According to the same book, Peter took the lead in selecting a replacement for Judas Iscariot. He was twice arraigned, with John, before the Sanhedrin and directly defied them. He undertook a missionary journey to Lydda, Joppa and Caesarea, becoming instrumental in the decision to evangelise the Gentiles.

About halfway through, the Acts of the Apostles turns its attention away from Peter and to the activities of Paul, and the Bible is fairly silent on what occurred to Peter afterwards.

John Vidmar writes:

"Both Catholic and Protestant scholars agree that Peter had an authority that superseded that of the other apostles. Peter is their spokesman at several events, he conducts the election of Matthias, his opinion in the debate over converting Gentiles was crucial, etc.

Rescue from prison

tells how Peter was put into prison by King Herod, but was rescued by an angel.

Council of Jerusalem

At the council of Jerusalem (c. 50), the early Church, Paul and the leaders of the Jerusalem church met and decided to embrace Gentile converts. Acts portrays Peter as successfully opposing the Christian Pharisees who insisted on circumcision and the rest of the Mosaic law.

Accounts outside the New Testament

In Catholic tradition, Peter is said to have founded the church in Rome with Paul, served as its bishop, authored two epistles, and then met martyrdom there along with Paul. Claims of direct blood lineage from Simon Peter among the old population of Antioch existed in the 1st century and continue to exist today, notably by certain Semaan families of modern-day Syria and Lebanon. Historians have furnished other evidence of Peter's sojourn in Antioch. Subsequent tradition held that Peter had been the first Patriarch of Antioch.

Peter might have visited Corinth, as a party of "Cephas" existed there. The death of St. Peter is attested to by Tertullian at the end of the 2nd century, and by Origen in Eusebius, Church History III.1. Origen says: "Peter was crucified at Rome with his head downwards, as he himself had desired to suffer."

Status

St. Clement of Rome identifies Peter and Paul as the outstanding heroes of the faith. Early church tradition (as indicated below) says Peter probably died by crucifixion (with arms outstretched) at the time of the Great Fire of Rome of the year 64. Margherita Guarducci, who led the research leading to the rediscovery of Peter’s tomb in its last stages (1963–1968), concludes Peter died on 13 October AD 64 during the festivities on the occasion of the “dies imperii” of Emperor Nero. This took place three months after the disastrous fire that destroyed Rome for which the emperor wished to blame the Christians. This “dies imperii” (regnal day anniversary) was an important one, exactly ten years after Nero ascended to the throne, and it was ‘as usual’ accompanied by much bloodshed. Traditionally, Roman authorities sentenced him to death by crucifixion. According to the apocryphal Acts of Peter, he was crucified head down. Tradition also locates his burial place where the Basilica of Saint Peter was later built, directly beneath the Basilica's high altar.

Clement of Rome, in his Letter to the Corinthians (Chapter 5), written c. 80–98, speaks of Peter's martyrdom in the following terms: "Let us take the noble examples of our own generation. Through jealousy and envy the greatest and most just pillars of the Church were persecuted, and came even unto death… Peter, through unjust envy, endured not one or two but many labours, and at last, having delivered his testimony, departed unto the place of glory due to him."

The apocryphal Acts of Peter is also thought to be the source for the tradition about the famous phrase "Quo vadis, Domine?" (or "Pou Hupageis, Kurie?" which means, "Whither goest Thou, Master?"). According to the story, Peter, fleeing Rome to avoid execution, asked the question of a vision of Jesus, to which Jesus allegedly responded that he was "going to Rome to be crucified again." On hearing this, Peter decided to return to the city to accept martyrdom. This story is commemorated in an Annibale Carracci painting. The Church of Quo Vadis, near the Catacombs of Saint Callistus, contains a stone in which Jesus' footprints from this event are supposedly preserved, though this was apparently an ex-voto from a pilgrim, and indeed a copy of the original, housed in the Basilica of St Sebastian.

