De Auctoritate Papae et Petri
De Auctoritate Papae et Petri
On Peter’s Authority:
Few Christians deny the authority of the Eminent Apostle Peter, those who do are small and few between, citing The Apostle Paul’s rebuke of Peter in his Letter to the Galatians:
Galatians 2:12-13
¹²for until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. ¹³And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
Critics often cite this as an example that Peter did not have authority and that Peter did not have Infallibility, because Paul rebuked him and Peter shrunk away from his duty. But, on closer examination, the problem was that Peter was not living to his own teaching Therefore, in this instance, Peter was not doing any teaching, and neither was he defining a matter of faith or morals. Peter simply shrunk away from what he knew was correct. And, as an addition, Peter wrote two infallible epistles included in the Bible, therefore, if his behavior at Antioch did not detract from his Infallibility, then neither does a Pope’s bad behavior detract from their authority or Infallibility.
That Peter was given authority by Christ is abundantly clear to anyone who has read the Bible. Protestants and others deride Catholics as “Matthew Sola”, because of the quote in Matthew, Chapter 16.
Matthew 16:17-19
¹⁷And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
We see here that Jesus clearly gives Peter authority, and not the kind of authority he gives to the other Apostles. We see also in the Gospel of John:
John 21:15-17
¹⁵When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Again, we see in the Gospel of Luke also
Luke 22:32
³²but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.
What is the conclusion to be drawn here? First, that the Peter is the Supreme Shepherd, as evidenced by Jesus’ Command to “feed my sheep”. Peter does not displace Jesus as the Good Shepherd, but in the way that a King delegates his officials to see that His Kingdom is in order, so too does the Pope receive the Shepherd’s Staff to lead the flock. Second, we see that the Pope is the Teacher of the Faithful. Peter, again, is Commanded by Jesus to “strengthen your brothers”. But, one asks, what form does this take? Here Protestants and others claim “Sola Scriptura” (only Scripture), yet they ignore when The Apostle writes in his second letter to the Thessalonians:
¹⁵So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.
So, we see here there is tradition that must be held fast, taught by Paul and the Apostles (ie, the Church headed by Peter). And who did Jesus entrust this to? Peter, as we saw above. Another example, where in Scripture do we see the word “Trinity”? Nowhere. This is a tradition, taught by the Church, and defended and explained by Peter and his successors.
But, Protestants still believe this, even if they steadfastly profess otherwise. Who did the Protestants trust to safeguard their precious Sola Scriptura? The Catholic Church. We need Sacred Tradition to explain the Trinity, and we continue to need the teaching office of the Church, because there are questions and issues in our daily lives that the Bible has not clearly expressed. But, how do you know if you are applying the Biblical Principles properly? We can continue to refer to Sacred Scripture, Tradition and the Teaching of the Church. There is no Christian that does not believe and put their faith in the Sacred Tradition of the Catholic Church. Even Protestants who removed books of the Bible still put their faith in Luther to remove those books. The reality is that without the Magisterium (magisterium means teacher), the Bible could have been compiled wrong.
Again, St. Peter denied our Lord three times, ran away from Christ Himself. If this did not detract from the authority and position Our Blessed Lord gave to him, than neither can bad behavior of the Popes detract from this Holy and Divine Office Our Lord entrusted to Peter and his successors as Bishop of Rome.
That Peter was Bishop of Rome
Next, critics point to the fact that the First Pope went to Antioch and established Churches there before ultimately dying a martyr’s holy death in Rome. “Nay”, they say, “the Bishop of Antioch is the Pope”. Note here two things: first, that they subtly assent to Peter being the Pope, and his successors continuing in that office. Second, they understand that the seat of the Bishop determines his role. They also allude to the fact that Peter did not reference Rome as his seat. However, turning to the very thing they use to justify their claims, we see that once more, the critic is inflated with pride. Throughout Holy Scripture, we see that the Blessed Peter quotes Babylon multiple times:
1 Peter 5:13
“The Church here in Babylon, united with you by God’s election, sends you her greeting, and so does my son, Mark”
Revelation 14:8
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of her impure passion”
Revelation 16:19
“The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remember great Babylon, to make her drain the cup of the fury of his wrath”
Revelation 17:5
“And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: ‘Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of earth’s abominations”
Revelation 18:2
“And he called out with a mighty voice, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great”
Revelation 18:10
“They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, ‘Alas! Alas! Thou great city, thou mighty city Babylon! In one hour has thy judgment come”
Revelation 18:21
“So shall Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence”
Even with the most cursory knowledge of the history of the world will leave one with the conclusion that by this time, Babylon was a destroyed village. It had seen conquerors reduce it to rubble, it was not the great city it once was. Thus, we are left with the conclusion that only two cities could possibly be called “Babylon”: Jerusalem and Rome.
