Victor R. Claveau, MJ
Some Fundamentalists, other Protestants an self-styled critics have boldly questioned the fact that St. Peter was ever in Rome. They believe that the best argument against the institution of the papacy is the argument that Peter was never there. For the most part they base their allegations upon certain quotations from Scripture which go to prove St. Peter’s continued presence in other parts of the world during the period of his episcopacy in Rome. Because he is thus proven to have been elsewhere at certain times they jump to the conclusion that he was never in Rome. Yet all Christendom has uniformly, through all ages, believed St. Peter was the first Bishop of Rome, and there suffered martyrdom. It was left to modern writers to doubt something accepted by all, even enemies of the Church, for the first fourteen centuries of her existence.
St. Peter began his Apostolic labors ten day after the ascension of our Lord into heaven, that is, on the day of Pentecost, May 15th of the 34th year after the birth of Jesus. In fact, he had preached on the very day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41), and a few days later. He remained in Jerusalem for four years, preaching the Gospel in many parts of Sumaria during this time (Acts 13:25). Here he was visited by St. Paul (Acts 13:27,28). In the same year, the fourth, he visited Lidda (Acts 9:32), going from there to Joppe (Acts 10:11-12). In the last two places miracles are recorded of his work. Going to Ceasarea, he instructed the centurion Cornelius and his household, all of whom he baptized (Acts 10:23). He returned to Jerusalem (Acts 11:18) for a short time and then went to Antioch, where he remained for seven years, making excursions into the nearby provinces.
In the eleventh year after the Ascension, St. Peter selected Rome as his bishopric, leaving Antioch to Evodius, who he installed as bishop. Going first to Jerusalem, he was imprisoned by Herod (Acts 12) but was miraculously delivered by an angel. He made his way to Rome that same year, where he was the first preach the Gospel of Christ. Under his teaching the number of Christians increased steadily, and he was able to send disciples into many neighboring areas. In the seventh year of his residence in Rome the Emperor Claudius banished all Jews, and as the Christians were considered a Jewish sect, they too, had to go. St. Peter, according to some, went at this time to Britain. According to others, he went to Carthage, where he installed Crescent as bishop, and later to Alexandria where he placed St. Mark in charge, raising that see to a Patriarchate. Then he returned to Jerusalem. Here he presided as a Council, declaring that certain Jewish ordinances were not binding on Christians, a decision confirmed by all present, including St. James, Bishop of Jerusalem, St. Paul and St. Barnabas (Acts 15). This was about eighteen years after Christ’s death.
Three years later, under Nero, who was at first peaceable, many Christians returned to Rome, St. Peter among the first. Two years later St. Paul arrived as a prisoner, remaining so for two years before being set free to go to Spain. In the tenth year of Nero’s reign, Rome was set on fire. Nero, in order to escape blame, placed it on the Christians, and under this pretext many suffered martyrdom. Then came the persecutions that continued until Nero’s death. In the twelfth year of Nero’s reign, (the twenty-fourth of St. Peter’s Roman Ponfificate), St. Peter, who had absented himself from Rome for a short time, returned, and St, Paul with him. During this year St. Peter foretold of his approaching death, is his epistle (2 Pet. 1:14). At this time, the two saints confounded Simon Magus, the magician, but his defeat aroused the anger of Nero who caused their arrest and confinement in Mamertine prison. Here for nine months, they were in strict confinement. During this time St. Paul wrote his epistle to Timothy. St. Peter caused water to spring from the rock floor to be used in the baptism of the jail keepers, a spring which still exists in the church of St. Joseph built on the spot. In the 34th year after the Ascension, the 25th of St. Peter’s possession of the see of Rome, Saints Peter and Paul were sentenced, St. Pater to be crucified, St. Paul to be beheaded, because they were disciples of Christ. St. Peter was crucified on Mt. Janiculum, not far from Vatican Hill, with his head downward, at his own request, because in his humility, he thought that he was unworthy to die as did his Divine Lord. St. Paul was beheaded on the road to Ostia, four miles out of the city. When his head fell from the sword, it made three bounds, and a fountain sprang up at each place his head touched. They can still be seen, “Les Trois Fountaines,” about two miles from the Basilica of St. Peters.
I might add that most Protestant scholars affirm and freely admit that there is not a shred of evidence to prove that St. Peter was never in Rome and an abundance of evidence to support that he was.
1 Pet. 5:12 – Church in Babylon, sends greetings. (The name “Babylon” is used here as a cryptic name for the city of Rome.)
St. Irenæus of Lyon [AD 180] “Matthew also issued among the Hebrews a written Gospel in their own language, while Peter and Paul were evangelizing in Rome and laying the foundation of the Church”. (Against Heresies 3. 1:1)
Tertullian [AD 207] “Let us see what milk the Corinthians drained from Paul; against what standard the Galations were measured for correction; what the Philippians, Thessalonians, and Ephesians read; what even the nearby Romans sound forth, to whom both Peter and Paul bequeathed the gospel and even sealed it with their blood” (Against Marcion 4, 5:1).
St. Clement of Alexandria [AD 190] “The circumstances which occasioned…[the writing] of Mark were these: When Peter preached the Word publicly at Rome and declared the gospel by the Spirit, many were present requested that Mark, who had been a long time follower and who remembered his sayings; should write down what he proclaimed” (Sketches, in a fragment from Eusebius’ History of the Church, 6, 14:1).