The ancient historian Josephus describes how Roman soldiers would amuse themselves by crucifying criminals in different positions, and it is likely that this would have been known to the author of the Acts of Peter. The position attributed to Peter's crucifixion is thus plausible, either as having happened historically or as being an invention by the author of the Acts of Peter. Death, after crucifixion head down, is unlikely to be caused by suffocation, the usual cause of death in ordinary crucifixion.

A medieval tradition was that the Mamertine Prison in Rome is the place where Peter was imprisoned before his execution.

In 1950, human bones were found buried underneath the altar of St. Peter's Basilica. The bones have been claimed by many to have been those of Peter. An attempt to contradict these claims was made in 1953 by the excavation of what some believe to be St Peter's tomb in Jerusalem. However along with supposed tomb of Peter bearing his previous name Simon, tombs bearing the names of Jesus, Mary, James, John, and the rest of the apostles were also found at the same excavation—though all these names were very common among Jews at the time.

In the 1960s, some previously discarded debris from the excavations beneath St Peters Basilica were re-examined, and the bones of a male person were identified. A forensic examination found them to be a male of about 61 years of age from the 1st century. This caused Pope Paul VI in 1968 to announce them most likely to be the relics of Apostle Peter.

Further doubt on finding bones in Rome is cast by Pope Vitalian's letter to King Oswy of the Britons (C.E. 665), offering him the remains (then called relics) of the apostle Peter and Paul, along with those of the Holy Martyrs Laurentius, John, Gregory and Pancratius as a reward for the emergence of British faith.

Connection to Rome

, believed to be the burial site of St. Peter, seen from the River Tiber. The iconic dome dominates the skyline of Rome.]] , believed to be the burial site of St. Paul.]]

The See of Rome is traditionally said to be founded by Peter and Paul, see also Primacy of Simon Peter, who had invested it with apostolic authority. The New Testament says nothing directly about Peter's connection to Rome, but an early Catholic tradition supports such a connection. However, some historians have challenged this traditional view of Peter's role in the early Roman Church. Still, most Catholic and Protestant scholars, and many scholars in general, conclude that Peter was indeed martyred in Rome under Nero. A 2009 critical study by Otto Zwierlein has concluded that "there is not a single piece of reliable literary evidence (and no archaeological evidence either) that Peter ever was in Rome."

1 Clement, a document that has been dated anywhere from the 90s to the 120s, is one of the earliest sources adduced in support of Peter's stay in Rome, but questions have been raised about the text's authenticity and whether it has any knowledge about Peter's life beyond what is contained in the New Testament Acts. In Against Heresies (Book III, Chapter III, paragraphs 2–3), Irenaeus wrote:

Tertullian also writes: "But if you are near Italy, you have Rome, where authority is at hand for us too. What a happy church that is, on which the apostles poured out their whole doctrine with their blood; where Peter had a passion like that of the Lord, where Paul was crowned with the death of John (the Baptist, by being beheaded)." Dionysius of Corinth also serves as a late 2nd-century witness to the tradition. Later tradition, first found in Saint Jerome, attributes to Peter a 25-year episcopate (or apostolate) in Rome.}}

Paul's Epistle to the Romans (c. 58) attests to a large Christian community already there, although he does not mention Peter.

Non-canonical sayings of Peter

Two sayings are attributed to Peter in the gnostic Gospel of Thomas. In the first, Peter compares Jesus to a "just messenger." In the second, Peter asks Jesus to "make Mary leave us, for females don't deserve life," although the verse containing the latter is regarded by most scholars as a dubious, later addition.

In the Apocalypse of Peter, Peter holds a dialogue with Jesus about the parable of the fig tree and the fate of sinners.

In the Gospel of Mary, whose text is largely fragmented, Peter appears to be jealous of "Mary" (probably Mary Magdalene). He says to the other disciples, "Did He really speak privately with a woman and not openly to us? Are we to turn about and all listen to her? Did He prefer her to us?" In reply to this, Levi says "Peter, you have always been hot tempered."

Other noncanonical texts that attribute sayings to Peter include the Secret Book of James and the Acts of Peter.

