Apostolic succession is one of the most beautiful truths of our faith. It means that the authority Christ gave to His Apostles has been passed down through an unbroken line of bishops from their time to ours. For the Pope, this means his office is not a position invented by men, but a living continuation of the mission Jesus entrusted to Saint Peter.
When Jesus said to Peter, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church” (Matthew 16:18), He established Peter as the visible foundation of unity. The bishops who followed after Peter in Rome inherited that same pastoral responsibility. Every Pope, from Peter to the present day, receives his authority through this chain of ordination and mission—a sacred lineage that connects directly to the first Apostles.
This is not merely a historical tradition; it’s a sign of divine faithfulness. Apostolic succession guarantees that the Church remains anchored in the teaching, grace, and mission of Christ Himself. Through it, the Holy Spirit safeguards the truth of the Gospel so that every generation can encounter the same faith proclaimed by the Apostles.
For us as believers, this means the Pope is not just a religious leader among many, but a visible sign of unity in Christ’s Church. When he teaches or guides the faithful, he does so as a successor of Peter, called to strengthen his brothers and preserve the truth handed down from the beginning.
May we see in apostolic succession the tender hand of God, ensuring that His Church remains one, holy, and faithful through time. The same Spirit that breathed upon the Apostles continues to guide the Church today through the successors of Peter.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
