PETER the ROCK

  In Mt 16:18 Jesus said to Peter : You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church. Christ didn’t preached in Greek but in Hebrew (Aramaic). He spoke to Peter: you are Kefa and upon this Kefa I will build My Church. Kefa in Aramaic language means a solid, massive rock. So, Christ has built His Church on Peter: a massive solid rock (Kefa).

When the Hebrew text was to be translated in to Greek, the problem has occurred. A massive solid rock in Greek is called petra (πετρα) , but it has a feminine gender. It would be an offense to a man by giving him a feminine name Petra.                                                                              The name Petros (Πετρος) with a masculine gender has to be been given to Peter. Unfortunately this word means a little stone. But it was the best a translator could do.                                                                         The Apostles have heard Christ giving the name to Peter calling him KEFAS. That was enough for them (Jn 1:40-42).

Was Peter in Rome? Did he die there?

Some people would have their doubt about it. But the truth is different. Peter lived in Rome, and he died there. He was martyred in Rome around 67 AD. In his first letter, Peter sends greeting from Babylon (1 Pet 5:13), which was in former times a common name used for the pagan Rome. In the roman cemetery (the catacombs), there are some graffiti made by the first century Christians, which clearly indicate that Peter was in Rome and has died there. Under the main altar in St. Peter’s Basilica, a tomb has been discovered by archeologists. The tomb contains the remains of St. Peter’s bones.

There is a strong tradition with the Apostolic Fathers about Peter’s martyrdom in Rome. 

St Irenaeus (+202 A.D.), the disciple of St Policarp (who was a disciple of Saint John the Apostle), testifies that Saints Peter and Paul preached the Gospel and founded the Church in Rome: ‘Mathew also issued among the Hebrews a written Gospel in their own language [Hebrew], while Peter and Paul were evangelizing in Rome and laying the foundation of the Church’ (Against Heresis 3:1:1).

Tertulian (+ 240 A.D.) says: How happy is that Church [of Rome] for which the apostles poured forth their whole teaching with their blood. Where Peter shares the passion of his Lord; and Paul is crowned with the fate of John (De Predescrip. Adv. Hearers. c.36).

Saint Cyprian (+258 A.D.) speaks very clearly about the Roman Church founded on Peter, who fixed the Chair in Rome, which is the Mother Church (The Unity of the Catholic Church 4).

Calling the Leader of the Church - POPE

The word ‘pope’ comes from the Latin word papa (father). In our families we use word father (papa) and there is no problem with it. Since Jesus appointed Peter to be the Leader of the Church              (Mt 15:18-19) to take care of the believers. His duty is similar to a father who takes care of his family. So, he rightly called Father (Holy Father, the Pope - papa). There is nothing wrong with that. It doesn’t have to be found explicitly in the Bible. To call the leader of the Church father, is a sign of respect given to him. It is a sign of love of the Leader appointed by Jesus.

 Some people quote from the Bible the following text: ‘You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and He is in heaven’ ( Mt 23:9) and say we are not allowed to call other man father (the pope).                                                                                       Such interpretation of that text is incorrect. Jesus said as well: You must not call other man teacher (Mt 23:9), and yet nothing wrong is found with calling man and women teachers.                                        The word teacher is commonly used in the schools. In the same way, there is nothing wrong with calling other man father (papa, pope).

The Bible uses the word father many times for example you can read Mt 10:35 ; 15:4.                                                                                             When Jesus says don’t call other man your father, He means not to put another person above God, not to put the teachings of another person above the Gospel preached by Christ. Jesus says: ‘ No one who prefers father or mother to Me is not worthy of Me (Mt 10:37). 

The followers of Christ, the First Christians understood Jesus’ teaching correctly. They didn’t have any problem with calling other man father. But some of the contemporary people who‘s goal is to fight with the Church established by Jesus – the Catholic Church, use often the misinterpreted Biblical texts in order to use them as a weapons against the true Church. 

If you happen to hear some accusations against the Catholic Church, you have to protect yourselve, in order not to be deceived by them.

The only way to do so,  is to find out how the first Christians understood that particular topic.                                                                 In another words read the writings of the first Christians like: Didache,  writings of    St Justin,    St Ignatius, St Ireneus …                      In another words find out what the Tradition has to say about it .       

If you follow the Bible and the Tradition (2Th 2:15 ; 3:6) you will not be mislead by others. You will be on the right path to follows the truth.

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