Denial of Jesus

In the Fayyum Fragment of the end of the 3rd century, Jesus predicts that Peter will deny him three times before a cock crows thrice (on the following morning). The account is similar to that of the canonical gospels, especially the Gospel of Mark, either an abbreviation of the account in the Synoptics or a source text on which they were based.

After the death of Jesus

The fragmentary Gospel of Peter, attributed to Peter, contains an account of the death of Jesus differing significantly from the canonical gospels. It contains little information about Peter himself, except that after the discovery of the empty tomb, "I, Simon Peter, and Andrew my brother, took our fishing nets and went to the sea."

Modern times

Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, recorded in multiple revelations that Peter appeared to him and Oliver Cowdery in 1829 in order to bestow the apostleship and keys of the kingdom as part of a restoration of priesthood authority.

Religious interpretations

Catholic Church

English name	Peter
Birth name	Simon/Simeon bar Jona
Term start	AD 30?
Term end	AD 64?
Predecessor	New creation (First Pope)
Successor	Linus
Birthplace	Bethsaida (traditional)
Dead	dead
Death date	Circa AD 64
Deathplace	City of Rome, Present day Italy

According to Catholic belief, Peter was the first Bishop of Rome and chief pastor of the whole Roman Catholic Church—the Vicar of Christ upon Earth. Although Peter never bore the title of "Pope", or "Vicar of Christ", the Catholic Church believes him to be the first Pope. Therefore, they consider every pope to be Peter's successor and the rightful superior of all other bishops.

The Catholic Church's recognition of Peter as head of its church on Earth (with Christ being its heavenly head) is based on its interpretation of two passages from the Canonical Gospels of the New Testament. The first passage is , which concludes with “feed my sheep”—seen by Catholics as Christ promising the spiritual supremacy to Peter. The Catholic Encyclopedia sees in this passage Jesus "charging [Peter] with the superintendency of all his sheep, without exception; and consequently of his whole flock, that is, of his own church”.

Feast days

near the tomb of Apostle Peter, Saint Peter's Basilica, Rome.]] The Roman Martyrology assigns 29 June as the feast day of both Peter and Paul, without thereby declaring that to be the day of their deaths. St. Augustine of Hippo says in his Sermon 295: "One day is assigned for the celebration of the martyrdom of the two apostles. But those two were one. Although their martyrdom occurred on different days, they were one."

This is also the feast of both Apostles in the calendar of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

In the Roman Rite, the feast of the Chair of Saint Peter is celebrated on 22 February, and the anniversary of the dedication of the two papal basilicas of Saint Peter's and Saint Paul's outside the Walls is held on 18 November.

Before Pope John XXIII's revision in 1960, the Roman Calendar also included on 18 January another feast of the Chair of Saint Peter (denominated the Chair of Saint Peter in Rome, while the February feast was then called that of the Chair of Saint Peter at Antioch), and on 1 August the feast of Saint Peter in Chains.

St. Peter's Basilica

In the early 4th century, the Emperor Constantine I decided to honour Peter with a large basilica. Because the precise location of Peter's burial was so firmly fixed in the belief of the Christians of Rome, the church to house the basilica had to be erected on a site that was not convenient to construction. The slope of the Vatican Hill had to be excavated, even though the church could much more easily have been built on level ground only slightly to the south. There were also moral and legal issues, such as demolishing a cemetery to make room for the building. The focal point of the Basilica, both in its original form and in its later complete reconstruction, is the altar located over what is said to be the point of Peter's burial.

Protestants and other views

A major debate between Catholics and Protestants centers on Matthew 16:19 where Jesus tells Peter: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church…" Catholics interpret the verse as saying that Jesus would build his church on Peter, the apostle. The traditional Catholic interpretation has been that Jesus told Peter (Rock) that he would build his Church on this Rock (Peter), and that Peter was made the shepherd of the apostolic flock—hence their assertion of the Primacy of the Roman Pontiff.

