Cross of St. Peter

"Peter cross" redirects here. For other uses see Peter Cross (disambiguation)
"Inverted cross" redirects here. For the gymnastics move, see Rings (gymnastics)

The Cross of St. Peter or Petrine Cross is an inverted Latin cross traditionally used as a Christian symbol, but in recent times also used widely as an anti-Christ symbol (a meaning which is not valid with respect to traditional conventions of Christian symbolism).

In Christianity
Crucifixion of St. Peter by Caravaggio
Peter's Cross on a Lutheran Church

The origin of this symbol comes from the Catholic tradition that Simon Peter was crucified upside down, as told by Origen of Alexandria. The tradition first appears in the "Martyrdom of Peter", a fragmented text found in, but likely predating, the apocryphal Acts of Peter, which was written no later than 200 A.D. It is believed that Peter requested this form of crucifixion as he felt he was unworthy to be crucified in the same manner that Christ died (upright). As such, some Catholics use this cross as a symbol of humility and unworthiness in comparison to Christ.

According to Roman Catholicism, the Pope is Peter's successor as Bishop of Rome. Therefore the Papacy is often represented by symbols that are also used to represent Peter — one example being the Keys of Heaven, another the Petrine Cross. During Pope John Paul II's visit to Israel, he sat on a chair with the Cross of Peter cut into the back.

The inverted cross is also one of the traditional symbols used by Petrine Orthodox Sebomenoi.


Satanic and anti-Christian imagery
It has also often become associated with Satanic and anti-religious attitudes, as it is considered to represent the opposite of Christianity by inverting its primary symbol, the Latin Cross. As a result, this symbol has become very popular within anti-religion groups and among some extreme metal musicians, notably black metal ones. In popular culture, including films such as Rosemary's Baby, Exorcist: The Beginning and The Omen, Petrine Crosses are often displayed to represent Satan. Coincidental with this Satanic imagery, not only is Saint Peter the source of the inverted cross symbolism in Christianity, but Jesus once referred to Peter as "Satan", when he said to him "Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.", in Mark 8:33 (see vade retro satana).

Controversy
In Roman Catholicism the Petrine Cross is not seen as Satanic in any way. However, an inverted crucifix (a Latin cross with an artistic depiction of the crucified body of Christ upon it) is seen as immensely disrespectful, and could be used to represent Satanic forces.[citation needed] The distinction between a Cross of Peter and upturned Crucifix is sometimes obscured, leading to confusion about the acceptability of each symbol. This was seen when controversy arose over the aforementioned Papal visit to Israel; pictures of the Pope sitting before a Petrine Cross were widely circulated on the Internet in an attempt to prove that the Catholic Church is associated with Satanism and the Antichrist.