Why did the first pope die by crucifixion?

Answer 1

A:The assumption is that Peter was the first bishop of Rome and therefore the first pope, but there is no proof that Peter ever went to Rome. The story of Peter in Rome began with the second-century Pope Anicetus who, wishing to demonstrate that he spoke with the authority of Peter, reported that Peter had been beheaded in Rome. Then, a century later, Origen changed this to say that Peter was sentenced to crucifixion but, feeling unworthy of being crucified like Jesus, asked to be crucified upside down.

Answer 2

Peter was appointed as leader of the Church when Our Lord said:

And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. (Matthew Chapt. 16)

Peter assumed the position upon the Ascension of Our Lord into heaven. The term 'pope' did not come into usage until many years later but Peter was still considered a pope even though the establishment of the office of pope and hierarchy was yet to come. All the apostles, even Paul, deferred to Peter for important decisions.

Peter is considered the first pope even though the term 'pope' did not come into common usage until much later. Whether Peter was in Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome or elsewhere, he is still considered the first pope. Later, as the Church grew and a hierarchy developed. the Church established its headquarters in Rome as Rome was considered the center of the world at the time. It had good roads reaching out to the vast empire as well as ships that plied the Mediterranean. Missionaries could reach anywhere in the known world from Rome. As the pope was the highest ranking Church authority in Rome, he was automatically consider the Bishop of Rome.

From 1309 until 1377 popes reigned from Avignon in France. No matter, the pope was still the pope. Once the situation was resolved, the papacy returned to Rome and the pope again resumed his position as the Bishop of Rome along with his title of Pope. Even today, should Pope Francis make the unlikely decision to move the Church headquarters to, say, Buenos Aires, Argentina, he would still be Pope and the assigned Bishop of Rome would simply be the Bishop of Rome. The Pope would be the Bishop of Buenos Aires as well as pope of the Universal Church.

The Church has ample evidence that Peter did rule from Rome at some time. But even if he had never stepped foot in the city, he was still the Pope. Being Bishop of Rome is not a prerequisite for the papacy. By default, if the pope is headquartered in Rome, he is also the bishop of that diocese.

And, yes, Peter did reside, at least for a time, in Rome and died there under orders from Roman Emperor Nero. Francis A. Sullivan SJ in his book From Apostles to Bishops states unequivocally that Peter was in Rome and died there. His statement is based on both scripture as well as the writings of early Church fathers.

Peter would have assumed leadership about the year AD33 and he died sometime between AD64 and AD67.

Answer 3

The assumption is that Peter was the first bishop of Rome and therefore the first pope, but there is no proof that Peter ever went to Rome. The story of Peter in Rome began with the second-century Pope Anicetus who, wishing to demonstrate that he spoke with the authority of Peter, reported that Peter had been beheaded in Rome. Then, a century later, Origen changed this to say that Peter was sentenced to crucifixion but, feeling unworthy of being crucified like Jesus, asked to be crucified upside down.

In fact, John W. O’Malley, S.J. says in A History of the Popes, pages 8-9, that no one piece of evidence states in straightforward and unambiguous language either that Peter went to Rome or that he died there. Francis A. Sullivan SJ says in From Apostles to Bishops, page 13, that that there are serious problems with the Catholic position of a link between the apostles and the earliest bishops. Sullivan looks at all the available evidence from the first and second centuries and concludes that the first bishop of Rome was appointed or elected in the middle of the second century. There is no suggestion that any of these popes was ever crucified.

For more information of the early popes, please visit:

http://christianity.answers.com/catholicism/a-brief-history-of-the-early-popes