It is, therefore, recorded that Paul was beheaded in Rome itself, and that Peter likewise was crucified under Nero. One of the typical “gotcha” proofs of this claim is the Papal symbol of the upside down or inverted cross, which the anti-Catholic confidently asserts as being satanic. We read the lives of the Cæsars: At Rome Nero was the first who stained with blood the rising faith. We see an allusion to this in the Gospel of John, when our Lord speaks of the kind of death that Peter would suffer: Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go.” (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) By the time of the writing of John’s Gospel, Peter’s martyrdom had already occurred, the manner of which was arguably well attested to by his readers. Artwork featuring the Petrine cross may contain an overlay of the “keys of heaven,” based on Matthew 16:19. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Unlike an upside down crucifix, which seeks to invert and subvert it’s meaning, there is nothing satanic about an upside down cross. Thus publicly announcing himself as the first among God’s chief enemies, [Nero] was led on to the slaughter of the apostles. Depending on who you ask, the inverted cross serves either as a symbol of humble Christian faith or of satanic ideals. It’s also worth noting the distinction between a Latin cross and a crucifix. Article Images Copyright © 2020 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Jerome, who was born nearly 300 years after Peter died, affirmed that Peter was crucified upside down. According to tradition and extra-biblical sources, the Apostle Peter was crucified during Nero’s reign on an upside down cross. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. “You will stretch out your hands.” In the ancient world — particularly in the Christian tradition — “to stretch out one’s hands” was a common reference to crucifixion. This slanted, lower crosspiece often … What Is the Biblical Definition of Marriage? An upside-down Latin cross is also known as an inverted cross, Petrine Cross, or Cross of St. Peter. We can trace back the testimony of Peter’s martyrdom to the earliest Christian writers, including Origen, Eusebius of Caesarea, St. Clement of Rome, St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. Irenaeus, and Tertullian. In John 21:18, Jesus predicted the desperate nature of Peter’s eventual death: “Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”. A Latin cross having two horizontal bars, of which the upper is the shorter. An inverted crucifix is always considered disrespectful, inverting the meaning of the cross, whereas a simple inverted cross is not. The symbol originates from the Catholic tradition that when sentenced to death, Peter requested that his cross be upside down, as he felt unworthy of being crucified in the … Similar to the familiar Latin cross, the patriarchal cross possesses a smaller crossbar placed above the main one so that both crossbars are near the top. Sometimes the patriarchal cross has a short, slanted crosspiece near its foot. An inverted pentagram is a more common symbol attached to the Church of Satan and Satanism, but an inverted cross is also used, such as in the Satanic Temple’s ceremony unveiling the Baphomet statue. Can a Christian Doubt God and Still Have Faith? However, these details of Peter’s death were not explicitly recorded in the Bible. Tradition tells us that when St. Peter was martyred, he insisted that he be crucified upside down as he did not believe himself worth to be crucified in the manner of his Lord. As a result of the manner in which he was crucified, the Church has used the upside down cross (without a corpus, so not a crucifix) to designate Peter, not Christ. The upside down cross is used to decorate churches and has special meaning — but there is no negative symbolism.
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