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This Sunday, we celebrate Saints Peter and Paul. These men are the two foundations on which the early Church was built. Simon Peter was chosen by Christ to be the head of the Apostles, the first Pope. For two thousand years, Peter’s successor as the bishop of Rome has been the leader of the universal Church. We have recently witnessed the succession of this authority shift to Pope Leo XIV following the death of Pope Francis.
Paul, originally a persecutor of the Church, was knocked to the ground on his way to Damascus and confronted by Christ about his actions against Christians. Christ then called and commissioned him to preach the Gospel to all the gentiles (those who are not Jews). Using his Roman name of Paul, he was responsible for bringing the Good News of Jesus to many lands and peoples.
Both Peter and Paul gave their lives for Christ—Peter by crucifixion and Paul by beheading. They both died around A.D. 64 during the persecution of the Emperor Nero. They serve as reminders that we need to preach the Gospel everywhere we go (like Paul) while respecting the authority of the Church (Peter).
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