PETER'S PENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 304, 26 December 1939, Page 8

PETER'S PENCE.

When Christianity was introduced into England from Rome the English began to make pilgrimages to that city, and sent their sons thither to be educated. For the support of these pilgrims and the education of the clergy, Offa, the great Mercian king (758-796), imposed on his subjects a tax of a silver penny, payable by every family possessing land or cattle of the yearly value of 30 pence, which was called St. Peter's penny; the Pope being identified with St. Peter, who was understood, rightly or wrongly, to have been che first Bishop of Rome. At a later period this tax took the form of an annual tribute to the Pope, which in the time of King John amounted to £199 8/, and which was paid by other countries a* well as England. The refusal on the part of the southern countries of Europe to continu • the payment of Peter's Pence was one of the first overt symptoms of that dissatisfaction wit,h Rome which began to be expressed in the 15th century and culminated in the Reformation. In England Edward 111. first refused to pay the tribute, which was finally discontinued under Henry VIII. In modern times, Peter's Pence has been revived under the form of voluntary contributions from the faithful.