Saint Pierre d'Alexandrie
Évêque et
martyr (+ 311)
Il dirigea la célèbre école théologique d'Alexandrie avant de devenir évêque. Lors de la persécution de 303, il préféra se cacher pour continuer à servir l'Eglise; ce qui lui fut reproché par un de ses prêtres qui créa ainsi une Eglise schismatique d'où sortira plus tard l'hérésie d'Arius. En 311, il fut arrêté et condamné à être décapité.
À Alexandrie, en 311, saint Pierre, évêque et martyr. Éminent en toutes sortes
de vertus, il eut soudain la tête tranchée par ordre de l'empereur Galère
Maxime, et fut la dernière victime de la grande persécution et comme le sceau
des martyrs. Avec lui on garde mémoire de trois évêques égyptiens, Hésychius,
Pachymius, et Théodore, qui souffrirent à Alexandrie également, avec beaucoup
d'autres, dans la même persécution.
Martyrologe romain
SOURCE : https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/9348/Saint-Pierre-d-Alexandrie.html
Saint Pierre d'Alexandrie
Évêque et Martyr
(† 310)
Saint Pierre d’Alexandrie
nous est peu connu jusqu’à son élévation sur le siège épiscopal de cette ville.
Son zèle pour la Foi, à
une époque de persécutions continuelles, l’obligea de fuir ; mais il consola et
fortifia les Chrétiens dans les différentes contrées qu’il parcourut, et il
n’oublia pas son cher troupeau. Par d’éloquentes lettres pastorales, il
rappelait à ses brebis les grands devoirs de la vie chrétienne et la nécessité
de la persévérance.
La paix ayant reparu,
saint Pierre revint dans son Église, où il fut bientôt dénoncé par l’hérétique
Arius et jeté dans les fers. Il ne cessait, dans sa prison, d’encourager les
nombreuses victimes enfermées avec lui, de prier et de chanter les louanges de
Dieu.
Un jour qu’il priait avec
plus de ferveur, Notre-Seigneur lui apparut sous la forme d’un enfant tout
éclatant de lumière, et vêtu d’une belle tunique blanche fendue de haut en bas,
et il en tenait les bords comme pour cacher sa nudité. Saint Pierre, saisi de
frayeur, Lui dit :
« —Seigneur, qui Vous a
mis dans cet état ?
« —C’est Arius, répondit
Jésus, qui a divisé Mon Église et M’a ravi une partie des âmes que J’ai
rachetées de Mon sang. »
Peu de jours après,
plusieurs prêtres vinrent demander à l’évêque la grâce du misérable
hérésiarque, le croyant plein d’un repentir sincère : « Cessez, leur dit saint
Pierre averti par le Sauveur de l’hypocrisie d’Arius, cessez de plaider la
cause de ce misérable ; Dieu l’a maudit ; ses sentiments affectés cachent
l’impénitence et l’impiété ». Les prêtres cessèrent dès lors de se faire
illusion.
« Le temps de mon
supplice est proche, ajouta-t-il, je vous parle pour la dernière fois ; soyez
fermes dans la défense de la vérité et ne dégénérez pas de la vertu des Saints
». L’empereur, en effet, porta contre lui une sentence de mort ; mais les
fidèles, à cette nouvelle, accoururent à la prison pour le défendre, de sorte
que le tribun n’osa se présenter pour exécuter la sentence. Saint Pierre,
s’apercevant que ses chères ouailles retardaient son bonheur, donna aux
gardiens l’idée de faire un trou dans la muraille de la prison, du côté où il
n’y avait personne, et de le faire sortir par là. Son conseil fut mis à
exécution, et après avoir prié, demandant à Dieu la fin des persécutions, il
livra sa tête au bourreau le 26 novembre 310, saint Eusèbe étant pape et
Maximin empereur.
Au moment de son
supplice, une jeune Chrétienne entendit une voix céleste qui disait : « Pierre
le premier des Apôtres ; Pierre le derniers des évêques martyrs d’Alexandrie ».
Les Chrétiens recueillirent son corps et lui rendirent des honneurs solennels,
de sorte que la sépulture de ce vaillant pontife devint un vrai triomphe pour
lui et pour la religion chrétienne.
Saint Pierre d'Alexandrie
Évêque et Martyr
(† 310)
Saint Pierre d'Alexandrie
nous est peu connu jusqu'à son élévation sur le siège épiscopal de cette ville.
Son zèle pour la foi, à une époque de persécutions continuelles, l'obligea de
fuir; mais il consola et fortifia les chrétiens dans les différentes contrées
qu'il parcourut, et il n'oublia pas son cher troupeau. Par d'éloquentes lettres
pastorales, il rappelait à ses brebis les grands devoirs de la vie chrétienne
et la nécessité de la persévérance.
La paix ayant reparu,
Pierre revint dans son église, où il fut bientôt dénoncé par l'hérétique Arius
et jeté dans les fers. Il ne cessait, dans sa prison, d'encourager les
nombreuses victimes enfermées avec lui, de prier et de chanter les louanges de
Dieu. Un jour qu'il priait avec plus de ferveur, Notre-Seigneur lui apparut
sous la forme d'un enfant tout éclatant de lumière, et vêtu d'une belle tunique
blanche fendue de haut en bas, et il en tenait les bords comme pour cacher sa
nudité. Pierre, saisi de frayeur, Lui dit: "Seigneur, qui Vous a mis dans
cet état? — C'est Arius, répondit Jésus, qui a divisé Mon Église et M'a ravi
une partie des âmes que J'ai rachetées de Mon sang."
L'évêque prémunit son
clergé contre le traître et fut décapité peu de temps après.
Abbé L. Jaud, Vie
des Saints pour tous les jours de l'année, Tours, Mame, 1950
SOURCE : https://sanctoral.com/fr/saints/saint_pierre_d_alexandrie.html
SAINT PIERRE
D'ALEXANDRIE, ÉVÊQUE ET MARTYR.
26 NOVEMBRE
L'an 311. — Ce saint
évêque succéda sur le siège d'Alexandrie à un homme d'une grande piété,
appelé Théonos, ce qui ne l'empêcha pas d'acquérir lui-même, en Égypte et dans
toute l'Église, une haute réputation de science et de vertu. Pendant la cruelle
persécution de Maximien-Galère, il édifia tellement son peuple par sa patience,
que beaucoup de personnes se sentirent animées à mener une vie plus chrétienne
qu'elles ne faisaient auparavant. Ce fut lui qui le premier reconnut les
sentiments mauvais d'Arius, alors diacre d'Alexandrie. Il l'excommunia comme
favorisant le schisme des méléciens. Prisonnier pour la foi et condamné à
perdre la tête, le saint évêque fut visité par deux prêtres, Achillas et
Alexandre, qui venaient intercéder en faveur du diacre coupable. Mais il leur
répondit : « Cette nuit j'ai vu en songe Jésus-Christ couvert d'un vêtement
déchiré; et comme je lui demandais la cause de cet état dans lequel il se
trouvait, il m'a répondu : « Arius a déchiré mon vêtement, qui est l'Église. »
Le saint pontife ajouta, en parlant à ces prêtres, que tous deux deviendraient
évêques d'Alexandrie, et il les conjura de ne jamais recevoir Arius dans leur
communion, parce que le malheureux était tout à fait mort à Dieu. La suite ne
prouva que trop combien ces paroles étaient prophétiques. Pierre reçut la
couronne du martyre. On lui coupa la tête, la douzième année de son épiscopat,
le 26ème jour de novembre.
PRATIQUE. — C'est surtout
par 1a patience que nous édifierons utilement nos frères.
PRIÈRE. —Dieu tout-puissant, considérez notre faiblesse; et puisque le poids de nos péchés nous accable, faites que l'intercession du bienheureux Pierre, votre martyr et pontife, nous protège auprès de vous. Ainsi soit-il
SOURCE : https://jesus-passion.com/saint_pierre_alexandrie_FR.htm
.jpg)
Константинополь.
985 г. Миниатюра Минология Василия II. Ватиканская библиотека. Рим.
The
execution of the patriarch Peter of Alexandria under the emperor Maximinus
Daia, depicted in the Menologion of Basil II, an illuminated
manuscript prepared for the emperor Basil II in c. 1000
Saint Pierre d’Alexandrie
: Théologien et Patriarche Orthodoxe
+Patriarche d'Alexandrie,
+ 310.
Date : 310
Fête : 26 novembre
Pape : saint Eusèbe
Dans l’histoire de la
chrétienté, de nombreux leaders religieux ont émergé, apportant avec eux un
héritage de foi, de sagesse et de dévotion. Parmi eux, saint Pierre
d’Alexandrie se distingue comme l’une des figures les plus éminentes du
christianisme primitif. En tant que Patriarche
d’Alexandrie, il a laissé un héritage durable, tant par ses enseignements
que par son exemple de vie. Dans cet article, nous plongerons dans la vie
fascinante de ce saint homme, explorant son rôle en tant que leader de l’Église
d’Alexandrie et son impact sur la foi chrétienne.
