On June 29, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul to honor the two great apostles Peter and Paul. St. Peter, one of the Twelve and the chief of the Apostles, the Rock upon which Christ built His Church, and St. Paul “called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1) and Apostle to the Gentiles. Together they are honored as founders of the Church of Rome, having been separately martyred there during the reign of Emperor Nero.
Who was St. Peter and why was he important?
St. Peter was one of Jesus’ original twelve Apostles and the first Pope. Peter was a Jewish fisherman before he was called to be an Apostle. Jesus changed his name from Simon to Peter (“Rock”) and gave Him the keys to the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 16:19), which is why St. Peter is often depicted with keys.
St. Andrew was the first disciple to be called by Jesus, and Peter followed after. Peter was introduced to Jesus by his brother St. Andrew. We can read about this account in Matthew 4:18-20. He is mentioned 109 times in the Gospels, the most of any Apostle, as well as in the Acts of the Apostles, the letters of Paul, and in the two books attributed to him, 1 & 2 Peter.
Jesus changed his name from Simon to Peter. He is also sometimes called by both, Simon Peter. The changing of a person’s name had great significance. God called Abram and named him Abraham, as well as his wife Sarai, naming her Sarah. Jacob was likewise called Israel. These were all founding events connected to the Old Covenant and of great significance in salvation history. The same is true of the renaming of Simon. Matthew shares his account of the event in Matthew 16:17-19.
As recorded in the canonical Greek text of Matthew, Jesus changed Simon’s name to Petros (Rock). It is likely that He actually did so in Aramaic, the everyday Semitic language of Jews of his time, in which case the Lord said Cephas (Rock). This name is actually cited by St. John in Jn 1:42, and 8 other places in the New Testament. He did this in Caesarea Philippi, where there is a massive outcropping of rock at the base of Mt. Hermon, the highest peak in the region.
This naming is followed in Matthew’s text by the reason: the Church would be built on Peter. He is then given the Keys of David, as a king would give his appointed Vizier, in order to exercise authority in his place. It is just such vicarious authority which the Church claims for St. Peter and His Successors, down to Pope Leo XIV. This is called apostolic succession, and it is the guarantee of the unity of the Catholic Church in every place and time with Christ and the Apostles.
When Jesus was arrested on Good Friday, He was taken to the Sanhedrin. St. Peter was the only Apostle that went there to be close to Him. The others did not go, most likely out of fear. Peter was probably afraid too, yet He couldn’t stay away from His Lord. We learn of this account in the Gospel of Matthew. But like us, Peter was human. Even though he was a devout follower of Jesus, in a moment of fear and weakness, he was tempted and made a wrong choice. We know he regretted it immediately after because of the way we read that he “remembered the saying of Jesus,” and how he went out and wept bitterly.
St. Peter was crucified in Nero’s circus on Vatican Hill, sometime between 64 and 68 A.D. He was crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to die the same way as his Lord. Afterward, he was laid to rest in a nearby cemetery. That cemetery can be seen today in excavations under St. Peter’s Basilica, and the remains of a 2nd-century shrine built over the burial spot. In the 1960s bones believed to be Peter’s were found preserved in its wall and today the box containing them can be seen in a chapel under the papal altar.
St. Peter is the patron saint of fishermen, net makers, and shipbuilders. Together with St. Paul, he is also the patron saint of Rome.
Who was St. Paul?
St. Paul (originally known as Saul), was a self-righteous young Pharisee, almost fanatically anti-Christian. Before being called by Christ, he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a fervent enemy of Christ. When the Resurrected Lord appeared to Him on the road to Damascus, he suddenly converted (Acts 9:1-9). Paul’s conversion was a pure miracle of God’s grace. He is a perfect example of true conversion. He had dedicated himself to persecuting Christians but the moment he met Christ his life changed radically, instantly, and completely. When the Lord called him, he left behind his old ways and became a new person, fully willing to follow Christ and his teachings and precepts. He was likely converted in the 30s of the first century A.D. This follows from the fact that in 1 Cor. 15:8, he speaks of it in connection with Christ’s other post-resurrection appearances, and in the Acts it follows upon his persecution of the Church in Jerusalem and the death of St. Stephen, generally placed before 36 A.D.
In Acts 9:17-19, we learn that Ananias baptized Paul. From that point, he went on to evangelize throughout the Mediterranean world from the Holy Land to Rome to Spain. His zeal and reach entitles him to be known as the “Apostle to the Gentiles.” “The Gentiles” means “the nations.” For Jews, it meant the non-Jewish people. For the Church, it means the non-Jewish unbelievers in Christ – that is, the greater part of mankind of all generations.
