Saint Peter was a prominent early Christian leader, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, according to the New Testament. He is venerated as a saint and considered to be the first bishop and Pope by the Roman Catholic Church,[3] the Eastern Orthodox Church, and Oriental Orthodoxy.[4] The son of John (or Jonah or Jona),[5] he was from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee or Gaulanitis. His brother Andrew was also an apostle. Two general epistles are ascribed to Peter, although the majority of biblical scholars rejects the Petrine authorship of both.[6] The Gospel of Mark was traditionally thought to show the influence of Peter's preaching and eyewitness memories. Several other books bearing his name -- the Acts of Peter, Gospel of Peter, Preaching of Peter, Apocalypse of Peter, and Judgment of Peter -- are rejected by the Catholic Church and every other Christian church as apocryphal.[7][8][9] According to New Testament accounts, Peter was one of twelve apostles chosen by Jesus from his first disciples. Originally a fisherman, he was assigned a leadership role and was with Jesus during events witnessed by only a few apostles, such as the Transfiguration. According to the gospels, he confessed Jesus as the Messiah,[10] was part of Jesus' inner circle,[11] thrice denied Jesus,[12] and preached on the day of Pentecost.[13] According to Christian tradition, Peter is said to have been crucified in Rome under Emperor Nero Augustus Caesar. It is traditionally held that he was crucified upside down at his own request, since he saw himself unworthy to be crucified in the same way as Jesus Christ. Catholic tradition holds that Saint Peter's site of crucifixion is located in the Clementine Chapel, while his mortal bones and remains are contained in the underground Confessio of St. Peter's Basilica, where Pope Paul VI announced the excavated discovery of a first-century Roman cemetery in 1968. Every June 29 since 1736, a life-size statue of Saint Peter has been crowned in St. Peter's Basilica with a papal tiara, ring of the fisherman, and papal vestments, as part of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. By Catholic doctrine, Pope Francis is the direct successor to Saint Peter.

• published: 21 Jan 2014
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