He was kind of a spokesperson or leader of the apostles after Christ. He was entrusted with the keys to heaven, making him a predecessor of Popes leading the inverted cross, a symbol of Peter being used in the Roman Church.
Peter had the opportunity to live with God, they have traveled and eaten together. He had seen all of Christ's power and learned about God directly form Jesus.
Peter considered that he had sinned against Jesus by denying him when they were being persecuted by the Romans. He sees himself as unworthy compared to the son of God. He asked not to be executed in the same method as Jesus, for he is unworthy. They cannot change the manner of crucifixion so the inverted cross came to be. Crucifixion is a painful way to die, and you can only imagine the type of faith that Saint Peter has when he still had the presence of mind to make such a request.
Saint Peter remains a humble servant of the Lord Jesus Christ even after his death. Peter, the apostle, was originally a fisherman making him the patron saint of fishermen. A more profound connotation of him being a fisherman comes down being an apostle. One of the duties of an apostle is to follow the footsteps of Christ. They were to spread the word of God, and by doing so, they also fish or look for the sons of the Lord just like what Jesus used to do.
Saint Peter was also the patron saint of the locksmith. The reason behind this is due to the words uttered by Jesus to Peter, giving him the keys to heaven. Of course, as with any words spoken by Jesus Christ, this has a spiritual meaning to it. The keys to paradise are like a survival kit for people to strictly follow to be pure and pass the narrow road to the kingdom of God.
How narrow? It was said to be as tiny as a needle hole. Lastly, the inverted cross is used by the popes. Saint Peter is the patron saint of the popes. Popes are the highest level of the catholic faith, just like how Saint Peter was among the apostles.
This is the cause of why he became their patron saint, and his symbol is primarily used by the popes. The Petrine cross can be seen mainly on the papal chair of Pope John the second. A humble discipline of the Lord that conveys the keys of salvation. The keys to heaven are God's teachings. Love and compassion are the main thoughts of Christ. When you love God, you will be forgiving and kind even to your enemies.
Everything you do is a way to show your love for God. Only by doing so will you become worthy to enter the gates of Heaven. The inverted cross has as semblance to a key if you look at it more closely. Just like how the Vatican city is supposed to have a landscape of the inverted cross and a keyhole. Vatican City is the place where the pope resides. It is the smallest country with the Pope as its leader. The conspiracy theorist has been wondering if this was part of an intended design of the city or is it connected to the meaning behind the inverted cross that denotes that Saint Peter has the key to have everlasting life in heaven.
Ankh was said to be a precursor of the Latin cross. It has a round top with a Tau cross underneath. The ankh can be seen on engravings held upside down like a key, it was said that the ankh is the key to eternal life.
If you look at it closely, it also resembles an inverted cross with a key holder that has the same connotation as being the key to the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is the door toward salvation, and only through him would we be granted a pass to heaven. Then what is the role of Saint Peter?
An inverted cross on a door symbolizes Saint Peter guarding the entrance with his keys. He would equip those who ask for the key since the door would only open to those people who have lived a kind and humble life with a genuine faith that can be seen with his works. Just like how Apostle Peter lived his life before he was crucified for being a disciple of God.
For the Christians, the upside-down cross is a symbol of Peter's humility, but for some, it has the opposite meaning. Horror films would always have scenes with an upright crucifix suddenly tuning in an upside-down position during the exorcism and at the presence of the devil. How fortunate is this Church for which the Apostles have poured out their whole teaching with their blood, where Peter has emulated the Passion of the Lord , where Paul was crowned with the death of John.
And if a heretic wishes his confidence to rest upon a public record, the archives of the empire will speak, as would the stones of Jerusalem. Then is Peter girt by another, when he is made fast to the cross. Then does Paul obtain a birth suited to Roman citizenship, when in Rome he springs to life again ennobled by martyrdom.
And at last, having come to Rome, he was crucified head-downwards; for he had requested that he might suffer in this way …. It is, therefore, recorded that Paul was beheaded in Rome itself, and that Peter likewise was crucified under Nero. This account of Peter and Paul is substantiated by the fact that their names are preserved in the cemeteries of that place even to the present day II. Email Login. Catholic Exchange. 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.
By Catholic Answers Catholic Answers is an apostolate dedicated to serving Christ by bringing the fullness of Catholic truth to the world. Subscribe to CE It's free. CE Podcast Finding Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati Christine M. Most Shared. All rights reserved.
In popular culture, such as in music and movies, the upside down cross can mean anti-Christian and Satanist sentiments specifically or rebellion against social and political power in general. Share this. Today on Christianity.
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