Scriptures on St. Paul can be found throughout the New Testament of the Bible. We first meet Paul in Scripture at the stoning of Stephen, in Acts 7:58. In Acts St. Luke provides many details of Paul’s ministry, indicating that he accompanied him for much of it.
St. Paul himself was the author of 13 of the 21 epistles in the New Testament, listed here in their canonical order: Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. Hebrews is sometimes attributed to him but was likely penned by one of his disciples, in his style and according to his preaching.
St. Paul’s Jewish name was Saul, and the Lord called him by it on the occasion of converting him. It does not appear that the name change can be attributed to Jesus, or at least there is no evidence of it. The likely explanation, therefore, is that it is a name he used among the Gentiles, whether from his youth in the Roman city of Tarsus or, chosen later for his activity among the Gentiles. The only comment Luke makes is in Acts 13:9, when he writes “But Saul, who is also called Paul …”
Tradition holds that St. Paul was martyred in Rome, probably about 64 AD. This was the year of the great fire, blamed on the Christians, but likely set by order of Nero. The church commemorating his death is called the Church of the Martyrdom of St. Paul at Three Fountains. The name is a reference to the result of the manner of his death. Being from Tarsus Paul was a Roman citizen, so he was beheaded rather than crucified. His head, bouncing three times, brought forth three springs, still existing.
St. Paul is one of many patron saints of missionaries, evangelists, writers, and public workers.
Peter and Paul are called the patron saints of Rome because, in the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.:
“Christian tradition has always considered Sts. Peter and Saint Paul to be inseparable: indeed, together, they represent the whole Gospel of Christ.” (Pope Benedict XVI)
Who was St. Peter and why was he important?
St. Peter was one of Jesus’ original twelve Apostles and the first Pope. Peter was a Jewish fisherman before he was called to be an Apostle. Jesus changed his name from Simon to Peter (“Rock”) and gave Him the keys to the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 16:19), which is why St. Peter is often depicted with keys.
St. Andrew was the first disciple to be called by Jesus, and Peter followed after. Peter was introduced to Jesus by his brother St. Andrew. We can read about this account in Matthew 4:18-20. He is mentioned 109 times in the Gospels, the most of any Apostle, as well as in the Acts of the Apostles, the letters of Paul, and in the two books attributed to him, 1 & 2 Peter.
Jesus changed his name from Simon to Peter. He is also sometimes called by both, Simon Peter. The changing of a person’s name had great significance. God called Abram and named him Abraham, as well as his wife Sarai, naming her Sarah. Jacob was likewise called Israel. These were all founding events connected to the Old Covenant and of great significance in salvation history. The same is true of the renaming of Simon. Matthew shares his account of the event in Matthew 16:17-19.
As recorded in the canonical Greek text of Matthew, Jesus changed Simon’s name to Petros (Rock). It is likely that He actually did so in Aramaic, the everyday Semitic language of Jews of his time, in which case the Lord said Cephas (Rock). This name is actually cited by St. John in Jn 1:42, and 8 other places in the New Testament. He did this in Caesarea Philippi, where there is a massive outcropping of rock at the base of Mt. Hermon, the highest peak in the region.
This naming is followed in Matthew’s text by the reason: the Church would be built on Peter. He is then given the Keys of David, as a king would give his appointed Vizier, in order to exercise authority in his place. It is just such vicarious authority which the Church claims for St. Peter and His Successors, down to Pope Leo XIV. This is called apostolic succession, and it is the guarantee of the unity of the Catholic Church in every place and time with Christ and the Apostles.
When Jesus was arrested on Good Friday, He was taken to the Sanhedrin. St. Peter was the only Apostle that went there to be close to Him. The others did not go, most likely out of fear. Peter was probably afraid too, yet He couldn’t stay away from His Lord. We learn of this account in the Gospel of Matthew. But like us, Peter was human. Even though he was a devout follower of Jesus, in a moment of fear and weakness, he was tempted and made a wrong choice. We know he regretted it immediately after because of the way we read that he “remembered the saying of Jesus,” and how he went out and wept bitterly.
St. Peter was crucified in Nero’s circus on Vatican Hill, sometime between 64 and 68 A.D. He was crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to die the same way as his Lord. Afterward, he was laid to rest in a nearby cemetery. That cemetery can be seen today in excavations under St. Peter’s Basilica, and the remains of a 2nd-century shrine built over the burial spot. In the 1960s bones believed to be Peter’s were found preserved in its wall and today the box containing them can be seen in a chapel under the papal altar.
