Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Jesus’s words to Saint Peter were not so much a pronouncement as a prophecy. Roman Catholics see their fulfillment in the ascendance of the Bishop of Rome to the singular role of pope, after a process of several centuries. The Chair of Peter was recognized as first among equals after Pope Leo’s intervention at the Council of Chalcedon, by way of emissaries. He settled the question of monophysitism as much by his decisive voice as by his “Tome.” The assembled patriarchs and bishops at the Council welcomed the intervention and the Roman bishop’s authority. And he wasn’t even there!
Interestingly, the denunciation of monophysitism, cleared the way for the earthly institution of the Church to claim ultimate religious authority in both matters of dogma and governance. The Pope can speak ex cathedra on theological issues, and on who gets to be bishop and where. He governs in persona Christi. We trust the magisterial authority of the Roman Catholic Church to set us straight on disputed interpretations of morals and doctrine, including how the Bible should be read.
As Saint John Henry Newman saw so clearly, without the singular authority of the pope, we are left in confusion on spiritual matters of life and death. In that vacuum God’s voice is smothered by competing voices, each one claiming to speak the truth. In most cases they find a truth to suit their own tastes and reassure them of their righteousness. But a religion that does not make one uncomfortable from time to time cannot be from God.
The Church’s teaching authority will always be challenged. The world with its fads, ideologies, mercurial moods, partisan opinions, and innumerable crises will demand that the Church change its (what they call) “man-made policies.” They suppose the Church's scriptures, traditions and doctrines can be dismissed as readily as their policies, and should suit the current consumers' market. Every time a new pope is elected the adoring press expects him to make changes he cannot make.
I often assure faltering Catholics in the VA, "Our religion is not contained by definitions in a catechism. So if you don't like this or that teaching, don't let it block you from praying with us. Our first duty is always to pray together, not to agree with each other."
On this Solemn Day, Catholics throughout the world thank God for the headship of the Pope in the City which was sanctified by the blood of Saints Peter and Paul.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.