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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center

Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter, the First Pope and the First Patriarch / Batriyark of Antioch

The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter was the first Pope and the first Patriarch / Batriyark of Antioch.
The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter was one of the original twelve Apostles of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was among the first four Apostles called.

The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter and The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Paul are the Patron Saints of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.

Appointed Pope

Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ pronounced The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter to be the Head of His Church on earth. The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter was the first Pope.
Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ changed The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter's name from "Simon" to "Kephas", which is Aramaic for "The Rock".

"Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, 'You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Kephas' (which is translated Peter)."(Jn. 1:42)
"And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it." (Mt. 16:18)

Language Equivalents

Aramaic - Kephas/Kepha

Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ and the Apostles spoke Aramaic. The Aramaic word spoken by Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ probably was 'Kephas" or the better word "Kepha". These words mean "rock". Probably the "k" is pronounced like the k in "king" and the ph is pronounced like "f".
Bible's scholars supposely believe that The Holy and Illustrious Apostle Matthew the Evangelist wrote his Gospel in Aramaic. Also, Bible's scholars supposely believe that this Gospel was translated into Greek. Because we don't have the Aramaic version, the Greek text is considered as original.
The word "Kephas" is based on the Greek version of the Holy and Illustrious Apostle Matthew the Evangelist's Gospel.
So Mt. 16:18 could be rendered: "... you are Kephas and upon this kephas I will build My Church...."

Greek - Petros

Bible's scholars supposely believe that the Gospel of The Holy and Illustrious Apostle Matthew the Evangelist was translated from Aramaic into Greek. Because we don't have the Aramaic version, the Greek text is considered as original.
The word "Petros" (some people say "Petros"means "a smaller stone than a large rock") is the masculine form. It seems that Petros was used because it is the masculine form of rock and Simon was male.
The word "Petra" means "rock" and is the feminine form.

Latin - Cephas

The word "Cephas" is used in the Latin translation of St. Jerome's Bible, which is known as the "Vulgate".

French - Pierre

The word "Pierre" means "rock" and is the masculine form.

Language Equivalents List

• "Kephas/Kepha " - Aramaic
• "Petros " - Greek Anglicized
• "Cephas" - Latin
• "Boutros " - Arabic Anglicized
• "Pierre" - French
• "Peter " - English

Shown in Ikons

In ikons, The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter is often shown carrying “keys of the kingdom”.

Biography

June 29 - The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter and The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Paul
The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter was the son of Jonas.
The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter's brother was The Holy and Illustrious Apostle Andrew, The First-Called.
The two brothers were a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee.

The two brother's friends and co-workers were two brothers, Gorious Apostle John the Theologian and Evangelist and Holy Apostle James, Brother of John the Evangelist.

These four were first called by Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ to follow Him. (Mt. 4:18-22) (Mk. 1:16-20) (Lk. 5:1-11) (Jn. 1:35-42)

Great Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ

The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter was one of the Holy Apostles who was present at the Transfiguration of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

His Career after the Ascension into Heaven of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ

After the Ascension into Heaven of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter preached in Judea, founded the Church in Antioch (the Melkite Church), and finally went to Rome. In the year 67, in Rome, by order of the Emperor Nero, The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter died for his faith, a martyr.

Church of the Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Princes of the Apostles Peter and Paul

Antioch was one of the first cities to become a center of the Christian faith. As the capital of the province, Antioch was to become the site of the area’s most prestigious Church.

The beginnings of the Church are documented in the New Testament, Book of Acts of the Apostles (Acts 11:19-26). Antioch is the second most frequently mentioned city. Church tradition maintains that the See of Antioch was founded by The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter in A.D. 45. After seven years in 53 when The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter began his trip to Rome, The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter appointed his first successor Euodius. In 68, St. Ignatios of Antioch (c. 107/108 AD) became the second successor to The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter.

Much later, The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Princes of the Apostle Peter brought the message of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ to the City of Rome.

In the year 67, in Rome, The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter died for his faith, a martyr. The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter was crucified upside down.

Troparion (TONE 2)

O Peter and Paul, higher in rank than any other apostle, doctors of the world, intercede with the Master of All that He may give peace to the world and great mercy to us all.

More Information

Holy Princes of the Apostles, Peter and Paul Saint Joseph Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Lawrence, Massachusetts, Click on Feasts of Major Saints

St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles Catholic Encyclopedia

Ikon

Holy Princes of the Apostles, Peter and Paul Saint Joseph Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Lawrence, Massachusetts, Click on Feasts of Major Saints

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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles) and Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000 and Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-givng Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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Last Updated: Sunday, November 12, 2006, 16:42:57, PST
The current date and time is: Wednesday, December 03, 2008, 17:52:23, PST or Thursday, December 04, 2008, 01:52:23, GMT