Furthermore, we can cite the Early Christians who all point to St. Peter being placed in Rome. Says Tertullian in his treatise The Demurrer Against the Heretics:
“How happy is that Church…where Peter endured a passion like that of the Lord, where Paul was crowned in a death like John’s (John the Baptist, who was beheaded like St. Paul)”
And:
“this is the way in which the Apostolic Churches transmit their lists: like the Church of the Smyrnaeans, which records that Polycarp was placed there by John; like the Church of the Romans where Clement was ordained by Peter”
Clement of Rome, being the very same Pope Clement (the fourth Pope). Again, Irenaeus in his letter Against Heresies:
“…while Peter and Paul were evangelizing in Rome and laying the foundation of the Church”
There are more sources, but all point to the fact that St. Peter the Pope was indeed in Rome.
That the Continuity of the Promise of Our Lord is found in the Successors of Peter
That the Blessed Lord promised His Protection and the Impartation of the Most Holy Spirit again is abundantly clear in Scripture, much to the critics of the Church. For, we see that Our Lord Commanded those Blessed Forebearers to
Matthew 28:19-20
¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
And, those Forebearers in turn ordained priests and deacons which continue in that Blessed Apostolic Lineage which traces in an unbreakable line to Our Blessed Lord’s Consecrations.
That Our Lord Promised Infallibility to Peter, thereby Safeguarding His Church
Another sticking point with critics of the Most Holy Church is that no one man can be Infallible, for we are sinners and prone to sin. But, as the baker sees half-baked bread and deems it worthy of the fire, so too does these half-truths deserve to be destroyed. It is true that mankind is a sinful breed. Our Blessed Lord appointed the Blessed Apostle to be His Shepherd, yet the very same man He selected was indeed a sinner. Three times our Apostle denied Christ, our Apostle shrank in fear from the proper teaching and was rebuked by that Holy Apostle Paul. But, Our Holy Church is for sinners. And to this sinful man, Our Lord entrusted His Church. And He safeguarded that Church with the Impartation of the Holy Spirit. We see that in Scripture:
Matthew 28:19-20
¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
And Our Lord Promised His Holy Spirit, Who would guide into all the truth
John 16:13
¹³When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
This is a Divine Promise and Guarantee that the Church will not fall away from Christ’s Teachings, even if individual Catholics might fall. For, we see once more that Our Lord Promised:
Matthew 16:18
¹⁸And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
And even that Most Blessed Apostle writes that:
1 Timothy 3:15
¹⁵if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.
From Scripture, the very same Scripture that critics take as Gospel from the Magesterium of Holy Mother Church, we see that
I. St. Peter and his successors are the Rock upon which the Church will be built. The pillar stone, the cornerstone. Next time you visit a church, look for the cornerstone, that which is blessed, sanctified and upon which the church depends and is built.
II. We see also, that the Gates of Hades will not prevail. Our Holy Lord did not Promise that the Gates of Hades would never try to destroy the Church. To the contrary, that very same Prideful Angel tried to tempt Our Lord. What audacity! How much more will that same Prideful Angel attempt to destroy that which provides the Fullness of the Means of Salvation?
III. Our Lord Promises that the Holy Spirit will guard and lead into all the truth. How else can the Holy Spirit lead the Church into truth except through the Holy Conduit, the Blessed Stone, the Holy and Divine Office of the Pope?
And this very fact is attested to by those Holy and Venerable Early Christians. As Cyprian of Carthage writes in Letters 59,
“Would the heretics dare to come to the very seat of Peter whence Apostolic Faith is derived and whither no errors can come?”
