What Was Up with St. Peter’s Wife?

Whether St. Peter’s wife was alive at the time of Jesus’ ministry is an open question.

We know that St. Peter did have a wife, because Jesus cured Peter’s mother-in-law (Matt. 8:14-15, Luke 4:38-39). What many have found strange is that Peter’s wife is not described as being by her dying mother’s side, and the tradition that Peter was a widower derives from this anomaly.

You are correct that Eusebius cites Clement and claims that St. Peter’s wife was martyred shortly before St. Peter was. Due to the fact that Eusebius is citing Clement, we must consider it as one source for this tradition rather than two. Eusebius is also generally criticized for not having great knowledge of the Western Church. Given that no other early Church Father relates any information about St. Peter’s wife, this tradition has not been as well accepted as the tradition that she died prior to the ministry of Jesus.

The Church, however, has never made an official pronouncement either way, so Catholics are free to accept either tradition.