Jeunesse et Formation
Saint Pierre d’Alexandrie,
également connu sous le nom de Pierre le Martyr, est né au début du IIIe
siècle dans la ville égyptienne d’Alexandrie,
un important centre intellectuel et religieux à l’époque. Peu de détails sont
disponibles sur sa jeunesse, mais il est largement admis qu’il a reçu une
éducation religieuse solide, probablement dans les écoles chrétiennes établies
dans la région.
Sa vocation religieuse
s’est rapidement affirmée, et il a été ordonné prêtre avant de gravir les
échelons pour devenir évêque. Son ascension au sein de la hiérarchie
ecclésiastique était le reflet de son engagement envers la foi et sa capacité à
guider les fidèles dans leur cheminement spirituel.
Patriarche d’Alexandrie :
Leadership et Défense de la Foi
L’apogée de la carrière
de saint Pierre d’Alexandrie est survenue lorsqu’il a été élu Patriarche
d’Alexandrie, l’une des positions les plus prestigieuses de l’Église
copte. À cette époque, l’Église
d’Alexandrie jouait un rôle crucial dans la diffusion et la
préservation de la foi chrétienne, et le patriarche était chargé de diriger
cette communauté religieuse importante.
En tant que
patriarche, saint Pierre a fait preuve d’un leadership éclairé et
d’une ferme défense de la foi chrétienne. Il a été confronté à de nombreux
défis, notamment la persécution des chrétiens par les autorités romaines
et les controverses théologiques qui menaçaient l’unité de l’Église.
L’une des batailles les
plus célèbres de saint Pierre d’Alexandrie a été sa lutte contre
l’hérésie d’Arius, un prêtre alexandrin dont les enseignements
remettaient en question la nature divine de Jésus-Christ. Avec une éloquence
passionnée et une conviction inébranlable, saint Pierre a défendu la
doctrine de la Trinité et affirmé la pleine divinité de Jésus-Christ.
Sa contribution à la défaite de l’hérésie d’Arius a
été cruciale pour le développement ultérieur de la théologie chrétienne
orthodoxe.
Martyre et Héritage
Malheureusement, la vie
de saint Pierre d’Alexandrie a été marquée par le martyre. En 311, lors
des persécutions de l’empereur romain Maximin
Daïa, il a été arrêté et soumis à de terribles tortures pour sa foi. Malgré
les souffrances infligées, il est resté fidèle à ses convictions jusqu’à la
fin, refusant de renier sa foi en Jésus-Christ. Finalement, il a été exécuté,
devenant ainsi un martyr de la foi chrétienne.
L’héritage de saint
Pierre d’Alexandrie réside dans sa détermination indéfectible à défendre
la foi, même au prix de sa propre vie. Sa vie et son martyre ont inspiré de
nombreuses générations de chrétiens à rester fidèles à leurs croyances, même
dans les moments les plus sombres de l’histoire.
Conclusion
En conclusion, saint
Pierre d’Alexandrie demeure une figure emblématique du christianisme
primitif, dont l’héritage continue d’inspirer et de guider les croyants à
travers les âges. En tant que Patriarche
d’Alexandrie, il a incarné les valeurs de foi, de courage et de dévouement,
laissant un exemple durable de leadership ecclésiastique. Que son histoire nous
rappelle l’importance de rester fidèles à nos convictions, même lorsque les
temps sont difficiles.
À travers les siècles,
les récits de sa vie et de son martyre ont été transmis de génération en
génération, nourrissant la foi et l’espérance des chrétiens du monde entier.
Puissent ses enseignements continuer à résonner dans nos cœurs et à nous guider
sur le chemin de la vérité et de la lumière. Amen
Ses reliques
Les chrétiens, accourus
au bruit de cette exécution, recueillirent son sang et portèrent son corps au
cimetière des martyrs, où il y avait une chapelle bâtie en l’honneur de
Notre-Dame. Avant de le mettre en terre, ils le portèrent dans sa principale
basilique ; après l’avoir revêtu de ses habits pontificaux, ils le placèrent
dans la chaire de saint Marc, où, par une profonde humilité et une
révérence extrême pour ce bienheureux Évangéliste, il n’avait jamais voulu
s’asseoir pendant sa vie, se mettant seulement sur les degrés. Enfin,
nonobstant la persécution, ils le portèrent solennellement à son
sépulcre, avec des palmes et d’autres branches à la main, chantant
des cantiques de joie, comme s’ils eussent célébré un grand triomphe.
Godeau dit que
l’église de Grasse possède la plus grande partie de ses reliques, qui furent
apportées d’Égypte par un évêque nommé Bertrand, lorsque le siège était
encore à Antibes. Son peuple a souvent ressenti à son tombeau le
pouvoir de son intercession, et sa mémoire a toujours été vénérable
aux fidèles.
Rien n’excuse d’une faute
que l’on commet par ignorance des choses qu’on doit savoir par état 1° D’après
cette règle, on comprend la nécessité où se trouve chacun de bien s’instruire
des devoirs de son état, de se les rappeler sans cesse pour ne point les
oublier. 2° On sent combien est grande la responsabilité de certaines
professions, du prêtre surtout, du magistrat, du médecin.
Anecdotes
Saint Pierre d’Alexandrie a
laissé un héritage riche en anecdotes et en récits qui illustrent sa piété, son
courage et sa détermination. Voici quelques-unes de ces anecdotes qui ont
survécu à travers les siècles :
Sa défense de la foi lors
du Concile de Nicée
Lors du célèbre Concile de Nicée en 325, au cours duquel les évêques se
sont réunis pour débattre de la doctrine chrétienne, saint Pierre
d’Alexandrie aurait été l’un des principaux défenseurs de la pleine
divinité de Jésus-Christ contre les enseignements hérétiques d’Arius.
Son éloquence et sa fermeté dans la foi ont joué un rôle crucial dans la
formulation de la confession de foi qui affirmait la consubstantialité du Fils
avec le Père.
Sa vision prophétique du
martyre
Avant son arrestation et
son martyre sous l’empereur Maximin
Daïa, saint Pierre d’Alexandrie aurait eu une vision prophétique
de son destin. Selon la tradition, il aurait prédit son propre martyre et
aurait accepté avec résignation le sort qui l’attendait, témoignant ainsi de sa
foi inébranlable en dépit des dangers qui le guettaient.
Son pardon aux
persécuteurs
Malgré les tortures et
les souffrances qu’il a endurées aux mains de ses persécuteurs, saint
Pierre d’Alexandrie aurait été capable de pardonner à ceux qui l’ont
opprimé. Cette capacité à pardonner à ses ennemis, même au moment de son
martyr, témoigne de sa profonde compréhension des enseignements de Jésus sur
l’amour et le pardon.
Son influence sur la
conversion de ses bourreaux
Il est dit que certains
des bourreaux chargés de le torturer et de le mettre à mort ont été tellement
impressionnés par sa foi et sa résilience qu’ils se sont convertis au
christianisme eux-mêmes. Cette transformation des cœurs témoigne de la
puissance de son témoignage et de son martyre.
Sa postérité spirituelle
Bien après sa mort, saint
Pierre d’Alexandrie a continué à exercer une influence spirituelle sur les
fidèles chrétiens. De nombreux récits de guérisons miraculeuses et
d’interventions divines attribuées à son intercession ont été rapportés au fil
des siècles, renforçant ainsi sa réputation de saint homme et d’intercesseur puissant
auprès de Dieu.
Oraison
O Dieu tout-puissant,
jetez les yeux de votre miséricorde sur notre faiblesse ; et, parce que nous
sommes accablés sous le poids de nos péchés, faites que nous soyons fortifiés
par la glorieuse intercession du bienheureux Pierre, votre martyr et
pontife. Par Jésus-Christ Notre-Seigneur. Ainsi soit-il.
SOURCE : https://www.laviedessaints.com/saint-pierre-dalexandrie-%E2%9C%9E-310/
Saint Pierre d'Alexandrie
Martyr à Alexandrie le 24
novembre 311, Fête à Rome au XIIème siècle, mais dès le IXème en Italie du sud
sous influence byzantine.