Meaning of "Rock"

In the original Greek the word translated as "Peter" is Πέτρος (Petros) and that translated as "rock" is πέτρα (petra), two words that, while not identical, give an impression of one of many times when Jesus used a play on words. Furthermore, since Jesus presumably spoke to Peter in their native Aramaic language, he would have used kepha in both instances. The Peshitta Text and the Old Syriac text use the word "kepha" for both "Peter" and "rock" in . says Jesus called Simon "Cephas", as does Paul in some letters. He was instructed by Christ to strengthen his brethren, i.e., the apostles. Peter also had a leadership role in the early Christian church at Jerusalem according to The Acts of the Apostles chapters 1–2, 10–11, and 15.

Early Catholic Latin and Greek writers (such as St. John Chrysostom) considered the "foundation rock" as applying to both Peter personally and his confession of faith (or the faith of his confession) symbolically, as well as seeing Christ's promise to apply more generally to his twelve apostles and the Church at large. This "double meaning" interpretation is present in the current Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Protestant counter-claims to the Catholic interpretation are largely based on the difference between the Greek words translated "Rock" in the Matthean passage. In classical Attic Greek petros generally meant "pebble," while petra meant "boulder" or "cliff." Accordingly, taking Peter's name to mean "pebble," they argue that the "rock" in question cannot have been Peter, but something else, either Jesus himself, or the faith in Jesus that Peter had just professed. However, the New Testament was written in Koiné Greek, not Attic Greek, and some authorities say no significant difference existed between the meanings of petros and petra.

(1481–82)]] However, even though the feminine noun petra is translated as rock in the phrase "on this rock I will build my church," the word petra (πέτρα in Greek) is also used at in describing Jesus Christ, which reads: "They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ."

Although is used as a primary proof-text for the Catholic doctrine of Papal supremacy, Protestant scholars say that prior to the Reformation of the 16th century, Matthew 16 was very rarely used to support papal claims. Their position is that most of the early and medieval Church interpreted the 'rock' as being a reference either to Christ or to Peter's faith, not Peter himself. They understand Jesus' remark to have been his affirmation of Peter's testimony that Jesus was the Son of God.

Another rebuttal of the Catholic position is that if Peter really means the Rock which makes him the chief of Apostles, it would contradict Bible's teaching in which says that the church's foundation is the apostles and prophets, not Peter alone. They posit that the meaning of is that Jesus uses a play on words with Peter's name to say that the confession he had just made is the rock on which the church is built.

Other theologically conservative Christians, including Confessional Lutherans, also rebut comments made by Karl Keating and D.A. Carson who claim that there is no distinction between the words petros and petra in Koine Greek. The Lutheran theologians state that the dictionaries of Koine/NT Greek, including the authoritative Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich Lexicon, indeed list both words and the passages that give different meanings for each. The Lutheran theologians further note that:

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Partial Protestant support

Partial support for the Catholic position comes from one of Protestantism's most distinguished Church historians, Oscar Cullmann, a Lutheran theologian. He disagrees with Luther and the Protestant reformers who held that by "rock" Christ did not mean Peter, but meant either himself or the faith of His followers. He believes the meaning of the original Aramaic is very clear: that "Kepha" was the Aramaic word for "rock", and that it was also the name by which Christ called Peter.

Cullmann concludes that while Peter was the original head of the apostles, Peter was not the founder of any visible church succession. Taking a somewhat different approach from Cullman, they point out that the Gospel of Matthew was not written in the classical Attic form of Greek, but in the Hellenistic Koine dialect in which there is no distinction in meaning between petros and petra. Moreover, even in Attic Greek, in which the regular meaning of petros was a smallish "stone," there are instances of its use to refer to larger rocks, as in Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus v. 1595, where petros refers to a boulder used as a landmark, obviously something more than a pebble. In any case, a petros/petra distinction is irrelevant considering the Aramaic language in which the phrase might well have been spoken. In Greek, of any period, the feminine noun petra could not be used as the given name of a male, which may explain the use of Petros as the Greek word with which to translate Aramaic Kepha.

