Why Do Catholics Have A Pope?

“If someone does not hold fast to this unity of Peter, can he imagine that he still holds the faith? If he [should] desert the chair of Peter upon whom the Church was built, can he still be confident that he is in the Church?”

St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, 251 A.D.

When it comes to Catholic doctrines that are popularly rejected, the papacy‐that is, the pope and his authority‐is a topic that raises furious debate.

Why Do Catholics Have a “Pope”?

There are various objections to the pope and his authority. Many people object by saying that the papacy is unbiblical and that the word “pope” is not to be found in the Bible. True, the word “pope” is not in the Bible‐but neither is the word “Trinity” or even the word “bible.” Instead, “pope” is derived from the Greek word páppas, which is an affectionate term for “father.”

“The word ‘Pope,’” wrote Fr. Charles Mortimer Carty, author of the acclaimed Radio Replies, “simply means ‘Father,’ and it is certain that Christ appointed Peter to be the head or spiritual father of the whole Christian family.”

Catholics derive this word, in part, from the Book of Isaiah, in which we see the foreshadowing of a spiritual father‐the head of Christ’s church:

…I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

Isaiah 22:21-22

There are many other objections to the papacy, of course, making it seem like a complex topic.

Ultimately, however, the answer is very simple. Why do Catholics have a pope? Because Jesus gave us one, and we take Him at His word.

Jesus Established the Church‐and the Papacy

When Jesus came to save us, His salvific mission included establishing a Church that would carry on His work when He had ascended to the Father. Matthew 16 reveals the establishment of this Church in a powerful passage in which Jesus questions His disciples as to His own identity‐and Peter receives a revelation that tumbles out of him in answer to Jesus’ question.

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesare′a Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli’jah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 16:13-19

Here we see Jesus announce the establishment of His Church. Our Lord also tells us that His Church will be founded on a particular man who will be given the authority to lead it‐namely, Peter.

As many people know, Jesus uses a deliberate play on words that is lost in the English translation of Scripture: Simon’s new name‐Peter‐means “rock.” Indeed, when Peter was first introduced to Jesus, Jesus said to him: “You are Simon? You will be called Peter” (John 1:42). This was mysterious, since “Peter” was not a name‐Jesus invented it. In the original Aramaic, then, Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18 are: “You are rock, and on this rock I will build my church.”

[Join us as we pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the election of a new pope.]

Jesus Gave Authority to the Apostles‐and Primacy to Peter

As we know, the twelve disciples were chosen by Jesus from among the rest and given a particular mission and authority. Of these twelve, Jesus selected a leader, one who would be the head of this hierarchy. That head is Peter and those who succeed him.

Peter is repeatedly mentioned by name when the others are referred to simply as “disciples” or “the eleven”…Except for Christ himself, no other person receives nearly as much attention as Simon Peter does through biblical references.

Stephen Ray, Upon This Rock

There were some things that Jesus said only to the Twelve‐and some things He said only to Peter. Jesus spoke of giving him the “keys of the kingdom”‐as well as the power to bind and loose. “This terminology had profound meaning for the first-century Jews,” writes Stephen Ray, prominent Catholic author and apologist.

Keys represented royal authority; binding and loosing represented judicial authority…Today we are far removed from the ancient Jewish mind-set. We think like democracy-loving Americans, not like first-century Jews.

Stephen Ray, Upon This Rock

He also writes:

In the Eastern kingdoms, the sovereign king of the realm would delegate the authority and administration of his kingdom to a steward, who managed the kingdom‐virtually ruling for the king‐especially in his absence. This promise is directed to Peter alone. As we will see, Jesus had chosen Peter to be the steward of his kingdom…Once the work of redemption had been completed and all authority had been given to Jesus, he passed the keys of authority over to Peter to administer the kingdom as a visible steward in his “absence”…

This is an amazing appointment, especially when interpreted in light of the scriptural and historical context. With the words and imagery of Isaiah‐with the mental image of kings and kingdoms, keys and authority, officials and real delegation‐Jesus appoints Peter as the visible and singular vicar or steward of his new kingdom. Peter is the visible representative (vicar) with a commission from Christ to lead and govern visibly the people of the new and eternal covenant during the absence of the visible Christ the King.

-Stephen Ray, Upon This Rock

Peter’s headship was acknowledged by the other apostles and by the rest of the early Church; they did not question the primacy of his office. When there was a dispute or problem, for example, the Christian communities around the known world turned to the Bishop of Rome to seek resolution. We have numerous surviving documents that prove this.

…although all the Catholic Churches spread abroad through the world comprise one bridal chamber of Christ, nevertheless, the holy Roman Church has been placed at the forefront…by the evangelic voice of our Lord and Savior, who says: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”… The first see, therefore, is that of Peter the apostle, that of the Roman Church…

-Pope Damasus, Decree of Damasus, 382 A.D.

Respected Protestant theologians who have studied the matter deeply have come to this conclusion:

I cannot undertake to give even a sketch of the history of the Papacy. We shall have to admit that the Christian Church from the earliest times recognized the primacy of the Roman Bishop, and that all other great Sees at times recognized the supreme jurisdiction of Rome in matters of doctrine, government, and discipline…

Professor C. A. Briggs, Presbyterian scholar and theologian

Apostolic Succession Continues to This Day

And for this reason the apostles, appointed as rulers in this society, took care to appoint successors…in order that the mission assigned to them might continue after their death…Lumen Gentium 20

When Peter died, a new pope was chosen to take his place. We know the name of Peter’s first successor: Linus. We know the name of every pope after Linus. There is a record of every Vicar of Christ since Peter.
 

The ordination of every single Catholic bishop today‐without exception‐can be traced right back to one of the Apostles.

No one can doubt, indeed it is known to all ages, that Peter, Prince and Head of the Apostles and Foundation of the Catholic Church, received the keys of the kingdom from Christ our Redeemer, and that to this day and always he lives in his successors exercising judgment.

The Council of Ephesus, 431 A.D.

Conclusion

As human beings, we find it challenging to separate an individual person from the office they hold. If we “personally” dislike someone, or have a reaction to them, we find it difficult to respect their office or take it seriously. We see only their humanity‐we fail to make use of a higher vision. We do this politically, and we do this in spiritual matters‐when, for example, we find it hard to believe that it is Christ to whom we are confessing our sins, because we hear the nasally voice of Fr. Joe giving us absolution. This also means that we find it easier to acknowledge a pope who, in our opinion, is a living saint‐but we find it hard to recognize his God-given role when we are grieved by his actions, personal or authoritative.

When Christ at a symbolic moment was establishing His great society, He chose for its cornerstone neither the brilliant Paul nor the mystic John, but a shuffler, a snob, a coward‐in a word, a man. And upon this rock He has built His Church, and the gates of Hell have not prevailed against it. All the empires and the kingdoms have failed, because of this inherent and continual weakness, that they were founded by strong men and upon strong men. But this one thing, the historic Christian Church, was founded on a weak man, and for that reason it is indestructible. For no chain is stronger than its weakest link.

G. K. Chesterton, Heretics

Pray with us for the Cardinals in Rome as they seek the Holy Spirit to guide them in the conclave!

[This article is an excerpt from the acclaimed Good Catholic series, We Believe].