Why do we have a Pope?

There are many misconceptions of the Catholic Faith. One such misconception that I encounter often with my Protestant brethren is the issue of a Pope. We are the only Church with a Pope, who is the successor of Peter, and speaks with infallibility when using the Chair of Peter. Many Protestants claim that this position is a man-made tradition without biblical basis. This rejection should come as no surprise since “protest” is the root of Protestantism and it was the authority of the Church, made most visible through the Pope, which was the impetus for the Protestant Reformation. However, the Bible is clear that Jesus not only set the foundation for the Roman Catholic Church but also set Peter as its leader, thus making him the first Pope of the church.

In the Greek translation of the New Testament, Peter is “Petros” and rock is “petra”, being the feminine form for Peter. However, in Aramaic, the actual language spoken by Jesus, the words for Peter and rock are the same, “Kepha.” Jesus is actually telling Peter that you are the same rock upon which the Church of Jesus will be built. In this moment (which is supported by many Gospel stories and in the book of Acts showing Peter as the leader and spokesman for the early church) Jesus grants Peter the role of leader for the Church when Jesus leaves the earth. Peter appoints bishops to the multiple regions of the Roman Empire. When Peter is crucified upside down for Christ, a successor to Peter was chosen by these bishops. Thus, the Catholic Church has continued this tradition of naming a new leader, or Pope, to continue the authority established by Jesus Himself. This tradition is what we refer to when we say that the Church is apostolic.

Furthermore, Jesus grants Peter the keys to the kingdom and informs him that whatever is bound by the Church on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever is loosed on earth will be loosed in heaven. Even the gates of Hell will not prevail against Christ’s Church. For this reason, the Church as outlasted empires, wars, and attacks on her teaching for centuries.

Our Church is unique in that we are the ‘original Church’ of Jesus. We are blessed to be a part of this community and should praise God for giving us the Church to guide, nurture, teach, and love us. In return, we should become active in our Church community, learn its teaching, and commit ourselves to service as ways to respond to God’s love and glorify him in our lives.