medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
This accords with Farmer and Kereszty: the growing emphasis on Peter did somewhat displace Paul, though they point out that Nicholas I in the controversies of the mid-9thc, re-emphasize both Paul and Peter as the basis for Roman claims. Still, as the pre-1970 liturgy clearly shows, Peter was accented on June 29; the 1970 reforms tried to restore a balance while at the same time maintaining a Petrine-precedence, which, as Fr. Ambrose notes, was recognized by the Church Fathers.
The texts Fr. Ambrose cites are among those studied at length by Farmer and Kereszty in their book; what Farmer and Kereszty add to the discussion, is an effort to read the New Testament material together with this patristic material, doing a theological and historical interpretation of the entire complex of texts.
Dennis Martin
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This is very interesting because I come at the question as a member of the (Russian) Orthodox Church. It is our understanding that the two Apostles were held in equal veneration in both Rome and the whole Christian world during the first millenium, but the significance of Peter naturally came to be emphasised more, eclipsing Paul, as the notion of the petrine base of papal authority developed in the West.. "Peter and Paul in the Church of Rome::The Ecumenical Potential of a Forgotten Perspective" just went on my list of must read articles. The balance of apostolic authority among all the Apostles, not just Peter and Paul, is still of immense importance for the contemporary modes of governance of all the Eastern Churches and the interplay of relationship between them It is *the* burning question in any Catholic-Orthodox dialogue and until it finds a resolution there is no prospect of unity between the Latin Church and the Orthodox Churches.
The Eastern Churches celebrate the 29th June Feast of Peter and Paul; it is preceded by a fast period of two to six weeks (it commences one week after Pentecost) which indicates its importance.
The Church Fathers give an equality to these two Apostles, although Peter has the edge. I happen to have this selection of patristic extracts to hand. More could easily be found.
Fr Ambrose
____________________________________
Ignatius of Antioch
"Not as Peter and Paul did, do I command you [Romans]. They were apostles,
and I am a convict" (Letter to the Romans 4:3 [A.D. 110]).
Dionysius of Corinth
"You [Pope Soter] have also, by your very admonition, brought together the
planting that was made by Peter and Paul at Rome and at Corinth; for both of
them alike planted in our Corinth and taught us; and both alike, teaching
similarly in Italy, suffered martyrdom at the same time" (Letter to Pope
Soter [A.D. 170], in Eusebius, History of the Church 2:25:8).
Irenaeus of Lyons
"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 [A.D. 189]).
Irenaeus of Lyons
"But since it would be too long to enumerate in such a volume as this the
succession of all the churches, we shall confound all those who, in whatever
manner, whether through self-satisfaction or vainglory, or through blindness
and wicked opinion, assemble other than where it is proper, by pointing out
here the successions of the bishops of the greatest and most ancient church
known to all, founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious
apostles, Peter and Paul, that church which has the tradition and the faith
which comes down to us after having been announced to men by the apostles.
With that church, because of its superior origin, all the churches must
agree, that is, all the faithful in the whole world, and it is in her that
the faithful everywhere have maintained the apostolic tradition" (ibid.,
3:3:2).
Irenaeus of Lyons
"The blessed apostles [Peter and Paul], having founded and built up the
church [of Rome], they handed over the office of the episcopate to Linus.
Paul makes mention of this Linus in the letter to Timothy [2 Tim. 4:21]. To
him succeeded Anacletus, and after him, in the third place from the apostles,
Clement was chosen for the episcopate. He had seen the blessed apostles and
was acquainted with them. It might be said that he still heard the echoes of
the preaching of the apostles and had their traditions before his eyes. And
not only he, for there were many still remaining who had been instructed by
the apostles. In the time of Clement, no small dissension having arisen among
the brethren in Corinth, the Church in Rome sent a very strong letter to the
Corinthians, exhorting them to peace and renewing their faith . . . To this
Clement, Evaristus succeeded . . . and now, in the twelfth place after the
apostles, the lot of the episcopate [of Rome] has fallen to Eleutherus. In
this order, and by the teaching of the apostles handed down in the Church,
the preaching of the truth has come down to us" (ibid., 3:3:3).
Caius
"It is recorded that Paul was beheaded in Rome itself, and Peter, likewise,
was crucified, during the reign [of the Emperor Nero]. The account is
confirmed by the names of Peter and Paul over the cemeteries there, which
remain to the present time. And it is confirmed also by a stalwart man of the
Church, Gaius by name, who lived in the time of Zephyrinus, bishop of Rome.
This Gaius, in a written disputation with Proclus, the leader of the sect of
Cataphrygians, says this of the places in which the remains of the
aforementioned apostles were deposited: 'I can point out the trophies of the
apostles. For if you are willing to go to the Vatican or to the Ostian Way,
you will find the trophies of those who founded this Church"' (Disputation
with Proclus [A.D. 198] in Eusebius, Church History 2:25:5).
Tertullian
"But if you are near Italy, you have Rome, where authority is at hand for us
too. What a happy church that is, on which the apostles poured out their
whole doctrine with their blood; where Peter had a passion like that of the
Lord, where Paul was crowned with the death of John [the Baptist, by being
beheaded]" (Demurrer Against the Heretics 36 [A.D. 200]).
Tertullian
"Let us see what milk the Corinthians drained from Paul; against what
standard the Galatians 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 [A.D. 210]).
Lactantius
"When Nero was already reigning Peter came to Rome, where, in virtue of the
performance of certain miracles which he worked . . . he converted many to
righteousness and established a firm and steadfast temple to God. When this
fact was reported to Nero . . . he sprang to the task of tearing down the
heavenly temple and of destroying righteousness. It was he that first
persecuted the servants of God. Peter he fixed to a cross, and Paul he slew"
(The Deaths of the Persecutors 2:5 [A.D. 318]).
Cyril of Jerusalem
"[Simon Magus] so deceived the city of Rome that Claudius erected a statue of
him . . .While the error was extending itself, Peter and Paul arrived, a
noble pair and the rulers of the Church, and they set the error aright. . . .
[T]hey launched the weapon of their like-mindedness in prayer against the
Magus, and struck him down to earth. It was marvelous enough, and yet no
marvel at all, for Peter was there--he that carries about the keys of heaven.
And it was nothing to marvel at, for Paul was there--he that was caught up
into the third heaven" (Catechetical Lectures 6:14 [A.D. 350]).
Epiphanius of Salamis
"At Rome the first Apostles and bishops were Peter and Paul, then Linus, then
Cletus, then Clement, the contemporary of Peter and Paul" (Medicine Chest
Against All Heresies 27:6 [A.D. 375]).
Pope Damasus I
"Likewise it is decreed: . . . [W]e have considered that it ought to be
announced that although all the Catholic Churches spread abroad through the
world comprise one bridal chamber of Christ, nevertheless, the holy Roman
Church has been placed at the forefront not by the conciliar decisions of
other churches, but has received the primacy by the evangelic voice of our
Lord and Savior, who says: 'You are 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
you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you shall have bound on
earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall have loosed on earth
shall be loosed in heaven' [Matt. 16:18-19]. The first see, therefore, is
that of Peter the apostle, that of the Roman Church, which has neither stain
nor blemish nor anything like it
"In addition to this, there is also the companionship of the vessel of
election, the most blessed apostle Paul, who contended and was crowned with a
glorious death along with Peter in the city of Rome in the time of Caesar
Nero . . . . They equally consecrated the above-mentioned holy Roman Church
to Christ the Lord; and by their own presence and by their venerable triumph
they set it at the forefront over the others of all the cities of the whole
world. (Decree of Damasus 3 [A.D. 382]).
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