Who he was
Simon, son of Jona, was a fisherman on the Lake of Galilee, living at Capernaum with his family, when his brother Andrew brought him to Jesus. Christ renamed him Cephas, Peter, 'the rock', and made him the leader of the Twelve. After Pentecost he led the Church in Jerusalem, preached in Antioch and beyond, and ended his life in Rome, where the Church counts him its first bishop.
What he is remembered for
Prince of the Apostles and the first pope, to whom Christ gave the keys of the kingdom. Tradition holds that he was crucified in Rome under Nero, upside down at his own wish, and buried on the Vatican Hill, where St Peter's Basilica now stands. He is one of the best-known saints in the world; his feast with St Paul is 29 June.
He is honoured by the Church as Saint. Read his page in the dictionary of saints.
Sources
All popes · Home · All saints