History of the Church of Peter’s Primacy
After his resurrection, the Gospels provide various accounts on where and when Jesus appeared, before his final ascension to the heavens. According to Gospel of Luke (24:13-35), Jesus appeared at Emmaus, yet once he was recognized, he disappeared. The Gospel of John records Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene (20:11-18), to his followers in Jerusalem (20:19-23), to Thomas (20:24-31), and lastly, to the disciples, by the Sea of Galilee, while they were fishing –
“Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”, “No,” they answered. 6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.” (John 21:1-6) |
The disciples then returned to shore and joined Jesus for a meal of grilled fish and bread. Later, Jesus stated to Peter, repeatedly – “feed my lambs”, “Take care of my sheep”, and “feed my sheep”. By Catholic faith, this reinstatement of the primacy of Peter established his papacy.
In the 4th century CE this event was identified and sanctified at the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The site, called today in Arabic Tabgha, is known for its local warm spring water, which attract the fish, and the fishermen.
Tabgha is also associated with Jesus’ miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fish (Church of the Multiplication). The 4th century chapel that marked the event was destroyed in 1263 yet was rebuilt in 1933. By local tradition, the rock in its center is The Table of Christ (Mensa Christi), where Jesus and the disciples dined.
Visiting the Church of the Primacy of Peter
A visit to the site can be combined with a guided day tour of the Galilee.
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Additional Day Tours
Points of Interest in the Area
Church of the Multiplication | |
Capernaum | |
Mount of Beatitudes |