THE BISHOP'S CROZIER: St. Peter, the papacy and apostolic succession

I was very saddened to hear of the passing of Pope Francis on the morning of April 21. He was the vicar of Christ on earth for 12 years and challenged us in many ways, especially to be joyful witnesses of the Gospel and calling the Church to go out to the peripheries to bring the mercy and love of Christ to those who need it the most. 

During this time, we pray for the repose of his soul and for the Holy Spirit to guide the cardinals in the conclave that elects the new Holy Father. 

This time of transition is also a time to reflect upon the great gift of the papacy and the remarkable reality that we await the election of the 267th successor of St. Peter in an unbroken line of apostolic authority.  While there have been a wide variety of popes with different personalities, agendas, and even some who were quite sinful and broken, the pope is Christ’s vicar on earth and possesses the keys of the kingdom of heaven that was entrusted to St. Peter by Jesus Christ himself.

To understand the office and role of the pope as the successor of St. Peter, we turn to chapter 16 of the Gospel of Matthew and Peter’s confession of the truth about Jesus Christ, which led to Jesus giving him the authority to lead the Church.  When Jesus asks the apostles “Who do you say that I am?” it is Peter who boldly teaches the truth: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Mt 16:16). Jesus’ response to Peter’s confession reveals important truths about St. Peter and the papacy.

First, Jesus answers Simon Peter by saying, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” (Mt 16:17) Jesus is revealing that Simon Peter has a unique charism given to him by the Father through the Holy Spirit to teach the truth. We see this same charism at the end of the Bread of Life discourse, when Jesus asks the apostles if they would also like to leave and Peter responds, “For whom are we to go for you have the words of eternal life.” (Jn 6:68) In crucial and pivotal moments, Simon Peter teaches the truth about Jesus. 

This unique teaching charism is also handed on to the successors of St. Peter in the office of the papacy. The Pope is to guide and teach the entire Church, and at times enjoys the gift of infallibility when he teaches “ex cathedra,” or from the Chair of St. Peter.  

In affirming this unique teaching charism of Simon Peter, Jesus then gives Peter the authority to lead the Church and to be his vicar, or representative, on earth. Jesus says, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to 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.” (Mt 16:18-19)

Peter receiving the keys to the kingdom of heaven represents a handing over of authority that was well known in Jesus’ time and is depicted in the Old Testament. The king would appoint a master of the palace who had authority to speak in his name. “I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one will shut, what he shuts, no one will open. I will fix him as a peg in a firm place, a seat of honor in his ancestral house.” (Is 22:22-23) Just as the master of the palace had the authority to speak in the place of the king, Peter now has the authority to teach and govern the Church in the name of Christ. This is why the pope is called the vicar of Christ on earth. The word “vicar” corresponds to the Latin word “vicarius,” meaning “substitute,” “deputy,” or “representative.” It indicates someone acting in the place of another and, in the case of the pope, he is acting as the representative of Christ on earth. 

As an aside, the symbolism of the local bishop’s miter (the liturgical headdress or hat worn by the bishop) directly signifies this authority as a successor of the apostles united with the Pope. The miter is a constant reminder of the authority that Christ gave to his Church to continue his ministry among us.  Through the miter, the authority to shepherd the faithful is both a liturgical and a theological affirmation of the distinct role that bishops play in the life of the Church.

However, the authority of the diocesan bishop does not mean that he is somehow our “boss” who tells us what to do. Rather, it reflects the beautiful authority that Jesus gave to Peter so that the apostles and their successors (the bishops) could perpetuate Christ’s pastoral presence and care in our Church.  When we see the bishop wearing the miter we should be reminded that our liturgical actions — especially the sacraments — are utterly real. Christ, the Good Shepherd, is acting in these prayers and actions to care for us, his flock.  This is an incredible gift that is realized in the Catholic faith.

 Finally, it is important to also see how the role and authority of the pope as the successor of St. Peter was so clearly understood in the early Church.  Many of the early Church Fathers emphasized the authority of the pope in Rome and especially taught about the papacy as the foundation of unity in the Church.  This is seen especially in a great teaching from St. Cyprian of Carthage in 251 A.D.: “On him [Peter] he builds the Church, and to him he gives the command to feed the sheep [Jn 21:17], and although he assigns a like power to all the apostles, yet he founded a single chair [cathedra], and he established by his own authority a source and an intrinsic reason for that unity. Indeed, the others were also what Peter was [i.e., apostles], but a primacy is given to Peter, whereby it is made clear that there is but one Church and one chair. So too, all [the apostles] are shepherds, and the flock is shown to be one, fed by all the apostles in single-minded accord. 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, “The Unity of the Catholic Church,” chapter 4)

So, in this time, we give thanks to God for the gift of the papacy and we pray for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis and for the election of our new Holy Father, who will continue to guide the Church in all truth and charity.  St. Peter, pray for us!