Did St. Peter ever live in Rome?

Answer 1

Another answer from our community:

Here are a few documented claims of Peter as Bishop of Rome, all of them from before the council of Nicea in 325 A.D. Irenaeus in 189 C.E.:

"The very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; ... The blessed apostles, then, having founded and built up the Church, committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate." (Against Heresies 3:3:2-3) Tertullian in 200 C.E.:

"For this is the manner in which the apostolic churches transmit their registers: as the church of Smyrna, which records that Polycarp was placed therein by John; as also the church of Rome, which makes Clement to have been ordained in like manner by Peter." (Demurrer Against the Heretics 32) Anonymous in 211 C.E.:

"For they say that all the early teachers and the apostles received and taught what they now declare, and that the truth of the Gospel was preserved until the times of Victor, who was the thirteenth bishop of Rome from Peter" (The Little Labyrinth, in Eusebius, Church History 5:28:3) Cyprian of Carthage in 251 C.E.:

"And although to all the apostles, after His resurrection, He gives an equal power, and says, "As the Father hath sent me, ..., they shall be retained;" (John 20:21-22) yet, He founded a single Chair. That He might set forth unity, He established by His authority the origin of that unity, as having its origin in one man alone. No doubt the others were all that Peter was, but a primacy is given to Peter, and it is thus made clear that there is but one Church and one Chair. So too, even if they are all shepherds, we are shown but one flock which is to be fed by all the apostles in common accord. If a man does not hold fast to this oneness of Peter, does he imagine that he still holds the faith? If he deserts the Chair of Peter upon whom the Church was built, has he confidence that he is in the Church?" (The Unity of the Catholic Church 4) And in 252 C.E.:

"Moreover, Cornelius was made bishop by the judgment of God and of His Christ, by the testimony of almost all the clergy, by the suffrage of the people who were then present, and by the assembly of ancient priests and good men, when no one had been made so before him, when the place of Fabian, that is, when the place of Peter24612461 [On the death of Fabian, see Ep. iii. p. 281; sufferings of Cornelius (inference), p. 303; Decius, p. 299.] and the degree of the sacerdotal throne was vacant; which being occupied by the will of God, and established by the consent of all of us, whosoever now wishes to become a bishop, must needs be made from without; and he cannot have the ordination of the Church who does not hold the unity of the Church." (Letters 51:8) Eusebius of Caesarea in 312 C.E.:

"As to the rest of his followers, Paul testifies that Crescens was sent to Gaul; but Linus, whom he mentions in the Second Epistle to Timothyas his companion at Rome, was Peter's successor in the episcopate of the church there, as has already been shown. Clement also, who was appointed third bishop of the church at Rome, was, as Paul testifies, his co-laborer and fellow-soldier." (Church History 3:4:9-10).

Answer 2

Some proofs that Peter did not live in Rome:

Writing from Rome around 95 CE, just a few decades after Peter was supposedly the first pope, the author of the epistle known as 1 Clement speaks in general terms about the suffering and death of Peter but seems unaware that he was ever in Rome: "There was Peter who by reason of unrighteous jealousy endured not one not one but many labours, and thus having borne his testimony went to his appointed place of glory." This should carry greater weight than traditions written in later centuries.

Francis A. Sullivan SJ (From Apostles to Bishops) says that there is a general agreement among scholars that the church of Rome was led by a council of presbyters until well into the second century, with no evidence of a ruling bishop. It seems inconceivable that Peter could have established a precedent of being the leader of the Roman church and even of appointing his successor as bishops, only for the church to abandon the precedent and ignore it for almost a century before joining other churches in having a monepiscopal bishop. Reason alone says that Saint Peter never lived in Rome.

Answer 3

The Pope lives in Rome because Italy is the most European country that has the most Catholicism. And also Rome is just a sacred place and beautiful place!

-Sicilian Girl :)

Answer 4

The Pope always lived in Rome until this day except 14th and 13th century when the Pope resident had transfered into Avignon France.