Why are the apostles Peter and Paul especially venerated? Explanation of the Orthodox Church

According to glavcom.ua: Today, June 29, Orthodox Christians in Ukraine commemorate the feast day of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. These apostles stand out among others because they have worked the hardest to spread the Gospel.

“On June 29 according to the New Julian calendar, we honor two glorious apostles of Christ - Peter and Paul. They are distinguished among others, being called the chief apostles and the glorious ones. But not because they had any special power over the other disciples of the Savior, but because they worked the hardest in preaching the Gospel,” the church explained.

The apostles Peter and Paul were different in origin, character, and life path. Peter belonged to the twelve closest disciples of Christ, while Paul, even though he did not see the Lord in the flesh, radically changed his life and preached throughout much of the Roman Empire.

“Both apostles finished their earthly lives as martyrs, and today’s commemoration is a memory of their execution in Rome around 67 AD. The tradition of honoring these two apostles originated in the very early centuries of Christianity,” noted the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

Today also marks the end of Peter's Fast - a fast that lasted several weeks and aimed at repentance and the cleansing of the soul.

The feast of the apostles Peter and Paul is an important day for Orthodox Christians in Ukraine, as they honor and remember the figures of Christianity who played a vital role in spreading the Gospel. This day is also a day of remembrance for the martyrdom of the apostles, who gave their lives for the faith.