Today we celebrate the great Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. While both of them were martyred in Rome and are regarded as the two Pillars of the Church, Peter was given a particular office among the Apostles: the primacy.

Our Lord certainly didn’t choose Peter for his personal merit, because as we know, he was very impulsive and tried to dissuade Our Lord from the Cross. He denied Him three times and was also corrected by St Paul at Antioch (Galatians 2: 11-14). And yet it was this imperfect man Our Lord chose to be the visible head of His Church here on earth. It was Peter’s boat Our Lord often preached from (Luke 5:3), and on one occasion, after preaching His sermon, Our Lord went out to sea with Peter and performed the miracle of the miraculous catch of fish. Then He said to Peter specifically, “Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men” (5:10), because Peter was to be the leader in this great work.

The foundation of Peter’s authority is in today’s Gospel. After Peter’s confession of faith at Caesarea Philippi, Our Lord made him the promise of the primacy. “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19). Peter means ‘rock’ and keys signify authority. In the Old Testament, God Himself is referred to as “key bearer” (Isaiah 22:22). Furthermore, Peter is always named first among the Apostles, and when Our Lord wanted to strengthen the faith of the Apostles, He prayed especially for Peter: “But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not; and thou being once converted, confirm thy brethren.” (Luke 22:32). Then after the Resurrection, Our Lord fulfilled His promise of the primacy. Three times He said to him, “Feed My lambs, feed My sheep” (John 21:17). In the Acts of the Apostles after the Ascension, Peter is shown exercising his leadership. He presides over the election of Matthias to replace Judas (1:15-26). He preaches the sermon at Pentecost (2:14-41), and speaks with authority at the Council of Jerusalem (15:7-11).

The whole Church was placed under Peter’s authority. But that authority didn’t end with his martyrdom. The Church has to continue until the end of time, and so the office Our Lord established had to continue as well. And so the Bishops of Rome or the Popes are the successors of St Peter, and they inherit the primacy Our Lord bestowed on him.

It is important to understand what this authority of the primacy means – what it is and what it isn’t. Contrary to what people sometimes believe, the Pope cannot change the Faith according to his whim. He is not the author of revelation. Rather he is its guardian and protector. He has to defend the Faith of the Apostles, explain it clearly, and transmit it intact to future generations. The First Vatican Council in 1870 explained this very clearly: “For the Holy Spirit was not promised to the successors of Peter that they might disclose a new doctrine by His revelation, but rather that, with His assistance, they might reverently guard and faithfully explain that revelation or deposit of faith that was handed down through the Apostles.” So we see no pope has any authority to abolish dogma, contradict Scripture, change the moral law or invent a new religion. If difficulties do arise, we look to what the Church has always taught, Sacred Scripture, and the Fathers and Councils of the Church. The Pope himself is bound by all of these things.

So as we honour the Prince of the Apostles, let us give thanks to God for the papacy as a visible sign of unity. Let us pray for Pope Leo XIV, that he may faithfully fulfil the mission entrusted to St Peter and his successors: to confirm his brethren, guard the Deposit of Faith, and hand on unchanged the saving truths entrusted by Christ to His Church until the end of time.

Fr Paul Gillham, IC