Scottish Catholic Observer

“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 on earth it shall be bound also in Heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven.” (Matthew 16: 17-19)

There are few more dramatic passages in scripture than that moment, when Our Blessed Lord, in the plenitude of His authority, instituted the Papacy. The opening sentence has a particular significance in that it acknowledges that Peter has been chosen by God the Father in union with the Son: the Blessed Trinity is directly involved in the creation of this office and its very personal entrustment to Peter is further emphasised by the use of his full name. St Peter, the first Pope, is not to be primus inter pares, but is to enjoy a God-given authority as Christ’s Vicar on earth which sets him above the other Apostles.

It is an awesome office. Only after meditating on the full significance of this scriptural event can we come close to an appreciation of the unique position occupied by the Pope, of the majesty of this vicariate and the connection it provides, even after 2000 years, between Heaven and earth. In pastoral terms, it is regrettable that many of the ceremonial appurtenances associated with the Papacy have been abandoned, because while they were in no way necessary to reinforce the Pope’s authority they were a useful reminder of the fact that he is God’s vicegerent on earth.

The pomp represented by the sedia gestatoria, the tiara and the ostrich-plumed flabella, or ceremonial fans, were a visible expression of an invisible power. Modern notions of equality have no relevance to the Papacy, because of its very direct link with God. The man chosen to be God’s representative on earth is not part of a democratic structure because God has no equal. The office that had been prefigured in the passage quoted above came into formal existence after the Resurrection (John 21:15-17) when Our Lord commanded Peter ‘Be the shepherd of my sheep.’

St John Chrysostom, in a commentary on this later passage in scripture, observed: “He saith to him, ‘Feed my sheep’. Why does He pass over the others and speak of the sheep to Peter? He was the chosen one of the Apostles, the mouth of the disciples, the head of the choir.”

The Papal authority is supreme. That is a reminder today of the limitations on collegiality and even on the authority of ecumenical councils. Councils may produce infallible dogmas, but they only become so after the Pope has endorsed them, just as his authority is necessary to convene, sustain and terminate an ecumenical council.

The Pope enjoys universal jurisdiction; he determines the validity of doctrine; he has the right to interpret authentically the natural law; only he can grant plenary indulgences; he can create new dioceses, approve new religious orders and generally supervise the world-wide governance of the Church.

The most comprehensive definition of Papal authority was contained in the constitution Pastor Aeternus of the First Vatican Council, by which the long-recognised infallibility of the Pope when speaking ex cathedra on matters of faith and morals to be held by the whole Church was formally defined.

The Papacy is a monarchy; but, despite its exceptional powers, it is not an absolute monarchy. Its authority does not extend to matters extrinsic to the Church. The formal titles of the Sovereign Pontiff are: Bishop of Rome; Vicar of Jesus Christ; Successor of the Prince of the Apostles; Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church; Primate of Italy; Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province; Sovereign of the Vatican City State; Servant of the Servants of God. Pope Benedict XVI has renounced the former style of Patriarch of the West: this was a sensible reform since the title might have been taken to imply some kind of parity with other patriarchs.

Over two millennia there have been 265 Popes. As hostile commentators are fond of reminding us, a small minority among them were corrupt, lechers or even murderers; but 78 of them were saints.

The burden of the office is terrible, the responsibility frightening: every Pontiff knows he will be judged more severely than anyone else. The Pope remains, outside the Sacraments, our closest link with God. It is in the recollection of that cosmic significance that we should welcome Pope Benedict XVI with the respect and solemnity his unique office