Leçon des Matines (avant
1960)
Neuvième leçon. Pierre,
Évêque d’Alexandrie, après Théonas, homme d’une éminente sainteté, fut, par
l’éclat de ses vertus et de sa doctrine, non seulement la lumière de l’Égypte,
mais encore celle de toute l’Église de Dieu. Pendant la persécution de Maximin
Galère, il supporta la rigueur de ces temps-là avec tant de courage, que
beaucoup de Chrétiens, témoins de son admirable patience, firent de grands
progrès dans la pratique des vertus. Il fut le premier à séparer de la
communion des fidèles, Arius, Diacre d’Alexandrie, parce qu’il favorisait le
schisme de Mélèce. Lorsque Pierre eut été condamné par Maximin à la peine
capitale, les Prêtres Achillas et Alexandre allèrent le trouver dans sa prison,
pour intercéder auprès de lui en faveur d’Arius ; mais il leur répondit que,
pendant la nuit, Jésus lui était apparu, portant une tunique déchirée, et que,
lui en ayant demandé la cause, le Sauveur lui avait dit : « C’est Arius qui a
déchiré ainsi mon vêtement, qui est l’Église. » Puis leur ayant prédit qu’ils
lui succéderaient dans l’épiscopat, il leur défendit de recevoir dans leur
communion Arius, qu’il savait mort devant Dieu. Les événements ne tardèrent pas
à montrer que cette révélation était vraiment de Dieu. Enfin, la douzième année
de son épiscopat, le sixième jour des calendes de décembre, ayant eu la tête
tranchée, il alla recevoir la couronne du martyre.
Dom Guéranger,
l’Année Liturgique
Pierre, évêque
d’Alexandrie après saint Théonas, fut par sa science et sa sainteté la gloire
de l’Égypte et la lumière de toute l’Église de Dieu. Son courage fut tel dans
l’atroce persécution excitée par Maximien Galère, que le spectacle d’une si
admirable patience fortifia la vertu d’un grand nombre de chrétiens. Ce fut lui
qui sépara le premier de la communion des fidèles Arius, diacre d’Alexandrie, à
cause de l’appui qu’il donnait au schisme des Mélétiens. . Honorons et prions
le grand évêque dont l’Église fait mémoire en ce jour. On le nomma longtemps,
comme par excellence, Pierre le Martyr ; jusqu’à ce qu’au XIIIe siècle, un
autre Pierre Martyr, illustre lui-même entre tous, fit qu’on appela désormais
son glorieux homonyme Saint Pierre d’Alexandrie.
Bhx Cardinal
Schuster, Liber Sacramentorum
Saint pierre, le dernier
martyr, celui qui scella la persécution de Dioclétien à Alexandrie (+ 311),
ainsi que les Grecs le saluent d’un titre d’honneur : sceau et terme de la
persécution, est mentionné pour la première fois dans le martyrologe syriaque
et, par la suite, par tous les Orientaux, le 24 novembre. Le martyrologe
hiéronymien le commémore au contraire aujourd’hui. Son culte, dans l’antiquité,
rencontra une grande faveur, si bien qu’il était très populaire même à
Antioche. Une si grande célébrité est due, en partie, à la place très
importante qu’occupait ce martyr comme patriarche d’Alexandrie, en partie à ses
qualités personnelles, et comme directeur du didascaleion d’Alexandrie, et
comme auteur sacré. Il est certain que Pierre fut « un splendide exemplaire
d’évêque » selon l’attestation d’Eusèbe [1].
Les Syriens ont tiré des
Actes mêmes de saint Pierre un titre glorieux qu’ils lui attribuent ; ils
l’appellent : celui qui passa à travers le mur percé. Les Actes racontent en
effet que le peuple d’Alexandrie montait la garde autour de la prison afin
qu’aucun des soldats païens ne se hasardât à exécuter la sentence capitale
prononcée contre le Patriarche. Que faire ? Il y avait à redouter que la milice
se vengeât du peuple soulevé ; alors le saint Pasteur, pour sauver son
troupeau, résolut de s’offrir spontanément à la cruauté des bourreaux. Il fit
donc savoir secrètement au tribun qu’au cours de la nuit suivante il
indiquerait, par des coups, le point où il fallait percer la muraille pour
ouvrir un passage à l’intérieur de la prison. Cette nuit-là, par bonheur, un
orage avec éclairs, tonnerre et une forte averse, détourna l’attention des
sentinelles chrétiennes, de telle sorte que les soldats du tribun purent, sans
être dérangés, pratiquer une brèche dans la muraille de la prison. Le saint
Patriarche passa donc à travers le mur entr’ouvert et se laissa conduire par
les soldats au lieu même que la tradition indiquait comme celui du martyre de
saint Marc. Là enfin il fut décapité, et les fidèles ensevelirent son cadavre.
La messe Státuit est du
Commun.
[1] Hist.Eccl., IX, 6, 2.
Dom Pius Parsch, le Guide
dans l’année liturgique
Saint Pierre, évêque
d’Alexandrie, martyr en 311. — Comme il était en prison, des prêtres vinrent
intercéder auprès de lui pour Arius, l’hérétique qu’il avait condamné, et le
fondateur d’une des sectes les plus importantes dans l’histoire de l’Église.
Mais saint Pierre leur répondit que, pendant la nuit, Jésus lui était apparu
portant une robe déchirée ; et comme il lui en demandait la raison, le Seigneur
lui avait dit : “Arius a déchiré mon vêtement, qui est mon Église.” Pratique :
Nous pouvons nous appliquer cette parole : si l’Église est le vêtement du
Christ, nous sommes les parties de ce vêtement ; l’hérétique déchire, le
pécheur souille le vêtement du Christ. Nous voulons, par une vie riche en
vertus, orner le vêtement du Christ de perles et de pierres précieuses.
SOURCE : http://www.introibo.fr/26-11-St-Pierre-d-Alexandrie
Profile
Suffered in the persecution of Decius,
but survived. Renowned for his knowledge of science and the Bible. Head of
the catechetical school at Alexandria, Egypt. Bishop of Alexandria in 300.
Opposed extreme Origenism.
May have been the first to deal with the Arian heresy.
During the Diocletian persecution,
Peter fled the area with many of his flock. Criticized by many for being
lenient and forgiving to Christians who
had renounced their faith during the persecutions.
However, when a rogue bishop usurped
Peter’s position, the Meletian schism broke
out in his clergy, and Peter had to return from hiding to deal with it.
Peter excommunicated Meletius
and convened a synod of bishops to
condemn the schism.
His writings were
used in the Council
of Ephesus and the Council
of Chalcedon.
Bishop Peter
was martyred with Father Dio, Father Ammonius,
and Father Faustus,
three of his priests,
in the persecutions of Gaius
Valerius Galerius Maximinus. As he was the last Christian martyred in Alexandria by
civil authorities, the Coptic Church calls him “the seal and complement of
the martyrs“.
Born
at Alexandria, Egypt
martyred in 311 at Alexandria, Egypt
initially buried in
an Alexandria martyr‘s
cemetery
most relics later
enshrined in a church at Grasse, France
embracing his executioner
with Christ appearing to
him as a child in rags (from a scene in the Acts of the Martyrdom of Saint
Peter)
Additional
Information
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Catholic
Encyclopedia, by F J Bacchus
Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
Lives
of the Saints, by Father Francis
Xavier Weninger
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
Short
Lives of the Saints, by Eleanor Cecilia Donnelly
books
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
other
sites in english
images
video
sitios
en español
Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
fonti
in italiano
Martirologio Romano, 2005 edition
websites
in nederlandse
MLA
Citation
“Saint Peter of
Alexandria“. CatholicSaints.Info. 21 April 2022. Web. 23 May 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-peter-of-alexandria-25-november/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-peter-of-alexandria-25-november/
Book of Saints –
Peter of Alexandria
(Saint) Bishop, Martyr (November
26) (4th
century) A learned and holy Prelate who governed the great Church of Alexandria in Egypt for
twelve years in very troubled times. He had to face the dangerous schism of
Meletius among his own clergy at the very time when the comforting and guiding
of Christians in
peril of death at
the hands of heathen persecutors called for the exercise of all his energies.
He seems to have been the first to detect the incipient heresy of Arius. Saint Peter
was put to death by
order of the Caesar Maximin Daza, together with other Christians (A.D. 311),
and was succeeded by Saint Alexander,
the predecessor of the great Saint Athanasius.
MLA
Citation
Monks of Ramsgate. “Peter
of Alexandria”. Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info.
16 October 2016. Web. 23 May 2025. <https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-peter-of-alexandria/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-peter-of-alexandria/
New
Catholic Dictionary – Saint Peter of Alexandria
Martyr. Bishop of
Alexandria. He suffered in the Decian persecution and was at one time head of
the famous catechetical school at Alexandria. He probably initiated the
reaction there against extreme Origenism. When during the Diocletian
persecution Peter left Alexandria for concealment, the Meletian schism broke
out among his own clergy, and he had this to contend with at a time when it was
all he could do to comfort and guide the captive Christians. He was probably
the first to discover the heresy of Arius. On his return to Alexandria he
convened a synod of bishops against Meletius, Bishop of Lycopolis, who had
usurped his authority. Soon after this he was martyred at Alexandria in 311 at
the command of Maximinus Daja, and was buried in the cemetery for martyrs. Most
of his relics were enshrined in a church at Grasse, France. Feast, Roman
Calendar, 26
November.
