Was Peter Ever in Rome?
Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome |
St Irenaeus, "Against Heresies", chapter III,
"...the
very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the
two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith
preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the
bishops."
Eusebius, "History of the Church", 2,14,6, 300 A.D.,
J651dd
In the same reign of Claudius, the all-good and gracious providence
which watches over all things guided Peter, the great and mighty one among the
Apostles, who, because of his virtue, was the spokesman for all the others, to
Rome."
Tertullian, "The demurrer against the heretics", chapter
XXXII,1,
"...like the church of the Romans where Clement was ordained by
Peter."
Who has the authority to ordain priests? Only Bishops do.
Clement was ordained by the Bishop of Rome, Peter.
Saint Peter of
Alexandria, "The Canonical Letter", canon 9, 306 A.D.
"Peter, the first
chosen of the Apostles, having been apprehended often and thrown into prison and
treated with ignominy, at last was crucified in Rome."
Eusebius, "The
Chronicle" Ad An.Dom 68, J651cc
"Nero is the first, in addition to all his
other crimes, to make a persecution against the Christians, in which Peter and
Paul died gloriously in Rome."
Eusebius, "History of the Church", 3,2,
300 A.D., J652a
"After the martyrdom of Paul and Peter, Linus was the first
appointed to the Episcopacy of the Church at Rome."
Lactantius, "Of the manner in which the persecutors
died":
This letter is addressed to Donatus. It not only shows that Peter was
actually in Rome, but that he died there also at the hands of Nero. Chapter II.
"His apostles were at that time eleven in number, to whom were added Matthias,
in the room of the traitor Judas, and afterwards Paul. Then were they dispersed
throughout all the earth to preach the Gospel, as the Lord their Master had
commanded them; and during twenty-five years, and until the beginning of the
reign of the Emperor Nero, they occupied themselves in laying the foundations of
the Church in every province and city. And while Nero reigned, the Apostle
Peter came to Rome, and, through the power of God committed unto him,
wrought certain miracles, and, by turning many to the true religion, built up a
faithful and steadfast temple unto the Lord. When Nero heard of those things,
and observed that not only in Rome, but in every other place, a great multitude
revolted daily from the worship of idols, and, condemning their old ways, went
over to the new religion, he, an execrable and pernicious tyrant, sprung forward
to raze the heavenly temple and destroy the true faith. He it was who first
persecuted the servants of God; he crucified Peter, and slew Paul: nor
did he escape with impunity; for God looked on the affliction of His people; and
therefore the tyrant, bereaved of authority, and precipitated from the height of
empire, suddenly disappeared, and even the burial-place of that noxious wild
beast was nowhere to be seen."
Saint Damasus I, "The Decree of Damasus"
3, 382 A.D., J910u
"The first see, therefore, is that of Peter the Apostle,
that of the Roman Church, which has neither stain nor blemish nor anything like
it."
Saint Augustine, "Letter to Generosus", 53,1,2, 400 A.D.,
J1418
"If the very order of episcopal succession is to be considered, how
much more surely, truly, and safely do we number them from Peter himself, to
whom, as to one representing the whole Church, the Lord said: "Upon this rock I
will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not conquer
it."
Clement of Corinth in his letter to the Corinthians in 70 A.D.
Peter of Alexandria, in his work called 'Penance' in 311.
St Ignatius of Antioch, in his letter to the Romans, about 107.
I have presented several early Church writings in this
letter, and there are many others to show that Peter was indeed in Rome, that he
and Paul founded the Church there, that he was the first Bishop of Rome, now
called the Pope, and that he died there.
For those who charge that Peter was
never in Rome, I challenge them to provide genuine historical documents as proof
of support for their position. If they have no genuine proof of what they
charge, then they have only false charges.
'The Bones of St. Peter', by John Walsh.
'Catholicism and Fundamentalism', by Karl Keating, pg 204-205.
'Radio Replies', by Frs. Rumble and Carty, Vol I-370.
'Faith of the Early Fathers', by William A.
Jurgens.