The Power of the Papacy

The Power of the Papacy

“Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.”

~ St. Matthew 16:17-19

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History, scripture and tradition tell us that Our Lord Jesus Christ truly founded the Catholic Church upon St. Peter. Our Lord appointed St. Peter to be the first pope. He entrusted to him His entire flock, and gave him supreme authority in the universal Church of Christ. 

Jesus saith to Simon Peter: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me?  He saith to him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.  He saith to him: Feed my lambs.  He saith to him again: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? He saith to him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.  He saith to him: Feed my lambs.  He saith to him a third time: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me?  Peter was grieved, because he had said to him the third time: Lovest thou me? And he said to him: Lord, thou knowest all things: thou knowest that I love thee.  He said to him: Feed my sheep.” (Jn 21:15-17)

And with the supreme authority that Our Lord Jesus Christ conferred upon St. Peter and his successors, the popes, comes what is called Papal Infallibility.  We cannot separate Papal Infallibility from Papal Supremacy.[1] There was no point for Christ to make St. Peter the head of His Church if St. Peter or his successors, the popes, could make mistakes when performing their duties to teach on a point of Faith.  The supreme authority must be unfailing on binding matters of Faith and morals or else it is no true authority from Christ at all.[2] It does not mean that a pope cannot err at all and it does not mean that a pope cannot lose his soul and be damned in Hell for grave sin. Popes, of course, can make sins and they are liable to sin in their personal lives. Popes are human beings like us, but they are guided and protected by the Holy Spirit. St. Peter, a sinner, was chosen as the rock precisely so that everyone could see that victory belongs to Christ alone and is not the result of human efforts. Papal Infallibility therefore means that the successors of St. Peter or the popes of the Catholic Church cannot make mistakes when authoritatively teaching on a point of Faith or morals to be accepted by the entire Church of Christ.[3] 

Papal Infallibility is therefore directly connected to Christ’s promise to St. Peter that whatever St. Peter binds on earth is also bound in Heaven.  Since Heaven cannot bind error, the things St. Peter and his successors bind on earth must always be correct.[4]  That’s Papal infallibility. So, when a pope teaches on Faith and morals he cannot be wrong. If he could be wrong, then the Church of Christ could be officially led into error, and Christ’s promise to St. Peter and His Church would fail which is impossible.  Our Lord Jesus Christ is not a liar. Everything that is taught by the popes of the Catholic Church is the teaching of Jesus Christ Himself.[5]  To reject that which is taught by the popes from the Chair of Peter is simply to despise Jesus Christ Himself.  

“He that heareth you, heareth me: and he that despiseth you despiseth me…” (Lk 10:16)

“And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican.” (Mt18:17)

The Papacy is the most important institution that God established in the Catholic Church. The authority of the pope comes from Christ, and it is divinely protected. Any well-formed Catholic knows how important the papacy is for the Catholic Church. To be a Catholic is to be in communion with the Pope.[6] St. Peter the first Pope, as the Vicar of Christ, has performed many miracles. He was released by the angel from the prison. He healed the sick with his shadow. He also inflicted the deadly punishment on Ananias and Saphira. He excommunicated the first heretic, Simon Magus. In the New Testament, St. Peter's name always heads the list of Apostles.

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[1] John Vidmar, OP, The Catholic Church Through the Ages: A History, (Paulist Press: New York/Mahwah,NJ), p.42.

[2] Pope Leo XIII, Satis Cognitum, 1896:

[3] Pope Pius IX, Vatican Council I, 1870.

[4] Pope Pius IX, Vatican Council I, 1870, Session 4, Chap. 4

[5] Pope Leo XIII, Satis Cognitum (# 9), June 29, 1896:

[6] Pope Boniface VIII, Unam Sanctam, Nov. 18, 1302.