St. Peter is the patron saint of fishermen, net makers, and shipbuilders. Together with St. Paul, he is also the patron saint of Rome.
Who was St. Paul?
St. Paul (originally known as Saul), was a self-righteous young Pharisee, almost fanatically anti-Christian. Before being called by Christ, he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a fervent enemy of Christ. When the Resurrected Lord appeared to Him on the road to Damascus, he suddenly converted (Acts 9:1-9). Paul’s conversion was a pure miracle of God’s grace. He is a perfect example of true conversion. He had dedicated himself to persecuting Christians but the moment he met Christ his life changed radically, instantly, and completely. When the Lord called him, he left behind his old ways and became a new person, fully willing to follow Christ and his teachings and precepts. He was likely converted in the 30s of the first century A.D. This follows from the fact that in 1 Cor. 15:8, he speaks of it in connection with Christ’s other post-resurrection appearances, and in the Acts it follows upon his persecution of the Church in Jerusalem and the death of St. Stephen, generally placed before 36 A.D.
In Acts 9:17-19, we learn that Ananias baptized Paul. From that point, he went on to evangelize throughout the Mediterranean world from the Holy Land to Rome to Spain. His zeal and reach entitles him to be known as the “Apostle to the Gentiles.” “The Gentiles” means “the nations.” For Jews, it meant the non-Jewish people. For the Church, it means the non-Jewish unbelievers in Christ – that is, the greater part of mankind of all generations.
Scriptures on St. Paul can be found throughout the New Testament of the Bible. We first meet Paul in Scripture at the stoning of Stephen, in Acts 7:58. In Acts St. Luke provides many details of Paul’s ministry, indicating that he accompanied him for much of it.
St. Paul himself was the author of 13 of the 21 epistles in the New Testament, listed here in their canonical order: Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. Hebrews is sometimes attributed to him but was likely penned by one of his disciples, in his style and according to his preaching.
St. Paul’s Jewish name was Saul, and the Lord called him by it on the occasion of converting him. It does not appear that the name change can be attributed to Jesus, or at least there is no evidence of it. The likely explanation, therefore, is that it is a name he used among the Gentiles, whether from his youth in the Roman city of Tarsus or, chosen later for his activity among the Gentiles. The only comment Luke makes is in Acts 13:9, when he writes “But Saul, who is also called Paul …”
Tradition holds that St. Paul was martyred in Rome, probably about 64 AD. This was the year of the great fire, blamed on the Christians, but likely set by order of Nero. The church commemorating his death is called the Church of the Martyrdom of St. Paul at Three Fountains. The name is a reference to the result of the manner of his death. Being from Tarsus Paul was a Roman citizen, so he was beheaded rather than crucified. His head, bouncing three times, brought forth three springs, still existing.
St. Paul is one of many patron saints of missionaries, evangelists, writers, and public workers.
Peter and Paul are called the patron saints of Rome because, in the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.:
“the Christian community of [Rome] considered them a kind of counterbalance to the mythical Romulus and Remus, the two brothers held to be the founders of Rome.” Sts. Peter and Paul were central to the foundation and advancement of the early Church, thus it is fitting that they would be the patron saints of Rome.
A prayer for the feast of Saints Peter and Paul:
God Our Father,
Today you give us the joy of celebrating the feast of the apostles Peter and Paul.
Through them, your Church first received the faith.
Keep us true to their teaching.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God, forever and ever.
✝✝✝✝✝✝✝
Die katholische Kirche bezeichnet Petrus und Paulus aufgrund ihrer herausragenden Stellung als Apostelfürsten. Der 29. Juni als Gedenktag geht nicht auf die Todestage, sondern auf die Ankunft ihrer Reliquien in Rom zurück. Die Gräber der beiden Apostelfürsten befinden sich in Rom: Das Petrusgrab ist im Petersdom, das Paulusgrab in der Basilika St. Paul vor den Mauern.
Simon Petrus: Jesus-Leugner und erster Papst
Statue des Apostels Petrus in der Kölner Kirche St. Aposteln.© Alex Foxius Simon Petrus ist in der Bibel eine zutiefst ambivalente Person. Er ist einer der ersten Jünger Jesu und bekennt ihn als "Christus, Sohn des lebendigen Gottes" (Mt 16, 16).
