St. Peter St. Peter: depicted by an upside down cross and keys. Tradition has it that St. Peter was crucified in Rome upside down. The keys refer to the Lord giving him, as the Rock on which he will build his Church, the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and the power of binding an...
claims to have Peter’s body in its crypt. The legend is that Peter was crucified upside down by Nero and buried nearby in the pagan necropolis on Vatican Hill. I’m not clear why the early Christians would have moved his body to this catacomb so far from Rome, then moved it back (w...
Apart from theallusionto Rome in theFirst Letter of Peter, there is no historical evidence that St. Peter was Rome’s first bishop or that he wasmartyredin Rome (according to tradition, he was crucified upside down) during a persecution of the Christians in the mid-60sce. By the end of...
Peter was Rome’s first bishop or that he was martyred in Rome (according to tradition, he was crucified upside down) during a persecution of the Christians in the mid-60s ce. By the end of the 1st century, however, his presence in the imperial capital was recognized by Christian leaders...