Eastern Orthodox

of St. Peter (15th century, Russian State Museum, Saint Petersburg).]] The Eastern Orthodox Church regards Apostle Peter, together with Apostle Paul, as "Preeminent Apostles". Another title used for Peter is Coryphaeus, which could be translated as "Choir-director", or lead singer. The church recognizes Apostle Peter's leadership role in the early church, especially in the very early days at Jerusalem, but does not consider him to have had any "princely" role over his fellow Apostles.

The New Testament is not seen by the Orthodox as supporting any extraordinary authority for Peter with regard to faith or morals. The Orthodox also hold that Peter did not act as leader at the Council of Jerusalem, but as merely one of a number who spoke. The final decision regarding the non-necessity of circumcision (and certain prohibitions) was spelled out by James, the Brother of the Lord (though Catholics hold James merely reiterated and fleshed out what Peter had said, regarding the latter's earlier divine revelation regarding the inclusion of Gentiles).

Eastern and Oriental Orthodox do not recognize the Bishop of Rome as the successor of St. Peter but the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople sends a delegation each year to Rome to participate in the celebration of the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. In the Ravenna Document of 13 October 2007, the 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 (To the Romans, Prologue), occupied the first place in the taxis, and that the bishop of Rome was therefore the protos among the patriarchs, if the Papacy unites with the Orthodox Church. They disagree, however, on the interpretation of the historical evidence from this era regarding the prerogatives of the bishop of Rome as protos, a matter that was already understood in different ways in the first millennium."

With regard to Jesus' words to Peter, "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church", the Orthodox hold Christ is referring to the confession of faith, not the person of Peter as that upon which he will build the church. This is allegedly shown by the fact that the original Greek uses the feminine demonstrative pronoun when he says "upon this rock" (ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ); whereas, grammatically, if he had been referring to Peter, he would allegedly have used the masculine. This "gender distinction" argument is also held by some Protestants.

Feast days

In the Orthodox Daily Office every Thursday throughout the year is dedicated to the Holy Apostles, including St. Peter. There are also two feast days in the year which are dedicated to him:

June 29, Feast of Saints Peter and Paul—This is a major feast day and is preceded by a period of Lenten fasting known as the Apostles' Fast

January 16, Veneration of the Precious Chains of the Holy and All-Glorious Apostle Peter—commemorating both the chains which says miraculously fell from him, and the chains in which he was held before his martyrdom by Nero.

Syriac Orthodox Church

The Fathers of the Syriac Orthodox Church tried to give a theological interpretation to the primacy of Apostle Peter. They were fully convinced of the unique office of Peter in the primitive Christian community. Ephrem, Aphrahat and Marutha who were supposed to be the best exponents of the early Syriac tradition unequivocally acknowledge the office of Peter.

The Syriac Fathers following the rabbinic tradition call Jesus “Kepha” for they see “rock” in the Old Testament as a messianic Symbol. When Christ gave his own name “Kepha” to Simon he was giving him participation in the person and office of Christ. Christ who is the Kepha and shepherd made Simon the chief shepherd in his place and gave him the very name Kepha and said that on Kepha he would build the Church. Aphrahat shared the common Syriac tradition. For him Kepha is in fact another name of Jesus, and Simon was given the right to share the name. The person who receives somebody else’s name also obtains the rights of the person who bestows the name. Aphrahat makes the stone taken from Jordan a type of Peter. He says Jesus son of Nun set up the stones for a witness in Israel; Jesus our Saviour called Simon Kepha Sarirto and set him as the faithful witness among nations.

Again he says in his commentary on Deuteronomy that Moses brought forth water from “rock” (Kepha) for the people and Jesus sent Simon Kepha to carry his teachings among nations. Our Lord accepted him and made him the foundation of the Church and called him Kepha. When he speaks about transfiguration of Christ he calls him Simon Peter, the foundation of the Church. Ephrem also shared the same view. In Armenian version of De Virginitate records Peter the Rock shunned honour Who was the head of the Apostles. In a mimro of Efrem found in Holy Week Liturgy points to the importance of Peter.