MLA
Citation
“Saint Peter of
Alexandria”. New Catholic Dictionary. CatholicSaints.Info. 10
October 2010.
Web. 23 May 2025.
<http://catholicsaints.info/new-catholic-dictionary-saint-peter-of-alexandria/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/new-catholic-dictionary-saint-peter-of-alexandria/
St. Peter of Alexandria
Feastday: November 25
Death: 311
Bishop of Alexandria from
300. A native of Alexandria, Egypt, Peter survived the persecutions of
Emperor Diocletian and
served as a confessor for
the suffering Christians. Made head of the famed Catechetical School of
Alexandria, he was a vigorous opponent of Origenism before receiving
appointment as bishop. He composed a set of rules by which those who had lapsed
might be readmitted to the faith after
appropriate penance, a settlement which was not to the liking of extremists of
the community. Thus, in 306 when the persecutions began again, Peter was forced
to flee the city. The partisans of Melitius, Peter’s chief critic, installed
their favorite as bishop of
Alexandria, thereby starting the Melitian Schism which
troubled the see for many years. Peter returned to Alexandria in
311 after a lull in the persecutions, but was soon arrested and beheaded by
Roman officials acting on the decree of
Emperor Maximian. He is called the “seal and complement of martyrs” as he was
the last Christian slain
by Roman authorities. Eusebius of Caesarea described him as “a model bishop,
remarkable for his virtuous life and
his ardent study of the Scriptures.” He is much revered by the Coptic
Christians, although since 1969, his cult has been confined to local calendars
in the Catholic Church.
SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=5376
PETER OF ALEXANDRIA, ST.
Bishop (300–311), martyr;
d. Alexandria, Egypt, Nov. 25, 311. After serving as head of the catechetical
school at Alexandria, Peter succeeded Theonas as bishop c. 300, and
was "beheaded in the ninth year of the persecution" (eusebius, Hist.
eccl. 7.32.31). This intrepid churchman reflected the milder school in his
attitude toward the lapsi. While Peter was in hiding during the persecution of
diocletian (303), Meletius, bishop of Lycopolis, assumed his episcopal rights.
Meletius, whose view of the lapsi was more rigid, was declared
excommunicate by a synod in 306, deposed, and banished to Palestine until 311;
but the meletian schism of which he was the cause continued for several
centuries after his death.
Peter's most important
writing is the Paschal epistle; it contains 15 canons for the reconciliation of
the lapsed (c. 306). Those who denied the faith under torture are assigned
a 40-day fast for three years; those who lapsed without torture are assigned an
additional year; those who obtained certificates of sacrifice are given a
six-month penance; those who fell but later confessed are forgiven, but the
clergy are not to be reinstated; those who sacrificed wealth and fled into
exile are forgiven (Patrologia Graeca 18:468–508).
Peter's works exist
mostly in Greek and Coptic fragments, and include treatises against origen and
origenism, On the Godhead (quoted at ephesus in 431), and a Letter on
the Meletian schism. He was a courageous and enlightened churchman, and despite
the tragic effects of the Meletian schism, his canons were a milestone in
primitive Church discipline. The Acts of the Martyrdom of St. Peter of
Alexandria (Latin, Greek, Syriac, and Coptic) is not authentic.
Feast: Nov. 26.
Bibliography: Peter
of Alexandria, Patrologia Graeca 18:449–522. J. Quasten, Patrology 2:113–118. B. Altaner, Patrology 239–240. G. Fritz, Dictionnaire de théologie
catholique 12.2:1802–04. F. Kettler, Paulys Readenzyklopädie der
klassichen Altertumswissenschaft 12.2 (1938) 1281–88. T. Y. Malaty, Pope
Peter of Alexandria: The Deans of the School of Alexandria (Jersey
City, N.J. 1994). W. Telfer, "St. Peter of Alexandria and Arius," Analecta
Bollandiana 67 (1949) 117–130; Harvard Theological Review 48
(1955) 227–237, and Meletius. M. Richard, Mélanges de science religeuse 3
(1946) 357–358, Christology. H. I. Bell and W. E. Crum, eds., Jews and
Christians in Egypt (London 1924). É. Amann, Dictionnaire de théologie
catholique 10.1:531–536.
AD
[H. Musurillo]
New Catholic Encyclopedia
St. Peter of Alexandria
Local commemorations of
the fourth-century martyr Saint Peter of Alexandria will take place on Nov. 25
and 26. Although his feast day in the Western tradition (on the latter date) is
no longer a part of the Roman Catholic Church’s universal calendar, he remains
especially beloved among Catholic and Orthodox Christians of the Egyptian
Coptic tradition.
Tradition attests that
the Egyptian bishop was the last believer to suffer death at the hands of Roman
imperial authorities for his faith in Christ. For this reason, St. Peter of
Alexandria is known as the “Seal of the Martyrs.” He is said to have undertaken
severe penances for the sake of the suffering Church during his lifetime, and
written letters of encouragement to those in prison, before going to his death
at the close of the “era of the martyrs.”
Both the date of Peter’s
birth, and of his ordination as a priest, are unknown. It is clear, however,
that he was chosen to lead Egypt’s main Catholic community in the year 300
after the death of Saint Theonas of Alexandria. He may have previously been in
charge of Alexandria’s well-known catechetical school, an important center of
religious instruction in the early Church. Peter’s own theological writings were
cited in a later fifth-century dispute over Christ’s divinity and humanity.
In 302, the Emperor
Diocletian and his subordinate Maximian attempted to wipe out the Church in the
territories of the Roman Empire. They used their authority to destroy Church
properties, imprison and torture believers, and eventually kill those who
refused to take part in pagan ceremonies. As the Bishop of Alexandria, Peter
offered spiritual support to those who faced these penalties, encouraging them
to hold to their faith without compromise.
One acute problem for the
Church during this period was the situation of the “lapsed.” These were
Catholics who had violated their faith by participating in pagan rites under
coercion, but who later repented and sought to be reconciled to the Church.
Peter issued canonical directions for addressing their various situations, and
these guidelines became an important part of the Eastern Christian tradition
for centuries afterward.
Around the year 306,
Peter led a council that deposed Bishop Meletius of Lycopolis, a member of the
Catholic hierarchy who had allegedly offered sacrifice to a pagan idol. Peter
left his diocese for reasons of safety during some portions of the persecution,
giving Meletius an opening to set himself up as his rival and lead a schismatic
church in the area.
The “Meletian schism”
would continue to trouble the Church for years after the death of Alexandria’s
legitimate bishop. Saint Athanasius, who led the Alexandrian Church during a
later period in the fourth century, claimed that Meletius personally betrayed
Peter of Alexandria to the state authorities during the Diocletian persecution.
Although Diocletian
himself chose to resign his rule in in 305, persecution continued under
Maximinus Daia, who assumed leadership of the Roman Empire’s eastern half in
310. The early Church historian Eusebius attests that Maximinus, during an
imperial visit to Alexandria, unexpectedly ordered its bishop to be seized and
killed without imprisonment or trial in 311. Three priests – Faustus, Dio, and
Ammonius – were reportedly beheaded along with him.
St. Peter of Alexandria’s
entry in the “History of the Patriarchs of the Coptic Church of Alexandria” (a
volume first compiled by a Coptic Orthodox bishop in the 10th century)
concludes with a description of the aftermath of his death.
“And the city was in
confusion, and was greatly disturbed, when the people beheld this martyr of the
Lord Christ. Then the chief men of the city came, and wrapped his body in the
leathern mat on which he used to sleep; and they took him to the church … And,
when the liturgy had been performed, they buried him with the fathers. May his
prayers be with us and all those that are baptized!”
SOURCE : https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-peter-of-alexandria-696
St. Peter of Alexandria
Became Bishop of Alexandria in
300; martyred Nov.,
311. According to Philip of Sidetes he was at one time head
of the famous catechetical school at Alexandria.
His theological importance
lies in the fact that he marked, very probably initiated, the reaction
at Alexandria against extreme Origenism.
When during the Diocletian persecution Peter left Alexandria for
concealment, the Meletian schism broke
out. There are three different accounts of this schism:
(1) According to three Latin documents (translation from
lostGreek originals) published by Maffei, Meletius (or Melitius), Bishop of Lycopolis,
took advantage of St. Peter'sabsence to usurp
his patriarchal functions, and contravened the canons by consecrating bishops to sees
notvacant, their occupants being in prison for
the Faith. Four of them remonstrated, but Meletius took no heed
of them and actually went to Alexandria, where, at the instigation of one
Isidore, and Arius the future heresiarch, he set aside those left in
charge by Peter and appointed others. Upon this Peter excommunicated him.