Jesus übergibt ihm in der Folge die Schlüssel des Himmels und bezeichnet Petrus als Fels der Kirche: "[…] Du bist Petrus, und auf diesen Felsen will ich meine Kirche bauen, und die Pforten der Hölle sollen sie nicht überwältigen. Ich will dir die Schlüssel des Himmelsreichs geben: alles, was du auf Erden binden wirst, soll auch im Himmel gebunden sein, und alles, was du auf Erden lösen wirst, soll auch im Himmel gelöst sein." (Mt 16, 18-19)
Aufgrund dieses Wortes Jesu hat sich in der Katholischen Kirche das Amt des Papstes gebildet und Petrus wurde von der Tradition immer als der erste Papst angesehen. Seine Attribute sind die Schlüssel, als Bild für die „Schlüssel zum Himmelreich“.
In der Leidensgeschichte Jesu spielt Petrus jedoch eine traurige Rolle: Nach dem letzten Abendmahl sagt ihm Jesus voraus, er werde ihn drei Mal verleugnen. Bei der Gefangennahme Jesu erfüllt sich diese Vorhersage und Petrus leugnet drei Mal, Jesus zu kennen. Nach seiner Auferstehung erinnert Jesus ihn nicht an sein Versagen, sondern stellt ihm dreimal die unerwartete Frage "Petrus, liebst du mich?" (Joh 21,15-19). Auf das dreimalige Ja von Petrus überträgt Jesus ihm die Aufgabe, für die christliche Gemeinde zu sorgen ("Weide meine Schafe", "Weide meine Lämmer").
Die Evangelien nennen Petrus als einen der ersten Zeugen der Auferstehung. Nach dem Pfingstereignis zieht Petrus mit den übrigen Jüngern aus, um in der ganzen Welt die Frohe Botschaft Jesu zu verkünden.
In Rom erlitt er den Märtyrertod. Der Überlieferung nach wurde er gekreuzigt, ließ sich aber auf seinen Wunsch hin mit dem Kopf nach unten kreuzigen, weil er sich selbst nicht als würdig ansah, auf die gleiche Weise wie Christus gekreuzigt zu werden.
Vom Saulus zum Paulus: Vom Christenverfolger zum Apostelfürsten
Saulus bzw. Paulus von Tarsus, der Jesus selbst nie begegnet ist, war anfangs ein Verfolger der Urchristen. Aus seinen Briefen geht hervor, dass er den christlichen Glauben und das Leben der frühen Christen zerstören wolle.
Vor seiner Bekehrung im Damaskuserlebnis wird Paulus in der Apostelgeschichte (Apg) stets Saulus genannt. Daher kommt die Redewendung "vom Saulus zum Paulus", wenn jemand in sehr kurzer Zeit seine Position und sein Handeln um 180 Grad zum Guten ändert. Dennoch ist dieses Sprichwort eigentlich nicht biblisch begründet, denn die Namensänderung bringt die Apostelgeschichte nicht in Verbindung mit der Bekehrung. Es heißt in Apg 13,9 lediglich "aber Saulus, der auch Paulus heißt" – danach spricht die Apostelgeschichte nur noch von Paulus.
Um das Jahr 33 wurde er durch Christus selbst in einer Vision bekehrt. Die Apostelgeschichte berichtet, wie ihn auf dem Weg nach Damaskus ein himmlisches Licht umstrahlt und blind werden lässt (Apg 9, 1-18). Jesus führt ihn nach Damaskus, wo sich Paulus taufen lässt. Christus erwählte ihn zum Missionar der Völker. Diesem Auftrag kam er nach und besuchte die christliche Gemeinde in Jerusalem und verkündete das Evangelium.
Paulus, auch Völkerapostel genannt, gründete urchristliche Gemeinden im ganzen Mittelmeerraum. Durch die bekannten Paulusbriefe blieb er mit ihnen in Kontakt.
Sein Attribut ist das Schwert. Weil Paulus römischer Bürger war, wurde er nicht gekreuzigt, sondern mit dem Schwert hingerichtet. Sein Martyrium soll er im Jahr 64 erlitten haben.
Über seinem Grab wurde die römische Basilika Sankt Paul vor den Mauern in Rom errichtet.
Simon Petrus: Jesus-Leugner und erster Papst
Statue des Apostels Petrus in der Kölner Kirche St. Aposteln.© Alex Foxius Simon Petrus ist in der Bibel eine zutiefst ambivalente Person. Er ist einer der ersten Jünger Jesu und bekennt ihn als "Christus, Sohn des lebendigen Gottes" (Mt 16, 16).