Both Aphrahat and Ephrem represent the authentic tradition of the Syrian Church. The different orders of liturgies used for sanctification of Church building, marriage, ordination etc. reveal that the primacy of Peter is a part of living faith of the Church.

Seventh Day Adventist understanding

New Apostolic Church

The New Apostolic Church, who believes in the re-established Apostle ministry, sees Peter as the first Chief Apostle.

Latter Day Saint movement

Temple Square (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA) depicting Peter, James, and John conferring the Melchizedek priesthood in 1829 on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery]] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church or "Mormons") along with other sects of the Latter Day Saint movement believe that Peter was the first leader of the early Christian church, but reject papal succession. In interpreting the LDS Church has stated, "The words then addressed to him, 'Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,' have been made the foundation of the papal claims. But it is the Godhead of Christ, which Peter had just confessed, that is the true keystone of the Church." Latter-day saints believe that Peter, James, and John. came from heaven and conferred the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in 1829, near Harmony Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania as part of the restoration of priesthood authority.

Jewish folklore

According to Jewish folklore (Toledot Yeshu narrative), St. Peter (Shimeon Kepha Ha-Tzadik) had a pristine reputation as a greatly learned and holy man.

Writings

Traditionally, two canonical epistles (1 and 2 Peter) and several apocryphal works have been attributed to Peter.

New Testament

icon from Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai.]] The New Testament includes two letters (epistles) ascribed to Peter. Both demonstrate a high quality of cultured and urban Greek, at odds with the linguistic skill that would ordinarily be expected of an Aramaic-speaking fisherman, who would have learned Greek as a second or third language. However, the author of the first epistle explicitly claims to be using a secretary (see below), and this explanation would allow for discrepancies in style without entailing a different source. The textual features of these two epistles are such that a majority of scholars doubt that they were written by the same hand. This means at the most that Peter could not have authored both, or at the least that he used a different secretary for each letter. Some scholars argue that theological differences imply different sources, and point to the lack of references to 2 Peter among the early Church Fathers.

Of the two epistles, the first epistle is considered the earlier. A number of scholars have argued that the textual discrepancies with what would be expected of the biblical Peter are due to it having been written with the help of a secretary or as an amanuensis. Indeed in the first epistle the use of a secretary is clearly described: "By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand". Thus, in regards to at least the first epistle, the claims that Peter would have written Greek poorly seem irrelevant. The references to persecution of Christians, which only began under Nero, cause most scholars to date the text to at least 80, which would require Peter to have survived to an age that was, at that time, extremely old, and almost never reached, particularly by common fishermen. However, the Roman historian Tacitus and the biographer Suetonius both record that Nero's persecution of Christians began immediately after the fire that burned Rome in 64. Such a date, which is in accord with Christian tradition, especially Eusebius (History book 2, 24.1), would not have Peter at an improbable age upon his death. On the other hand, many scholars consider this in reference to the persecution of Christians in Asia Minor during the reign of the emperor Domitian (81–96).

In the salutation of the First Epistle of Peter, the writer refers to the diaspora, which did not occur until 136: Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

The Second Epistle of Peter, on the other hand, appears to have been copied, in part, from the Epistle of Jude, and some modern scholars date its composition as late as c. 150. Some scholars argue the opposite, that the Epistle of Jude copied 2 Peter, while others contend an early date for Jude and thus observe that an early date is not incompatible with the text. Many scholars have noted the similarities between the apocryphal Second Epistle of Clement (2nd century) and 2 Peter. Second Peter may be earlier than 150, there are a few possible references to it that date back to the 1st century or early 2nd century, e.g., 1 Clement written in c. AD 96, and the later church historian Eusebius claimed that Origen had made reference to the epistle before 250. Even in early times there was controversy over its authorship, and 2 Peter was often not included in the Biblical Canon; it was only in the 4th century that it gained a firm foothold in the New Testament, in a series of synods. In the east the Syrian Orthodox Church still did not admit it into the canon until the 6th century.