(2) St.
Athanasius accuses Meletius not only of turbulent and schismatical conduct,
but of sacrificing, and denouncingPeter to the emperor. There is no
incompatibility between the Latin documents and St. Athanasius,
but the statement that Meletius sacrificed must be received with
caution; it was probably based upon rumour arising out of
the immunity which he appeared to enjoy. At all events nothing was
heard about the charge at the Council
of Nicæa. (3) According to St.
Epiphanius (Haer., 68), Meletius and St.
Peter quarrelled over the reconciliation of the lapsi,
the former inclining to sterner views. Epiphanius probably derived
his information from a Meletiansource, and his story is full
of historical blunders. Thus, to take one example, Peter is
made a fellow-prisoner ofMeletius and is martyred in prison.
According to Eusebius his martyrdom was
unexpected, and therefore not preceded by a term of imprisonment.
There are extant a
collection of fourteen canons issued by Peter in the third
year of the persecution dealing
chiefly with the lapsi, excerpted
probably from an Easter Festal Epistle.
The fact that they were ratified by theCouncil of Trullo, and thus
became part of the canon law of the Eastern
Church, probably accounts for their preservation. Many manuscripts contain
a fifteenth canon taken from writing on the Passover.
The cases of different kinds of lapsi were
decided upon in these canons.
The Acts of
the martyrdom of St.
Peter are too late to have any historical value. In them is the
story of Christappearing to St. Peter with His garment rent,
foretelling the Arian schism.
Three passages from "On the Godhead", apparently written
against Origen's subordinationist
views, were quoted by St. Cyril at the Council of Ephesus. Two
further passages (in Syriac) claiming to be from the same book, were
printed by Pitra in "Analecta Sacra", IV, 188; their genuineness is doubtful. Leontius
of Byzantium quotes a passage affirming the
two Naturesof Christ from a work on "The Coming of
Christ", and two passages from the first book of a treatise against the
view that the soul had existed and sinned before
it was united to the body. This treatise must have been written against Origen.
Very important are seven fragments preserved in Syriac (Pitra, op.
cit., IV, 189-93) from another work on the Resurrection,
in which the identity of the risen with the earthly body is
maintained against Origen.
Five Armenian fragments
were also published by Pitra (op. cit., IV, 430 sq.). Two of these
correspond with one of the doubtful Syriac fragments.
The remaining three are probably Monophysite forgeries (Harnack,
"Altchrist. Lit.", 447). A fragment quoted by the Emperor
Justinian in his Letter to the Patriarch Mennas,
purporting to be taken from a Mystagogia of St. Peter's, is probably
spurious (see Routh, "Reliq. Sac.", III, 372; Harnack, op. cit.,
448). The "Chronicon Paschale" gives a long extract from a supposed
writing of Peter on the Passover.
This is condemned as spurious by a reference to St. Athanasius (which
editors often suppress) unless, indeed, the reference is an interpolation. A
fragment first printed by Routh from a Treatise "On
Blasphemy" is generally regarded as spurious. A Coptic fragment
on the keeping of Sunday, published by Schmidt (Texte und Untersuchung.,
IV) has been ruled spurious by Delehaye, in whose
verdict critics seem to acquiesce. Other Copticfragments have
been edited with a translation by Crum in the "Journal of Theological
Studies" (IV, 287 sqq.). Most of these come from the same manuscript as
the fragment edited by Schmidt. Their editor says: "It would be difficult
to maintain the genuineness of these texts after Delehaye's
criticisms (Anal. Bolland., XX, 101), thoughcertain of the passages, which
I have published may indicate interpolated, rather than wholly apocryphalcompositions."
Sources
ROUTH, Reliq. Sac., III,
319-72, gives most of the passages attributed to St. Peter. A translation of
many of these, as well as of the martyrdom, will be found in CLARKE, Ante-Nicene
Christ. Library, in vol. containing works of METHODIUS. For the Meletian
schism: HEFELE, Hist. of Councils, tr. I, 341 sq. The best editions of the
Canons is LAGARDE, Reliq. Juris Eccles., 63-73. The latest edition of the
martyrdom is VITEAU, Passions des saints Ecaterine et Pierre d'Alexandrie,
Barbara et Amysia (Paris, 1897). See HARNACK, Altchrist. Lit.,
443-49; and Chronologie, 71-75. BARDENHEWER, Gesch. d. altkirch. Lit., II,
203 sq. RADFORD, Three Teachers of Alexandria: Theognostus, Pierius and
Peter (Cambridge, 1908).
Bacchus, Francis
Joseph. "St. Peter of Alexandria." The Catholic
Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton
Company, 1911. 26 Nov.
2016 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11771a.htm>.
Transcription. This
article was transcribed for New Advent by WGKofron. With thanks to Fr.
John Hilkert and St. Mary's Church, Akron, Ohio.
Ecclesiastical
approbation. Nihil Obstat. February 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D.,
Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Copyright © 2023 by Kevin Knight.
Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
SOURCE : http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11771a.htm
Peter Martyr of
Alexandria BM (RM)
Born at Alexandria, Egypt; died 311. Peter was a young 'confessor' during the
Decian persecution. Later he became known for his extraordinary virtue, skill
in the sciences, and learning and knowledge of Scripture. Peter was named head
of the catechetical school in Alexandria, and in 300 was elected patriarch of
the city to succeed Saint Theonas.
As bishop Saint Peter
fought Arianism and extreme Origenism and spent the last nine years of his
episcopate encouraging his flock to stand fast against the persecution of
Christians launched by Emperor Diocletian. As the fury of the persecutions
increased, Peter, according to Eusebius, heightened the rigor of his penances.
He perceived the need for some rules that would lovingly, but sternly, welcome
back into the Christian fold those who--under persecution and even torture--had
lapsed from the faith and then wanted to return. These rules were eventually
accepted throughout the Eastern Church; but others criticized Peter of
Alexandria for being far too lenient.
One of those who
apostatized was Bishop Meletius of Lycopolis in the Thebaid. Meletius was
convicted by a council of having sacrificed to idols and other crimes. The
sentence was deposition.
About that time Peter was
forced into hiding; whereupon Meletius installed himself at the head of a
discontent party. He began to usurp Peter's authority as metropolitan and, in
order to justify his disobedience, he accused Peter in writing of treating the
lapsi too leniently. Peter excommunicated Meletius, but still hoped to
reconcile him. His letter of excommunication reads: "Now take heed to this
and hold no communion with Meletius until I meet him, in company with some wise
and discreet men, to find out what he has been plotting." Nevertheless,
this led to a schism in the Egyptian church that lasted for several
generations.
Peter continued
administering his see from hiding and returned to Alexandria when the
persecutions were temporarily suspended. In 311, Emperor Maximinus Daia
unexpectedly renewed the persecution. Peter was arrested and then executed--the
last Christian martyr put to death in Alexandria by the authorities. Martyred
with him were three of his priests: Dio, Ammonius, and Faustus, who appears to
have been the companion of Saint Dionysius during his exile 60 years earlier.
The Coptic Church calls him 'the seal and complement of the martyrs,' because
he was the last Christian to die for the faith before Constantine granted
religious toleration throughout the empire.
Eusebius calls him 'an
inspired Christian teacher . . . a worthy example of a bishop, both for the
goodness of his life and his knowledge of the Scriptures.' Among Peter's
fragmentary writings are some regulations of great interest, drawn up in 306;
they deal with the treatment of those Christians who in varying degrees had
failed under persecution. Portions of a book he wrote on the Divinity are
preserved in the councils of Ephesus (Act. 1 and 7) and Chalcedon (Act. 1).
Several related items of interest are available on the Internet: The Genuine
Acts of Peter, The Canonical Epistle, and a document entitled Peter, Archbishop
of Alexandria (Attwater, Attwater2, Benedictines, Bentley, Coulson, Delaney,
Husenbeth).
Saint Peter is depicted
as a bishop enthroned between angels in Sienese paintings. Sometimes he is
shown (1) holding the city of Siena while wearing a tiara rather than a mitre;
(2) with Christ appearing to him as a child in rags; or (3) embracing his
executioner. He is the patron of Siena, Italy (Roeder).
