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On St. Peter's Imprisonment and Miraculous Release "True freedom is found in following Jesus" VATICAN CITY, MAY 9, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Italian-language catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience held in St. Peter’s Square. The Pope continued his reflection on prayer in the Acts of the Apostles, today considering St. Peter’s imprisonment and miraculous release. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, Today I would like to consider the final episode of St. Peter’s life recounted in the Acts of the Apostles: his imprisonment by order of Herod Agrippa and his liberation through...

Saint Peter the Apostle Also known as Simon and Cephas, his feast is celebrated with St. Paul on the 29 th of June. The feast of the Chair of Peter, which stands for the World Unity of the Church is celebrated on the 22nd of February. He was a fisherman, brother of Saint Andrew the Apostle who led him to Christ. The Lord gave him the name of "Peter" to indicate that he would be the rock on which the Church would be built. He had miraculous healing powers, so that people were cured even by his shadow. (Acts 5:15)...

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Readings:• Isa 22:19-23• Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8• Rom 11:33-36• Mt 16:13-20“The doctrine of the primacy of Peter is just one more of the many errors that the Church of Rome has added to the Christian religion.”So wrote the Presbyterian theologian Loraine Boettner in his 1962 book, Roman Catholicism, a popular work of anti-Catholic polemics. Although the religious landscape has changed significantly since the early 1960s, there are still many non-Catholic Christians today who agree wholeheartedly with Boettner’s assertions. The Papacy is unbiblical! It has no basis in Scripture! Peter was never singled out as a leader of the apostles!...

St Francis and the Sultan: the making of a pious myth Jonathan Wright on a wonderful book that explains how a legendary meeting was reinterpreted over eight centuries 26 June 2009 St Francis of Assisi: His trip to Egypt became one of the centrepieces of Franciscan hagiography In September 1219, as yet another crusade was raging, Francis of Assisi popped across the military lines in order to talk with Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil of Egypt. We have no accurate idea of why he went or what was said but, in an important sense, this doesn't much matter. Here was a legendary...

This Santa slid down no chimney, but he feels he and the kids got the shaft nonetheless. Dennis Jackson said it was over-reaching cultural sensitivity that led to being told his annual Santa appearances must cease at St. Peter Head Start classes for young children. Jackson said he was told "it was against some people's wishes" for him to make the half-hour appearances for two classes catering to about three dozen children. He said St. Peter Head Start personnel gave him no reason for the action. He's made Santa appearances there the past four years to dispense candy bought at...

The Pope 297. As a Protestant I question your statements that it is necessary to have a Pope. You are not alone in doing so. In fact, if you did not do so, you would not still profess to be a Protestant. 298. Why do we need one? Because we need the Church Christ thought fit to establish, with just the very constitution He gave it. And since He arranged that we should have a Pope, we need a Pope. 299. Is not Jesus Christ enough? One does not accept Jesus Christ who refuses to accept the provision made by...

The Petrine Text 316. Where in the Bible does it say that Peter was the Vicar of God? The three classical passages in which St. Peter's supremacy over the Church is clearly shown are as follows: In the Gospel of St. Matthew, Mt 16:18-19, we find Christ saying to Peter, "I say to thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, it shall be bound...

St. Peter's Supremacy 329. Could you imagine our Lord building His Church on a mere man, no matter how good he was? There is no room for imagining what Christ would do, or would not do, when we know what He did do. 330. Is it not more consistent with God's plan that His Church should be built on the rock of Peter's confession, and not on Peter? That profession of faith by Peter was but a preliminary condition which occasioned the promise of Christ to Peter himself. The attributing to the confession of what should be attributed to Peter...

St. Peter in Rome 348. Is there any indication in Scripture that St. Peter was ever in Rome? Yes. St. Peter ends his first Epistle with the words, "The Church which is in Babylon salutes you, and so doth my son Mark." Pagan Rome was called Babylon by the early Christians; and St. Peter was writing from that city. Also, St. Paul wrote his Epistle to the Romans in the year 58 A. D. In it he says that he does not want to preach the Gospel where Christ is already known, because he would not build on "another man's...

Did Peter Have a Successor? The affectionate title “Pope”, by which Catholics refer to the Bishop of Rome, is not found in the Bible. But then neither are the words “Trinity” and “Incarnation”. The bishops heading all the great ancient patriarchates of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, are each known as “Pope” to their flocks; the title is not applied to the bishop of Rome only. The word “pope” comes from the Greek "pappas" meaning “father” and is a scriptural custom started by the apostle Paul: “Even if you have countless guides in Christ, yet you do not have many...

