The first pope of the Catholic Church was Saint Peter. According to Catholic tradition, Jesus appointed Peter as the leader of his disciples, giving him the name "Cephas" (meaning "rock"), and Peter is recognized as the first bishop of Rome and thus the first pope

. He led the early Christians and traveled to Rome to spread Christianity, serving as pope approximately from around 30 AD to 64 AD

. St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City is named in his honor