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saints-of-the-day-peter-martyr-of-alexandria/
EUSEBIUS 1 calls this great prelate the excellent doctor of the Christian religion, and the chief and divine ornament of bishops; and tells us that he was admirable both for his extraordinary virtue, and for his skill in the sciences, and profound knowledge of the holy scriptures. In the year 300 he succeeded Theonas in the see of Alexandria, being the sixteenth archbishop from St. Mark; he governed that church with the highest commendation, says the same historian, during the space of twelve years, for the nine last of which he sustained the fury of the most violent persecutions carried on by Dioclesian and his successors. Virtue is tried and made perfect by sufferings; and Eusebius observes that the fervour of our saint’s piety and the rigour of his penance increased with the calamities of the church. That violent storm which affrighted and disheartened several bishops and inferior ministers of the church, did but awake his attention, inflame his charity, and inspire him with fresh vigour. He never ceased begging of God for himself and his flock necessary grace and courage, and exhorting them to die daily to their passions, that they might be prepared to die for Christ. The confessors he comforted and encouraged by word and example, and was the father of many martyrs who sealed their faith with their blood. His watchfulness and care were extended to all the churches of Egypt, Thebais or Upper Egypt, and Lybia, which were under his immediate inspection. Notwithstanding the activity of St. Peter’s charity and zeal, several in whom the love of this world prevailed, basely betrayed their faith, to escape torments and death. Some, who had entered the combat with excellent resolutions, and had endured severe torments, had been weak enough to yield at last. Others bore the loss of their liberty and the hardships of imprisonment, who yet shrank at the sight of torments, and deserted their colours when they were called to battle. A third sort prevented the inquiries of the persecutors, and ran over to the enemy before they had suffered any thing for the faith. Some seeking false cloaks to palliate their apostacy, sent heathens to sacrifice in their name, or accepted of attestations from the magistrates, setting forth that they had complied with the imperial edict, though in reality they had not. These different degrees of apostacy were distinctly considered by the holy bishop, who prescribed a suitable term of public penance for each in his canonical epistle. 2
Among those who fell during this storm, none was more considerable than Meletius, bishop of Lycopolis in Thebais. That bishop was charged with several crimes; but apostacy was the main article alleged against him. St. Peter called a council, in which Meletius was convicted of having sacrificed to idols, and of other crimes, and sentence of deposition was passed against him. The apostate had not humility enough to submit, or to seek the remedy of his deep wounds by condign repentance, but put himself at the head of a discontented party which appeared ready to follow him to any lengths. To justify his disobedience, and to impose upon men by pretending a holy zeal for discipline, he published many calumnies against St. Peter and his council; and had the assurance to tell the world that he had left the archbishop’s communion, because he was too indulgent to the lapsed in receiving them too soon and too easily to communion. Thus he formed a pernicious schism which took its name from him, and subsisted a hundred and fifty years. The author laid several snares for St. Peter’s life, and though, by an overruling providence, these were rendered ineffectual, he succeeded in disturbing the whole church of Egypt with his factions and violent proceedings: for he infringed the saint’s patriarchal authority, ordained bishops within his jurisdiction, and even placed one in his metropolitical see. Sozomen tells us, these usurpations were carried on with less opposition during a certain time when St. Peter was obliged to retire, to avoid the fury of the persecution. Arius, who was then among the clergy of Alexandria, gave signs of his pride and turbulent spirit by espousing Meletius’s cause as soon as the breach was open, but soon after quitted that party, and was ordained deacon by St. Peter. It was not long before he relapsed again to the Meletians, and blamed St. Peter for excommunicating the schismatics, and forbidding them to baptize. The holy bishop, by his knowledge of mankind, was by this time convinced that pride, the source of uneasiness and inconstancy, had taken deep root in the heart of this unhappy man; and that so long as this evil was not radically cured, the wound of his soul was only skinned over by a pretended conversion, and would break out again with greater violence than ever. He, therefore, excommunicated him, and could never be prevailed with to revoke that sentence. St. Peter wrote a book on the Divinity, out of which some quotations are preserved in the councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon. 3 Also a paschal treatise of which some fragments are extant. 4 From St. Epiphanius 5 it appears that St. Peter was in prison for the faith in the reign of Dioclesian, or rather of Galerius Maximian; but after some time recovered his liberty. Maximin Daia, Cæsar in the East, renewed the persecution in 311, which had been considerably abated by a letter written the same year by the emperor Galerius in favour of the Christians. Eusebius informs us, that Maximin coming himself to Alexandria, St. Peter was immediately seized, when no one expected such a storm, and, without any form of trial, by the sole order of the tyrant, hurried to execution. With him were beheaded three of his priests, Faustus, Dio, and Ammonius. This Faustus seems, by what Eusebius writes, to be the same person of that name who, sixty years before, was deacon to St. Dionysius, and the companion of his exile. 6
The canons of the church are holy laws framed by the wisest and most experienced pastors and saints for the regulation of the manners of the faithful, according to the most pure maxims of our divine religion and the law of nature, many intricate rules of which are frequently explained, and many articles of faith expounded in them. Every clergyman is bound to be thoroughly acquainted with the great obligations of his state and profession: for it is one of the general and most just rules of the canon law, and even of the law of nature, that “no man is excused from a fault by his ignorance in things which, by his office, he is bound to know.” 7 That any one amongst the clergy should be a stranger to those decrees of the universal church and statutes of his own diocess, which regard the conduct and reformation of the clergy, is a neglect and an affected ignorance which aggravates the guilt of every transgression of which it is the cause, according to a well-known maxim of morality. After the knowledge of the holy scriptures, of the articles of faith, and the rules of a sound Christian morality, every one who is charged with the direction of others, is obliged to have a competent tincture of those parts of the canon law which may fall in the way of his practice: bishops and their assistants stand in need of a more profound and universal skill both in what regards their own office, (in which Barbosa 8 may be a manuduction) and others.
Note 1. Eus. Hist. l. 9. c. 6. p. 444. [back]
Note 2. Ap. Beveridge inter Canones Eccl. Græcæ. Item. Labbe, Conc. t. 1. [back]
Note 3. Conc. Ephes. Act. 1, p. 508. Act. 7, p. 836. (Conc. t. 3.) Conc. Chalced. Act. 1, p. 286. [back]
Note 4. Ap. Du Fresne, Lord Du Cange Pref. in Chron. Pasch. n. 7, p. 4. 5. [back]
Note 5. S. Epiph. hær. 68. [back]
Note 6. We have two sorts of acts of St. Peter’s martyrdom, the one published by Surius, the other from Metaphrastes, published by Combefis; both of no credit; and inconsistent both with themselves, and with Eusebius and Theodoret. [back]
Note 7. The canon law is founded upon, and presupposes in some cases the decisions of the civil or Roman law. But for this, Corvinus’s Abstract, or Vinnius upon the Institutes, or some parts of Syntagma Juris Universi per Petr. Gregorinm; or the French advocate, John Domat’s immortal work, entitled, Les Loix Civiles dans leur Ordre Naturel, will be a sufficient introduction. The canon law may be begun by Fleury’s Institutions au Droit Ecclésiastique. The decrees of the general councils should follow, and those of our own country, by Spelman or Wilkins, &c. or Cabassutius’s Epitome of the Councils, the second edition, in folio: then Antonii Augustini Epitome Juris Pontificii, and his excellent book De Emendatione Gratiani, with the additions of Baluze. At least some good commentator on the Decretals must be carefully studied as Fagnanus, Gonzales, Reiffenstuel, or Smaltzgruben; for the new ecclesiastical law, the decrees of the council of Trent, and some other late councils, those especially of Milan: the important parts of the latest bullaries of Clement XII. and Benedict XIV. with Barbosæ Collectanea Bullarii. Van Espen is excellent for showing the origin of each point of discipline; but is to be read with caution in some few places. The French advocate, Lewis d’Hericourt’s Droit Ecclésiastique François is esteemed; but the author sometimes waded out of his depth. This may serve for a general plan to those clergymen who have an hour a day to bestow on this study, and are only deterred from it by wanting an assistant to direct them in it. Those who have not this leisure or opportunity of books, may content themselves with studying some good author who has reduced this study into a regular method, or short collection. Cabassutius’s Theoria et Praxis Juris Canonici is accurate; that of Pichler, in five small volumes, is full, clear, and more engaging: but his relaxed principles concerning usury (which, by order of Pope Benedict XIV. were confuted by Concina, a Dominican friar) must be guarded against. With such helps any one may easily make himself master of those parts which are necessary in his circumstances. How scandalous it is to see a minister of God ready enough to study the extent of the laws concerning parish dues, and strain them in favour of his avarice, yet supinely careless in learning the duties of his ministry and his grievous obligations to God and his flock? The fatal neglect of those wholesome laws which were framed to set a bar to vice and human passions, to fence the ecclesiastical order against the spirit of the world breaking in upon it, and to check a relaxation of manners which tends utterly to extirpate the spirit of Christ among the laity, will excuse, it is hoped, this short note upon a subject which deserves so much to be strongly inculcated. [back]
Note 8. Barboaa, De Officio Episcopi. Item De Officio Parochi. [back]
Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73). Volume XI: November. The Lives of the Saints. 1866.
