Saint Peter (Greek ??????, Rock)Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. (c.1-64 AD) was one of the Twelve Apostles, chosen by Jesus as one of his first disciples. His life is prominently featured in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. Peter was a Galilean fisherman assigned a leadership role by Jesus. He was with Jesus during events witnessed by only a few apostles, such as the Transfiguration."Peter, St." Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005 Early Christian writers provided more details about his life. Tradition describes him as the first bishop of Rome, author of two canonical epistles, and a martyr under Nero, crucified head down and buried in Rome. His memoirs are traditionally cited as the source of the Gospel of Mark.

The Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Anglican Communion consider Simon Peter a saint. According to Catholic and Orthodox tradition, Peter was the first bishop of Rome and Catholics argue that the Pope is Peter's successor and therefore the rightful superior of all other bishops. Eastern and Oriental Orthodox also recognize the Bishop of Rome as the successor of Saint Peter and the Ecumenical Patriarch sends a delegation each year to Rome to participate in the celebration of his feast. In the "Ravenna Document" of 13 October 2007, the representatives of the Eastern Orthodox Church agreed that "Rome, as the Church that 'presides in love' according to the phrase of St Ignatius of Antioch (To the Romans, Prologue), occupied the first place in the taxis, and that the bishop of Rome was therefore the protos among the patriarchs. They disagree, however, on the interpretation of the historical evidence from this era regarding the prerogatives of the bishop of Rome as protos, a matter that was already understood in different ways in the first millennium."

Furthermore, the Apostolic Fathers and the earliest ecclesiastical documents all state that Saint Linus was the first bishop of Rome; these include IrenaeusAgainst Heresies3:3.3, Jerome,Chronicon, 14g (p. 267) Eusebius,Church History 3.2, 3.13, 5.6 John Chrysostom,Homily X the Liberian CatalogueThe Chronography of 354 AD Part 13: Bishops of Rome and the Liber Pontificalis.Liber Pontificalis 2 For example, Saint Irenaeus states:

:The blessed apostles, then, having founded and built up the Church, committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate. Of this Linus, Paul makes mention in the Epistles to Timothy. To him succeeded Anacletus; and after him, in the third place from the apostles, Clement was allotted the bishopric.Irenaeus, The Church History, Book III, CCEL.

Moreover, the first honor to any bishop (as opposed to a bishop who was also a patriarch) was always afforded to Jerusalem and authority over all other churches was given by the Council of Nicaea to Constantinople. The Catholic Encyclopedia reads: "During the first Christian centuries the church at this place was the centre of Christianity in Jerusalem, 'Holy and glorious Sion, mother of all churches.' Certainly no spot in Christendom can be more venerable than the place of the Last Supper, which became the first Christian church."[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08355a.htm]

In the "Ravenna Document" of 13 October 2007, the representatives of the Eastern Orthodox Church agreed that "Rome, as the Church that 'presides in love' according to the phrase of St Ignatius of Antioch (To the Romans, Prologue), occupied the first place in the taxis, and that the bishop of Rome was therefore the protos among the patriarchs. This reaffirms the traditional place of honor - but not authority - given to the patriarch of Rome. Thus, the historical accuracy of the accounts of Peter's role in Rome is a matter of ongoing debate.Ehrman, Bart D.: Peter, Paul, And Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History And Legend, Chapter 6, Oxford University Press

US, 2006, ISBN 0195300130Keating, Karl: Catholicism and fundamentalism: The attack on "romanism" by "Bible Christians", Chapter 17, Ignatius Press, 1988, ISBN 0898701775Perkins, Pheme: Peter: Apostle for the Whole Church, Continuum International Publishing Group, 2000, ISBN 0567087433

In art, he is often depicted holding the keys to the kingdom of heaven (interpreted by Roman Catholics as the sign of his primacy over the Church), a reference to Matthew .