Jesus übergibt ihm in der Folge die Schlüssel des Himmels und bezeichnet Petrus als Fels der Kirche: "[…] Du bist Petrus, und auf diesen Felsen will ich meine Kirche bauen, und die Pforten der Hölle sollen sie nicht überwältigen. Ich will dir die Schlüssel des Himmelsreichs geben: alles, was du auf Erden binden wirst, soll auch im Himmel gebunden sein, und alles, was du auf Erden lösen wirst, soll auch im Himmel gelöst sein." (Mt 16, 18-19)
Aufgrund dieses Wortes Jesu hat sich in der Katholischen Kirche das Amt des Papstes gebildet und Petrus wurde von der Tradition immer als der erste Papst angesehen. Seine Attribute sind die Schlüssel, als Bild für die „Schlüssel zum Himmelreich“.
In der Leidensgeschichte Jesu spielt Petrus jedoch eine traurige Rolle: Nach dem letzten Abendmahl sagt ihm Jesus voraus, er werde ihn drei Mal verleugnen. Bei der Gefangennahme Jesu erfüllt sich diese Vorhersage und Petrus leugnet drei Mal, Jesus zu kennen. Nach seiner Auferstehung erinnert Jesus ihn nicht an sein Versagen, sondern stellt ihm dreimal die unerwartete Frage "Petrus, liebst du mich?" (Joh 21,15-19). Auf das dreimalige Ja von Petrus überträgt Jesus ihm die Aufgabe, für die christliche Gemeinde zu sorgen ("Weide meine Schafe", "Weide meine Lämmer").
Die Evangelien nennen Petrus als einen der ersten Zeugen der Auferstehung. Nach dem Pfingstereignis zieht Petrus mit den übrigen Jüngern aus, um in der ganzen Welt die Frohe Botschaft Jesu zu verkünden.
In Rom erlitt er den Märtyrertod. Der Überlieferung nach wurde er gekreuzigt, ließ sich aber auf seinen Wunsch hin mit dem Kopf nach unten kreuzigen, weil er sich selbst nicht als würdig ansah, auf die gleiche Weise wie Christus gekreuzigt zu werden.
Vom Saulus zum Paulus: Vom Christenverfolger zum Apostelfürsten
Saulus bzw. Paulus von Tarsus, der Jesus selbst nie begegnet ist, war anfangs ein Verfolger der Urchristen. Aus seinen Briefen geht hervor, dass er den christlichen Glauben und das Leben der frühen Christen zerstören wolle.
Vor seiner Bekehrung im Damaskuserlebnis wird Paulus in der Apostelgeschichte (Apg) stets Saulus genannt. Daher kommt die Redewendung "vom Saulus zum Paulus", wenn jemand in sehr kurzer Zeit seine Position und sein Handeln um 180 Grad zum Guten ändert. Dennoch ist dieses Sprichwort eigentlich nicht biblisch begründet, denn die Namensänderung bringt die Apostelgeschichte nicht in Verbindung mit der Bekehrung. Es heißt in Apg 13,9 lediglich "aber Saulus, der auch Paulus heißt" – danach spricht die Apostelgeschichte nur noch von Paulus.
Um das Jahr 33 wurde er durch Christus selbst in einer Vision bekehrt. Die Apostelgeschichte berichtet, wie ihn auf dem Weg nach Damaskus ein himmlisches Licht umstrahlt und blind werden lässt (Apg 9, 1-18). Jesus führt ihn nach Damaskus, wo sich Paulus taufen lässt. Christus erwählte ihn zum Missionar der Völker. Diesem Auftrag kam er nach und besuchte die christliche Gemeinde in Jerusalem und verkündete das Evangelium.
Paulus, auch Völkerapostel genannt, gründete urchristliche Gemeinden im ganzen Mittelmeerraum. Durch die bekannten Paulusbriefe blieb er mit ihnen in Kontakt.
Sein Attribut ist das Schwert. Weil Paulus römischer Bürger war, wurde er nicht gekreuzigt, sondern mit dem Schwert hingerichtet. Sein Martyrium soll er im Jahr 64 erlitten haben.
Über seinem Grab wurde die römische Basilika Sankt Paul vor den Mauern in Rom errichtet.
Impuls petrus & paulus
eifern
zweifeln
untergehen
stürzen
umkehren
neu anfangen
hören
teilen
gemeinschaft (communio)
mitleiden
heilen
lieben (caritas)
da-sein
für-sein
gesandt-sein (missio)
(Michael Lehmler)
Quellen: EWTN, Erzbistum Köln, ChurchPOP.
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