Traditionally, the Gospel of Mark was said to have been written by a person named John Mark, and that this person was an assistant to Peter, hence its content was traditionally seen as the closest to Peter's viewpoint. According to Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History, Papias recorded this belief from John the Presbyter:

Also Irenaeus wrote about this tradition:

Based on these quotes, and on the Christian tradition, the information in Mark's Gospel about St. Peter would be based on eyewitness material. It should be noted, however, that some scholars (for differing reasons) dispute the attribution of the Gospel of Mark to its traditional author. The gospel itself is anonymous, and the above passages are the oldest surviving written testimony to its authorship.

Pseudepigrapha and apocrypha

There are also a number of other apocryphal writings, not recognized by the Church, that have been either attributed to or written about St. Peter. They were from antiquity regarded as pseudepigrapha. These include:

Gospel of Peter, a Docetic narrative that has survived in part

Acts of Peter

Acts of Peter and Andrew

Acts of Peter and Paul

Acts of Peter and the Twelve

Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter

A Letter of Peter to Philip, which was preserved in the Nag Hammadi library

Apocalypse of Peter, which was considered as genuine by many Christians as late as the 4th century

The Epistula Petri, the introductory letter ascribed to Apostle Peter that appears at the beginning of at least one version of the Clementine literature

Popular culture

Over the years "St. Peter" has evolved into a stock character that is now widely used in jokes, cartoons, comedies, dramas, and plays. Such caricatures almost all play upon Peter's role as the "keeper of the keys of the kingdom of heaven" in , on the basis of which he is often depicted as an elderly, bearded man who sits at the pearly gates that serve as heaven's main entrance, and acting as a sort of hotel-style doorman / bouncer who personally interviews prospective entrants into Heaven, often seated behind a desk, or standing at a lectern.

In traditional Medieval iconography, Peter is a bald man with a long beard. He usually has one or more large keys in his hand or hanging from his belt.

In the South Park episode "Fantastic Easter Special" he was portrayed as being a rabbit (Peter Rabbit) because Jesus knew no human could speak for all Christianity as Pope without any acts of corruption, and that rabbits were pure, tolerant, and incorruptible.

In the 2004 movie Millions, St. Peter appears to the boy Damian, referring to himself as the "patron saint of keys, locks, and general security."

Patronage

Saint Peter is the patron saint of the following categories

of St. Peter at Saint Peter's College in Jersey City, New Jersey]]

Holy relics

under St Peter's Basilica in Rome to determine whether the tomb of St Peter was there. At the conclusion of the Holy Year in 1950 he confirmed that the tomb of Peter had been found underneath the basilica]]

Pope Vitalian sent filings from Apostle Peter's chains to Oswy, King of Northumbria in the 7th century.

Peter's remains continue to be subject of investigation, but his tomb is located under Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, which was announced by Pope Pius XII on Christmas Day in 1950 after years of painstaking research.

Another revisionist view was developed by supporters of the Christ myth theory, which holds that the figure of Peter is largely a development from some mythological doorkeeper figures. According to Arthur Drews and G. A. Wells, if there was a historical Peter, then all that is known about him is the brief mentions in Galatians.

See also

St. Peter's Basilica

Saint Peter's Square

The Big Fisherman

San Pietro in Vincoli

Saint Peter's tomb

Sword of Saint Peter

Quo Vadis

Notes

External links

Church Fathers on the Peter's Primacy

Church Fathers on Peter's Succcessors

The Life & Miracles of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles

Etymology of Peter

The Jewish St Peter

Jewish Encyclopedia: Simon Cephas

Veneration of the Precious Chains of the Holy and All-Glorious Apostle Peter Orthodox icon and synaxarion

The Holy Glorious and All-Praised Leader of the Apostles, Peter icon and synaxarion

The Holy Glorious and All-Praised Leader of the Apostles, Peter & Paul sermon of Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo

Catholic response to Protestant claims that Peter never visited Rome

stpetersbasilica.org Books on St. Peter's Basilica in Rome

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