We know that Peter is head of the Church. In fact the most Famous Church in Rome is St Peter. And it was discovered that Peter Bones were found in a tomb underneath the altar of St Peter Basilica. K.V. Turley in ‘When They found the Bones of St Peter’ writes ‘In 1968, Pope Paul VI made an announcement that the bones of St Peter, the first pope, had been discovered below the Vatican.’ The Church is truly built on the bones of St Pater.

Jesus tells Peter ‘ Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood have not revealed this to you, but my Heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will built my Church.’ Jesus said this because Peter said to Jesus ‘You are the Christ Son of the Living God.’ Saint Augustine writes ‘For you are Peter, and the name Peter comes from Petra, the word for rock, and not vice versa. Peter comes, therefore, from petra, just as Christian comes from Christ.’

But Paul is also buried in Rome. Actually outside the City as the Church “Saint Paul outside the Walls’ When Paul was beheaded his head is said to have bounce 3 times, and each time it bounce it left a spring. St Paul is said to be buried in this Church named after him. The Acts of the Apostles end with Paul going to Rome to meet Caesar.

Peter has the Keys. Paul has the Sword. We need the Keys and the Sword. Keys open a door. In popular imagination. Peter holding the keys to open the doors to Heaven to the departed soul. St Augustine writes about the keys given to Peter ‘ To you, I shall give the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. For it was not one man who received the keys, but the entire Church considered as one…To you I give, for what was given was given to all. For the fact that it was Church that received the keys of the kingdom of God is clear from what the Lord says elsewhere to all the Apostles: Receive the Holy Spirit, adding immediately, whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven, and whose sins you retain, they are retained.’

Paul has the Sword’ From an article ‘Why is St Paul depicted carrying a Sword’ by Phillip Kosloski ‘ St Paul is frequently depicted with a sword for two primary reasons. The first reason is because St Paul is well-known for his epistle to the Ephesians, where he famously describes the ‘armor of God.’ and St Paul writes in the same letter ‘ and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.’ (Ephesians 6:17) and author writes ‘St Paul was decapitated with a sword outside the wall of Rome.’ Therefore the tradition that his head bounce three times down the stairs, and each time it bounce left a spring of water.

The Acts of Apostles starts with Peter but the second Half end with Paul The author stresses that Paul continues the Church Peter founded. Paul writes after his conversion ‘Three years after that I went to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas, with whom I stayed fifteen days.’ (Galatians 1: 16) The priest will pray these words at mass on this Solemnity ‘ the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul bring us joy: Peter, foremost in confessing the faith, Paul, it outstanding preacher.’

Peter is an image of authority. Paul is an image of the charismatic Church. Both are needed and both are one. We need both the Keys of Peter and the Sword of Paul. The Church is founded of both Pater and Paul.