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Another of the most repeated “harassment” to which we Catholics are subject is the primacy of the Pope. Why does he have to be a primate in the Church? Why does it have to be the bishop of Rome that is the primate? For some, this issue should be deleted, because it prevents ecumenical unity. They forget that at the origin of everything is the will of Christ himself. |
| One will never be able to understand sufficiently the importance of the figure of the Bishop of Rome, Successor of the Apostle Peter, without previously understanding who the man was named Simon, son of Jonah, and what was the role that our Lord Jesus Christ wanted him to play in His church. In the gospel of John, we read what occurred at the first meeting between Jesus and Simon:
Jn 1:40-42: Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John speak, and they had followed Jesus. He found first his brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (“Christ”). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked upon him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah: you shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). In these first few words we already see an essential element. Christ announces to Simon that he will have a new name to be known by: Cephas (Peter). Why the change? In the Old Testament we may find the answer: Gen17:3-5: Then Abraham fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall your name any more be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.” Gen 32:27-28: … and a young man said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob”. And he said to him, “Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Specific reasons Every time that God changes the name of someone, it is done for a very specific reason. To establish the covenant with Abram, which means “exalted father”, renamed to Abraham, which means “father of a numerous multitude “. The change of name is totally related to the covenant that God established with the patriarch. The same is true with Jacob, who had fought with a mysterious character who warns him that his name will be Israel, which means “God fights,” or “he struggles with God”, which is confirmed by the Lord himself at the time that he confirms in him the covenant that he had made before with his grandfather Abraham. There are other Old Testament examples in which we can see that the name of a person could be closely related to any circumstance of his life. Not in vain, when the angel of the Lord said to Joseph, that the fruit of the womb of Mary is begotten by the Holy Spirit, at the same time tells him that the child would be called Jesus, which means “Yahweh saves”. This name perfectly defined the mission of the Lord to be born from the womb of the Virgin Mary. With this background, we cannot ignore the fact that Jesus, upon giving a new name to Simon the first time that he meets him, is showing an essential quality of Simon, himself. But let the Lord himself tell us who Peter is and what are the distinctive elements of his ministry. Let’s look at verse by verse. Who is Jesus? Matthew 16:13-14: When Jesus Came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying: “Whom do men say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, John the Baptist, Elias; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Jesus knew that there was plenty of speculation about his identity, a reality which was also known by his disciples. In the midst of so much confusion, the Lord poses a very interesting question to them: Mt. 16:15: “And he said unto them, “But who do you say that I am?” Note that he doesn’t ask, “who am I?” but “But who do you say I am?”. It is not always that what we believe about someone coincides with reality. And all the more so when that someone is God himself. Today we are in a situation similar to that of those times. Men speculate much about the true identity of Christ. Some say that he was only a good teacher. Others that he was a failed intellectual. There are those who believe that he was a Palestinian guru. Even there are those who think that was an alien. And many directly ignore him. But, again, what is really important is that we, who are his disciples, can respond appropriately to the question “Who do you say I am?”. The fact that some who don’t truly know Christ are mistaken about his true identity is normal up to a certain point. But we cannot be mistaken. Peter was not wrong. Mt. 16:17: Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Peter has said it; the case is closed. Peter speaks on behalf of all since the question was addressed to everyone. In Peter is the Church’s response to the most important question that Jesus can make; the question about his true identity. And where did Peter get his answer? from his intellectual capacity? from his human potential to understand the truth about Jesus? No! as indicated in the following verse. Mt. 16:18-19: Jesus answered and said unto him, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say also unto you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Christ and Peter Simon knew, and the church with him, who Jesus is by direct revelation from God the Father. It was not revealed by other men, but by God. This is why this man, who has received the sign and who is marked by God, Christ makes his successor, his vicar on earth. Nor can we separate the name Christ, and what it means, from Jesus, nor can we separate the name of Peter, and what it means, from the person of Simon. Jesus the Messiah, and Simon the rock. And it is right in that context in which Christ says, “upon this rock (stone) I will build my church”. Who is the Christ? Jesus, Jesus Christ. Who is the rock or stone on which Jesus Builds His Church? Who is given the name of rock? Simon Peter. It is a matter of knowing who Jesus is and to know who Jesus says that Simon is. And once established who Jesus is and who Peter is, Jesus builds His Church. And the Church is not built up without the truth about Christ, declared by Peter, nor is the Church is built up without the truth about Peter, declared by Christ. And it is that Church, the True one, the one which confesses and knows who Christ is and who Peter is, that one over which the gates of Hell will not prevail. |