SOURCE : http://www.bartleby.com/210/11/261.html
Weninger’s
Lives of the Saints – Saint Peter, Patriarch of Alexandria, Martyr
Article
Saint Peter, a man of
great virtue and learning, was patriarch of Alexandria, his native city. At the
time when the Emperors, Dioclesian and Maximian, endeavored to extirpate the
Christian religion, he did all in his power to strengthen the Christians in the
true faith and encourage them to prepare for martyrdom. He himself desired
nothing more ardently than to give his life for Christ’s sake; but the faithful
forced him to conceal himself until the persecution ceased. Hardly had this
storm abated, when Meletius, a bishop, gave him new trouble, by promulgating
heretical dogmas, and committing other crimes, for which Saint Peter had to
depose him from his see and excommunicate him. The conduct and the doctrine of
Meletius were defended, in defiance of Saint Peter, by Arius, a proud and
ambitious priest of Alexandria; and as neither prayers nor threats could move
Arius to desist from such unjust and wicked proceedings, the zealous Patriarch
saw himself obliged to separate him also, by excommunication, from the Church
of Christ.
During this schism of the
Church, an imperial officer arrived at Alexandria, seized Saint Peter, and cast
him into a dungeon. Arius thought that, after the death of Saint Peter, he
would surely succeed to the patriarchal chair if he were reconciled to the
Church. He therefore pretended to repent of his fault, and going to the clergy,
he requested them to beg the Patriarch to revoke the sentence of
excommunication, declaring that he had abandoned the cause of Meletius, and was
resolved to live and die a Catholic. Achillas and Alexander, moved by his
deceitful words,, begged Saint Peter to grant the request. The Patriarch,
enlightened by God, replied with a deep sigh: “I know that Arius is full of
hypocrisy and blasphemy; how can I receive him again into the Church? You must
know that in excommunicating him, I have not acted of my own accord, but by
inspiration from the Almighty. Only last night, Christ appeared to me in the
form of a beautiful youth, clothed in a snow-white garment, which was sadly
rent. I was terrified, and asked: ‘Lord, what is the meaning of this? Who has
torn Thy robe?’ He answered: ‘Arius has done it; for, by his heresy, he has
divided My Church and will make the rent still larger.'” Peter added that
Christ had forbidden him to receive Arius again into the pale of the Church,
and commanded Achillas and Alexander also to reject him, when they would, one
after the other, succeed to the patriarchal chair. Having said this, the Saint
admonished them to guard, with fatherly care, the flock of Christ, and then,
with his blessing, dismissed them. Soon after, by command of the emperor, Saint
Peter was dragged to the place of execution, without having had a trial. The
Christians endeavored to interfere; but the Saint hastened joyfully to the spot
where he was to receive the crown of martyrdom. His death happened in the year
310. The Christians carried the holy body into the Church, clothed it in the
pontifical robes, and placed it upon the chair of Saint Mark, on which Peter’s
humility and his reverence for the holy Evangelist had never allowed him to sit
in his lifetime, as he always sat down on one of the steps leading to it.
Having for some time showed all due honors to the holy body, they laid it into
the tomb.
Practical Considerations
Saint Peter is one of
those glorious martyrs, who joyfully hastened to the place of execution to give
their lives for the true faith. Have you not sometimes desired that you had
lived at that period, and given your blood for Christ? I praise you for having
had such a pious wish. But as you have no occasion now to die a martyr for the
love of the Saviour, endeavor at least to live for Him, and to be a martyr
without shedding your blood. How can this be done? Origen says: “We can be
martyrs without shedding our blood, by patiently bearing crosses and trials. In
like manner speaks Saint Bernard, when he says: “By preserving true patience
continually in your mind, you may become a martyr without the sword.” Saint
Gregory says the same, and remarks, also: “To bear wrongs and persecutions
patiently, and to love our enemy, is a kind of martyrdom.” “It is martyrdom,”
says Saint Chrysostom, “when we bear poverty patiently for God’s sake.” “If a
Christian,” writes Saint Augustine, “lives according to the gospel, his entire
life is one cross, one long martyrdom.” The same holy teacher instructed us, on
a former occasion, that we are martyrs by conquering our passions, by avoiding
lust, by preserving justice, by despising avarice and by restraining pride. In
a sermon of Saint Lawrence, we read that “martyr,” according to the Greek, means
“witness.” “As often, therefore,” says he, “as we fulfill the commands of
Christ, and do good, so often are we witnesses of the Lord, and in that sense,
martyrs.” Hence you may become a martyr of Christ, in this manner and you will
find frequent opportunity for it. Endeavor, therefore, to bear patiently
crosses and sufferings; live according to the Gospel of the Lord; moderate your
passions; be chaste, and avoid all vices; let your conduct be witness of your
fidelity to your Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be a true, though bloodless,
martyr.
MLA
Citation
Father Francis Xavier
Weninger, DD, SJ. “Saint Peter, Patriarch of Alexandria, Martyr”. Lives of the Saints, 1876. CatholicSaints.Info.
26 May 2018. Web. 23 May 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/weningers-lives-of-the-saints-saint-peter-patriarch-of-alexandria-martyr/>
Vision
des Petrus von Alexandrien; Detail: Arius wird von einem Drachen verschlungen
Bildindex der Kunst und Architektur:
object 20332464 –
image file fmlac10835_21a.jpg
Vision of Peter of Alexandria; detail: Arius is devoured by a dragon
Hieromartyr Peter,
Archbishop of Alexandria
Commemorated on November 25
The Holy Hieromartyr
Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria, was born and raised at Alexandria. He was a
highly educated man, and was head of the school of Alexandria. In the year 300
he became the archpastor of the Alexandrian Church, succeeding his teacher and spiritual
guide, the holy Bishop Theonas.
Forced into exile from
the city during the anti-Christian persecutions under the emperors Diocletian
and Maximian, Saint Peter traveled through many lands, encouraging his flock by
letter. Again returned to his city, in order to guide the Alexandrian Church
personally during this dangerous period. The saint secretly visited Christians
locked up in prison, encouraging them to be steadfast in faith, assisting the
widows and orphans, preaching the Word of God, constantly praying and
officiating at the divine services. And the Lord kept him safe from the hands
of the persecutors.
During this time of
unrest the iniquitous heretic Arius, who denied the divinity of Jesus Christ,
sowed the tares of his impious teaching. When Arius refused to be corrected and
submit to the truth, Saint Peter anathematized the heretic and excommunicated
him from the Church. Arius then sent two of Saint Peter’s priests to beg the
saint to lift the excommunication from him, pretending that he had repented and
given up his false teachings. This was not true, for Arius hoped to succeed
Saint Peter as Archbishop of Alexandria. Saint Peter, under the guidance of the
Holy Spirit, saw through the wickedness and deceit of Arius, and so he
instructed his flock not to believe Arius nor to accept him into communion.
Under the wise nurturing
of Saint Peter the Church of Alexandria strengthened and grew in spite of the
persecutions. But finally, on orders from the emperor Maximian (305-311), the
saint was arrested and sentenced to death. A multitude of people gathered at
the entrance of the prison, expressing their outrage. Wanting to avoid
bloodshed and a riot by the people, the saint sent a message to the
authorities, in which he suggested that they make an opening in the back wall
of the prison, so that he might be taken away secretly to execution.
In the dark of the night
Saint Peter went with the executioners, who took him beyond the city walls and
beheaded him at the same spot where formerly Saint Mark had been executed. That
night a certain pious virgin heard a Voice from heaven saying, “Peter was first
among the Apostles; Peter is the last of the Alexandrian Martyrs.” This took
place in the year 311. In the morning, when people learned of the death of their
bishop, a crowd gathered at the place of execution. They took up the body and
head of the martyr and went to the church, dressing him in his bishop’s
vestments, they sat him in his throne at the high place in the altar. During
his life Saint Peter never sat on it, but sat on a footstool instead. The saint
once explained that whenever he approached his throne he beheld a heavenly
light shining on it, and he sensed the presence of a divine power. Therefore,
he didn’t dare to sit there.
The Lord Jesus Christ
once appeared to Saint Peter as a twelve-year-old child wearing a robe that was
torn from top to bottom. Saint Peter asked the Savior who had torn his garment,
and He replied, “That madman Arius has torn it by dividing the people whom I
have redeemed by My blood. Do not receive him into Communion with the Church,
for he has worked evil against Me and My flock.”
Saint Peter, a great
champion of Orthodoxy, is known also as a profound theologian. Passages from
his book, “On the Divinity (of Jesus Christ)”, were consulted at the Councils
of Ephesus and Chalcedon. Of all his works, the most widely known and highly
esteemed by the Church are his “Penitential Canons”.
