This is the extent of the evidence of Peter being in Rome. They knew nothing more than that??? The "Prince of the Apostles" warrants an occasional mention of which even these writers are unsure about their statements of his presence there. He leaves no footprints, no monuments, no church named after him, no decrees, no relics, and no bones ---- just claims that turn out later to be unverifiable.
And as for Irenaeus, writing around 180 or so...you call his description of Peter in Rome a "word or two"? How does this description qualify as a "word or two"? "Matthew also issued among the Hebrews a written Gospel in their own language, while Peter and Paul were evangelizing in Rome and laying the foundation of the Church" (Against Heresies, 3, 1:1 [A.D. 189]).
Irenaeus is incorrect here. Paul's letter to the Romans demonstrates that for the church of Rome was founded and established before Paul had even visited it as he wrote in his letter circa 56AD. Irenaeus gets several of his facts wrong, but even he admits that in cases like this one should defer to the scriptures and ignore his statements.
He says that Paul and Peter did this together and yet history has Paul in prison during most of his entire Roman sojourn with no time for evangelizing. And when he was out of prison, tradition says that Paul travelled to Spain. So just when could Peter and Paul have been evangelizing together????
Ask your magisterium how much of what you quoted from Irenaeus is accepted by them to be true.
Oy vey. LOL. Yes! That's the extent! And what's the extent of him not being in Rome? What's the extent of the evidence disproving/arguing against all this lineup I posted? Where are the contrary voices?
The Fathers wrote what they knew. And what they knew was more--by far--than what you or I know. Nobody contradicted them...nobody said, nah, Peter was never in Rome. It was simply accepted.
He leaves no footprints, no monuments,
The Tropaion of Gaius at the Vatican is not a monument? It went up probably in 170-180 A.D. Peter's logo is scratched all over the place down there...in the form of a key made of a P and and an E.
And St. Peter's is not a monument? It was purposely--and with no small effort mind you--built overtop of what just happens to be a first century graveyard. The grave area under the altar was left intact, and tons and tons of soil were used to fill it up so that it would not be disturbed. Another part of the Vatican hill was flattened. With the result that Constantine built the main altar DIRECTLY over a particular grave which, according to you, had no importance whatsoever.
no church named after him, no decrees, no relics, and no bones ---- just claims that turn out later to be unverifiable.
LOL...my goodness, Rome is practically an entire monument to Peter!
We're not sure about the bones. They may be Peter's, they may not. And as for decrees, what do you think Peter's Epistle was, chopped liver?
Irenaeus is incorrect here. Paul's letter to the Romans demonstrates that for the church of Rome was founded and established before Paul had even visited it as he wrote in his letter circa 56AD.
So Uncle Chip judges Irenaeus incorrect. Nice. Somehow Uncle Chip knows more about the founding of the Roman See than a guy who knew some of the very people who were there when it happened.
Some sources indicate that Peter was in Rome for 25 years. He is believed to have gotten there around 42 or so. In any case, it's no skin off of anyone's nose to say that there were Christians in Rome prior to his getting there. The point is that when he got there, his Apostolic Authority gave it a dignity it didn't previously have.
And here's another bit of evidence, since you bring up Paul. Paul says in Romans 15: "Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand. For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you.
Somebody was preaching in Rome before he wrote this!