It’s a question I’ve heard many times — and it’s an important one. If we believe that the Catholic Church is built on Christ’s foundation, then we naturally want to know how that foundation began, and why Saint Peter is often called the first Pope.
In the Gospels, Jesus speaks directly to Peter in words unlike any He says to the other Apostles: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Here, Christ gives Peter a unique mission — to be the rock upon which the visible Church would stand. Immediately after, Jesus gives him the “keys of the kingdom,” a sign of authority and stewardship. In Jewish culture, keys symbolized the right to govern in the king’s name.
After the Resurrection, Jesus again singles Peter out: “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17). This wasn’t just a tender moment; it was a commissioning. Peter was to care for the whole flock of believers — not as an owner, but as a shepherd serving the Chief Shepherd, Christ Himself.
Historically, Peter became the leader of the early Christian community in Jerusalem and later in Rome. Ancient writings — from Church Fathers like St. Irenaeus and Clement of Rome — affirm that Peter was the first Bishop of Rome. From him, the leadership of the Church continued through an unbroken line of successors, which we now call the Popes. That’s why the Pope is also called the Bishop of Rome and the Successor of Saint Peter.
What this means is not that Peter ruled alone or above the other Apostles, but that he had a special role of unity — a visible sign that the Church remains one in Christ. The same unity continues today through the ministry of the Pope, who serves not as a ruler apart from Christ, but as a servant who guards the faith and guides the flock.
Peter’s story reminds us that God builds His Church not on perfect people, but on faithful hearts. Even a fisherman who once denied Jesus became the rock of faith — because he learned to trust in love stronger than his weakness.
May we, too, let Christ make something steadfast out of our fragile hearts.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