August 1 Spiritual Bouquet: In this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit. St. John 15:8 SAINT PETER'S CHAINS (44 A.D.) In the year 44 King Herod Agrippa, after putting to death Saint James, son of Zebedee, was still avid for popular approval by the Jews. He had Saint Peter cast into prison, intending to put him to death publicly after the Passover; but the entire Church of Jerusalem was offering up prayers to God “without ceasing” (Acts 12:5) for the deliverance of the Chief Pastor of His flock, and God heard them favorably. The king had taken...

Hopefully nobody gets liturgical whiplash or anything, but the calendar veers from the reflective to the festive with today's observance of the Chair of Peter. This year, Lent's second day is overtaken by one of the church's more politically-inspired feasts, one which only spread from Rome to the wider church as the authority of Peter's successors took root as a prerogative beyond first among equals. There is no functional Chair, of course -- new Popes don't hop a cherry-picker to be seated in Bernini's "Chair of St Peter" sculpture at the back of Vatican basilica (shown at right). And, aside...

Life-size sketch of giant dome uncovered By Malcolm Moore in Rome Last Updated: 2:35am GMT 13/12/2006 Archaeologists digging to reach the tomb of St Paul have stumbled across a life-size "sketch" of the dome of St Peter's produced by one of its architects in the 16th century. The excavation of St Paul's tomb at the church of St Paul's Outside-the-Walls in Rome is now complete, and the sarcophagus will be on view from the beginning of next year. However, three feet below the floor of the enormous church, which is the second-largest in the city, the project's team came across...

St. Peter and Rome 11/15/04 Dear Catholic Exchange: Why did St. Peter establish the Church in Rome? Ed Dear Ed, Peace in Christ! We do not know why Peter went to Rome. The Church has always maintained, based on historical evidence, that Peter went to Rome, but has never taught why this happened. In speculating on this matter, there are two primary considerations. First, at the time of Jesus and the early Church, the Roman Empire controlled the lands around the Mediterranean, a large portion of what is now Europe, and most of what is now called the Middle...

June 29, 2006 Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles Mass during the Day Psalm: Thursday 27 Reading 1Acts 12:1-11 In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them.He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword,and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jewshe proceeded to arrest Peter also.(It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.—He had him taken into custody and put in prisonunder the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.He intended to bring him before the people after Passover.Peter thus was being kept in prison,but...

June 28, 2006 Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, bishop and martyr Psalm: Wednesday 27 Reading 12 Kgs 22:8-13; 23:1-3 The high priest Hilkiah informed the scribe Shaphan,“I have found the book of the law in the temple of the LORD.”Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.Then the scribe Shaphan went to the king and reported,“Your servants have smelted down the metals available in the templeand have consigned them to the master workmenin the temple of the LORD.”The scribe Shaphan also informed the kingthat the priest Hilkiah had given him a book,and then read it aloud to the king.When the...

Peter, the Rock "The Custodian of the Communion With Christ" VATICAN CITY, JUNE 7, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of Benedict XVI's address at today's general audience, which he dedicated to comment on the theme "Peter, the rock on which Christ founded the Church." * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters: We resume the weekly catecheses that we began this spring. In the last one, two weeks ago, I spoke of Peter as the first apostle. Today we want to return once again to this great and important figure of the Church. The Evangelist John, when recounting the first...

ROMA, June 1, 2006 – In a St. Peter’s Square that is always extremely crowded with pilgrims from all nations, each Wednesday Benedict XVI continues the cycle of catechesis he began last March 18, on “the relationship between Christ and the Church as considered beginning with the experience of the apostles.” The continuity is interrupted only rarely: for example, on Wednesday, May 31, the pope dedicated the audience to a reflection summarizing his trip to Poland a few days earlier. The theme assigned to the cycle is revealing of pope Joseph Ratzinger’s intention to clarify the essence and foundations...

June 2, 2006 Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter Psalm: Friday 23 Reading 1Acts 25:13b-21 King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesareaon a visit to Festus.Since they spent several days there,Festus referred Paul’s case to the king, saying,“There is a man here left in custody by Felix.When I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jewsbrought charges against him and demanded his condemnation.I answered them that it was not Roman practiceto hand over an accused person before he has faced his accusersand had the opportunity to defend himself against their charge.So when they came together...