SOURCE : https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2025/11/25/103394-hieromartyr-peter-archbishop-of-alexandria
Icona
con San Pietro I di Alessandria
Santi Pietro
d’Alessandria, Esichio, Pacomio e Teodoro e compagni Martiri
Festa: 25 novembre
† Alessandria d’Egitto,
25 novembre 311
San Pietro, vescovo di
Alessandria d’Egitto, era un uomo dotato di tutte le virtù. Nel 311 venne
inaspettatamente condannato a morte per ordine dell’imperatore Massimiano,
ultima vittima e sigillo di una spietata persecuzione contro la Chiesa. Insieme
con lui si ricordano tre santi vescovi egiziani, Esichio, Pacomio e Teodoro e
molti altri cristiani, che sempre presso Alessandria e nella stessa
persecuzione vennero assassinati a colpi di spada.
Martirologio
Romano: Ad Alessandria d’Egitto, san Pietro, vescovo e martire, che,
ornato di ogni virtù, fu improvvisamente decapitato per ordine dell’imperatore
Galerio Massimiano, divenendo ultima vittima della grande persecuzione e
sigillo dei martiri. Con lui si commemorano tre vescovi egiziani, Esichio,
Pacomio e Teodoro, che, sempre ad Alessandria patirono insieme a molti altri
nella stessa persecuzione e salirono al cielo crudelmente trafitti con la
spada.
Nonostante l’assoluta inattendibilità della “passio” di San Pietro, egli è menzionato parecchie volte dal grande storico ecclesiastico Eusebio di Cesarea, che lo descrive quale eccellente insegnante della religione cristiana, nonché come un grande vescovo. Nulla di certo si sa circa le sue origini e la sua provenienza, in quanto fa la sua prima comparsa sulla scena ecclesiale quando viene chiamato a succedere nel 300 a San Teonio sulla cattedra episcopale di Alessandria. Governò così questa Chiesa per circa una dozzina d’anni. Dopo i primi tre anni, dovette sopportare la feroce persecuzione dioclezianea, proseguita anche dai successori di tale imperatore. Divenne celebre per il suo prodigarsi in aiuto dei fratelli cristiani perseguitati. Com’è immaginabile, non tutti riuscirono a restare saldi nella fede essendo sottoposti a torture e toccò dunque a Pietro, la cui giurisdizione si estendeva su tutte le chiese d’Egitto, della Tebaide e della Libia, redigere delle istruzioni volte a regolare il trattamento di coloro che, pur avendo in un primo momento rinnegato la fede cristiana, desideravano riconciliarsi con la Chiesa.
Infine anche Pietro dovette inevitabilmente nascondersi e durante la sua assenza da Alessandria la chiesa egiziana subì uno scisma, le cui cause non sono però ben chiare. Pare che Melezio, vescovo di Antiochia, si fosse assunto la responsabilità di esercitare le funzioni metropolitane spettanti al legittimo vescovo alessandrino. Onde giustificare le sue azioni, diffuse alcune calunnie sul conto di Pietro, accusandolo di troppa indulgenza verso coloro che cadevano in errore. Rifiutando di ritirarsi, a Pietro non rimase altra alternativa che scomunicarlo, continuando nel frattempo a governare la sua Chiesa sino a quando non poté fare finalmente ritorno in città. La persecuzione anticristiana riprese però ben presto con Massimino Daia e nel 311 Pietro venne catturato inaspettatamente e giustiziato seduta stante senza accuse né processo.
In Egitto è conosciuto come “il sugello e il complemento della persecuzione”, in quanto fu l’ultimo martire condannato a morte dalle pubbliche autorità presso Alessandria. E’ inoltre ricordato come “colui che attraversò il muro”, in riferimento alla leggenda secondo cui, quando Pietro si accorse che le autorità erano pronte a massacrare l’enorme folla di cristiani riunitasi in segno di protesta fuori della prigione ove era detenuto, suggerì al comandante di aprire un varco nel muro approfittando delle tenebre affinché il boia potesse entrare senza essere intralciato dalla folla.
Il Martyrologium Romanum lo commemora ancora oggi nell’anniversario della sua nascita al cielo. Insieme con lui si ricordano anche tre santi vescovi egiziani, Esichio, Pacomio e Teodoro, nonché molti altri cristiani, che sempre presso Alessandria e nella stessa persecuzione vennero assassinati a colpi di spada.
Autore: Fabio Arduino
SOURCE : https://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/92837
Detail van 19e- of 20e-eeuwse reliekhouder van diverse heiligen in de Schatkamer van de Onze-Lieve-Vrouwebasiliek in Maastricht. Boven: relieken van Sint-Markus (de evangelist), Sint-Rochus en Sint-Sebastiaan. Reliquaire du XIXe ou XXe siècle de divers saints dans le Trésor de la Basilique Notre-Dame de Maastricht. Ci-dessus : reliques de Saint Marc (l'évangéliste), Saint Roch et Saint Sébastien. Ci-dessous : la partie supérieure de la fibule droite de saint Pierre d'Alexandrie.
Detail
van 19e- of 20e-eeuwse reliekhouder van diverse heiligen in de Schatkamer van
de Onze-Lieve-Vrouwebasiliek in Maastricht. Boven: relieken van Sint-Markus (de
evangelist), Sint-Rochus en Sint-Sebastiaan. Onder: het bovenstuk van het
rechter kuitbeen van de H. Petrus van Alexandrië. In 1930 werd dit
reliekschrijntje door kapelaan Welters omschreven als: "In zilveren doosje
worden bewaard kostbare relieken van het H. Kruis en van de doornenkroon des
Heeren". Wanneer de relieken verwisseld zijn is niet bekend.
Détail du reliquaire du XIXe ou XXe siècle de divers saints dans le Trésor de la Basilique Notre-Dame de Maastricht. Ci-dessus : reliques de Saint Marc (l'évangéliste), Saint Roch et Saint Sébastien. Ci-dessous : la partie supérieure de la fibule droite de saint Pierre d'Alexandrie. En 1930, ce reliquaire fut décrit par l'aumônier Welters comme suit : « De précieuses reliques de la Sainte Croix et de la Couronne d'épines du Seigneur sont conservées dans une boîte en argent ». On ne sait pas quand les reliques ont été échangées.
Petrus van Alexandrië,
Egypte; bisschop & martelaar met nog 3 bisschoppen en vele
medechristenen; † 311.
Feest 25 [Mty.2001] &
26 (voorheen) november.
Hij was in 300 zijn
voorganger Theonas († ca 300; feest 23 augustus) opgevolgd en wordt een van de
meest verlichte en geleerde mannen van zijn tijd genoemd. Met veel liefde en
geduld stond hij de christenen terzijde die tijdens de vervolgingen onder Maximianus
Galerius (284-305) vervolgd werden.
Hij voorspelde zijn
diaken Aríus welk een desastreuze invloed zijn ketterse ideeën op de christenen
van de komende tijd zou hebben.
Keizer Maximianus'
opvolger Maximinus Daia (305-311) hervatte na enige jaren de christenvervolgingen;
bisschop Petrus behoorde tot de eerste slachtoffers. Het was tragisch dat in
een tijd van ernstige christenvervolgingen zijn eigen geestelijkheid zo
verdeeld was over dogmatische vraagstukken van wezenlijk belang.
Door sommige bronnen worden
met hem nog drie bisschoppen genoemd: Hesychius, Pachomius en Theodorus.
Maar die kwamen we ook al tegen bij Faustus († 311; feest 26 november).
Daarnaast werden nog vele andere christenen om het leven gebracht.
[000»Alex.Newski; Bdt.1925; Bly:.1986p:228; Bri.1953; RR2.1690»26nov;
SBy.1982p:31; Dries van den Akker s.j./2005.08.16]
© A. van den Akker
s.j. / A.W. Gerritsen
SOURCE : https://www.heiligen-3s.nl/heiligen/11/25/11-25-0311-petrus.php
Saint Pierre d’Alexandrie
- Programme
du IVème dimanche après la Pentecôte – saint Eusèbe de Samosate – ton 3 - 2
juillet 2020 par Henri de Villiers :
https://schola-sainte-cecile.com/tag/saint-pierre-dalexandrie/
Extracts from Peter of Alexandria (d.311) and the original copy of the Gospel of John, Posted on July 20, 2019 by Roger Pearse : https://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/2019/07/20/extracts-from-peter-of-alexandria-d-311-and-the-original-copy-of-the-gospel-of-john/
Cronologia del Patriarcato di Alessandria e cronotassi dei Vescovi e (dal 325) Patriarchi di Alessandria : http://atlasofchurch.altervista.org/comuni/alessandria.htm