How else would this claim be valid except through the Infallibility of the Chair of Peter? And that Blessed Bishop writes,
“Rome has spoken; the case is concluded.” (Sermon 131)
Yet, though the critics spit in the face of these, they again point to the sinfulness of the Pope’s to attempt to destroy this doctrine. “But,” they claim, “Peter was rebuked by Paul”; “Honorius taught heresy”.
As said above, the Holy Father Peter sinned by not living the same teaching he taught. He knew full well the correct teaching, yet he sinned by not living that same teaching. Again, as that Blessed Paul writes:
Galatians 2:12-13
“¹²for until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. ¹³And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.”
Blessed Father Peter was not doing any teaching, much less was he solemnly defining a matter of faith and morals. Again, these critics accept infallibly that St. Peter wrote two infallible epistles, thus if that Holy Shepherd’s actions at Antioch does not detract from his infallible epistles, then neither does his ill behavior detract from Papal Infallibility.
Furthermore, these critics cry that Honorius taught Monothelitism. Yet, when one examines, Honorius never taught Monothelitism, Honorius never made a decision either way. It is easy now, to sit and say that Honorius was wrong, but none hold that a Pope is infallible in not defining a doctrine, only that they are, like Blessed Peter, shirking from the duty. Once more, Ignatius of Antioch writes in Letters to the Smyrnaeans,
“Wherever the Bishop appears, let the people be there; just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.” (8,1)
And, we conclude that if Our Blessed Lord did found His Holy Church, and then Ascend into Heaven, then Our Holy Lord would provide for
I. Continuation of that very same Church
II. Visibility for all of mankind
III. Preservation of His Holy Teachings
And, we see that all this is wholly accomplished in the Apostolic Succession of the Bishops; the preservation of Christ’s Most Blessed Teachings and the whole of the Christian message is guaranteed through that Holy Gift of Infallibility, through Jesus Christ’s appointed leaders, the Bishops, and the Pope.
That Holy and Most Adored Spirit is the One Who prevents the Pope from officially teaching error, and as demonstrated above, it follows necessarily from the existence of the Church itself. Otherwise, the Gates of Hades would prevail. The Holy Church must prove itself to be the Perfect Guide in all matters pertaining to the salvation of mankind.
Further Comments Concerning Infallibility
Infallibility does not include a guarantee that any particular Pope won’t neglect to teach the truth (we see this above with Pope Honorius), neither does it guarantee that the Pope will be sinless (Peter, himself was a sinner, and Popes throughout history have been historical sinners); neither does it guarantee that disciplinary decisions would be made intelligently (Pope Francis and others). It would be good, we admit, if the Pope was omniscient or impeccable, but those belong to God. The Church will not fall to the Gates of Hades if the Pope is a sinner. And what example it is! That the Shepherd who is given this tremendous gift is a sinner. How much more is the Church needed for sinners, if the Vicar of Christ is too a sinner!
But, we know that the Pope must be able to teach rightly, for the instruction for the sake of Salvation is the primary function of Holy Mother Church. For men to be saved, they must know what is necessary to be believed. They must have a perfectly steady rock upon which they build and trust as the source of Christian Teaching. And for this reason, Our Most Blessed and Exalted Lord gave the most precious Gift of Infallibility.
For Our Lord said that the Gates of Hades would not prevail against His Church (Matthew 16:18), and this means that His Church can and will never pass out of existence.
And if the Church ever apostatized by teaching heresy, then it would cease to exist, for it would cease to be Jesus’ Church. And this is the cry of the Protestants, who puffed by pride, believe that the Church of Christ has fallen to the Gates of Hades and that they alone know the true path. What arrogance! Therefore, the Church cannot ever teach heresy, meaning that anything the Church declares to be solemnly believed for its faithful, is true.
And we see this very same reality reflected in that Blessed Apostle’s statement:
1 Timothy 3:15
“¹⁵if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.”
If the Church is the foundation of Religious Truth in this world, then it is God’s Spokesman, for as Our Blessed, Holy and Perfect Lord said,
Luke 10:16
⁶“Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
So, let this be concluded. In the Name of the Most Holy, Most Venerable and Perfect Jesus Christ, Who Alone is the Savior of Mankind, and in whom we place our hopes and desires. May the Most Holy Trinity infuse us with Truth, and may the saints, and Our Most Blessed Lady protect and guard us in our duty to spread and bring all of mankind to His Holy Church, which alone holds the Fullness of the Means of Salvation.