St. Peter, Humility, and the Homeless

“The Apostle Saint Peter” by Peter Paul Rubens (1610-1612), Museo del Prado (Accession No. P001646), Source/Photographer Uploaded to en.wikipedia by Wlkernan (PD)

St. Peter, originally called Simon, was a native of Bethsaida, a Jewish village near the Sea of Galilee [1][2].  This would suggest that he came from humble beginnings.  The Gospels, also, suggest that he had a fiery disposition.

Appropriately enough, Peter and his brother Andrew were fishermen.  Instead, Christ invited them to become fishers of men (Matt. 4: 18-20).

Betrayal

Peter walked with Christ throughout the three years of His earthly ministry, hearing Him teach and witnessing countless miracles.  Peter was present at the Last Supper.  Yet, Peter betrayed Christ three times on the very night He was arrested (Matt. 26: 69-75; Mark 14: 66-72; John 18: 17-27).

Forgiveness

Following the Resurrection Christ forgave Peter for this betrayal (John 21: 15-17).  It must though have remained on Peter’s mind.

Early church sources including Origen, Irenaeus, and Eusebius hold that Peter was crucified upside down around 64 AD [3].  It is believed that he asked to be crucified in this way, feeling unworthy to be put to death in the same manner as the Lord.

Humility

“…Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Peter 5: 5).

Peter, a recognized leader of the Apostles and considered by the Roman Catholic Church the first pope, is the patron saint of fishermen, netmakers, and ship builders.  But his epistles emphasize humility [4].  His personal journey from pride to humility is a profound lesson to Christians everywhere.

The washing of the feet is a ceremony that commemorates Christ’s washing of the Apostles’ feet before the Last Supper (something Peter initially resisted) (John 13: 12-18).  It is observed in various Christian denominations on Maundy Thursday during Holy Week, as a reminder to believers of the importance of humility.

Altarpiece

All of which makes it entirely fitting that an altarpiece featuring the image of a homeless man as St. Peter is now on display at the Vatican [5].

In 2018, the artist Michael Triegel asked a homeless man in Rome to pose for a sketch.  In 2019, Triegel won a commission to create a new panel for a Renaissance altarpiece at Naumburg Cathedral in Germany damaged during the Reformation.  Using that sketch to portray St. Peter, Triegel spent three years on the project.

But a problem arose.  There were concerns Triegel’s addition to the altarpiece would cost Naumburg Cathedral its place on the UNESCO World Heritage List.  A suggestion was made that the altarpiece instead be loaned to the Teutonic Pontifical College at the Vatican.

While this was ongoing, German native Burkhard Scheffler – the man Triegel had used as his model – died of the cold on the edge of St. Peter’s Square in 2022.

His death caught the attention of Pope Francis, who made a point of aiding the homeless around the Vatican.  The pope arranged that Scheffler be buried at the Teutonic Cemetery on the grounds of the Vatican, not far from St. Peter’s own grave [6].

Only later did someone recognize Scheffler from the portrait.

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[1]  Wikipedia, “St. Peter”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Peter.

[2]  Catholic Online, Saints & Angels, “St. Peter”, https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=5358.

[3]  History Skills, “Crucified upside down:  The brutal nature of apostle Peter’s death” by https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/ancient-history/death-of-apostle-peter/.

[4]  BibleHub, “Humility:  Peter”, https://biblehub.com/topical/naves/h/humility–peter.htm.

[5]  MSN, “Church altar featuring  homeless man goes on display a stone’s throw from his grave at the Vatican” by Geir Moulson, Kerstin Sopke, and Nicole Winfield,  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/news/church-altar-featuring-homeless-man-goes-on-display-a-stone-s-throw-from-his-grave-at-the-vatican/ar-AA1SuWga?ocid=BingNewsVerp.

[6]  Basilica Di San Pietro, “The Tomb of Saint Peter” by Pietro Zander, https://www.basilicasanpietro.va/en/san-pietro/the-tomb-of-saint-peter.

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