WHAT BECAME OF THEM?

By:Archbishop Robert L. Wise… Scripture does not tell us what happened with most of the 11 surviving Apostles. We know about more about St. Paul than almost anyone else. Here’s where you can catch up on their final history.

    So little is known about Simon or the scope of his life that he remains an enigma for today’s world. Depending on the list of the Apostles, he is called Kananaios or Kanaites to distinguish him from Simon Peter. Some versions of the Bible call him the Cananean while other translations refer to him as Simeon the Zealot.

Making the matter even more confusing, some interpret his name to mean that he was a person of great zeal in keeping the Law of Moses and a political activist. Others believe the name means he was part of the radical Zealot party. The Zealots were tax-hating, violent enemies of the Romans. In such case Jesus would have called two men at the opposite end of the political spectrum. Matthew had been a tax collector who the Zealots vowed to kill. If so, there would have been considerable tension between the two men. Unfortunately, no consensus exists on this issue.

While viewpoints differ, some see Simon as possibly a cousin of Jesus or a son of Joseph from a previous marriage. Interestingly enough, Simon was also believed to have been the second Bishop of Jerusalem, after James the brother of Jesus. The Abyssinians maintain Simon suffered crucifixion while the Bishop of Jerusalem. If this is the case, Simon would have probably assumed that position around 68 AD when the first Bishop James (the brother of Jesus) was martyred. Simon would have been in that role as Jerusalem was being destroyed by the Romans.

Again, reports differ, but Simon was reported to have preached in most of the countries of the ancient world, including Britain. In the history of the Parthian Empire, Simon preached in Persia and was martyred at Suamir.  Supposedly, his relics are under the Altar of the Crucifixion in the Vatican. With his relics is a saw because one account has him being sawed into pieces. Sorry, no certainty there either.

Simon remains a figure of legend far more than fact. What we can say of him for certain is that he left everything to follow Jesus. No more accolade there!