Today we celebrate the anniversary of the election of Pope Benedict to the chair of Peter. He is the 265th pope to serve in the footsteps of St. Peter, the vicar of Christ on earth.
The question arises: where does the primacy of Peter come from? Where does Peter get off in being the head of the Church, the first among equals, the servant of the servants of God?
A quick look at the gospels helps us understand the role of Peter and his successors.
In the gospels, Peter enjoys special position in the circle of the twelve. Together with James and John, sons of Zebedee, he constitutes a group of three that stand out among the twelve: they are at the transfiguration, they are near him in the agony of the garden, permitted to see the raising of Jairus' daughter (Mk 9:2; 14:33; 5:37).
Of the three Peter is the spokesman in the transfiguration scene, he is addressed by JEsus in the the garden of Olives. Peter is the one who attempts to walk on the water (Mt 14:28). Peter is given the keys to the kingdom (Mt 16:18). Peter ask how often he should pardon (Mt 18:21).
All of this underlies Peter's ranking in the list of disciples in the gospels as well as in Acts. In the four versions (Mt 10:2-4; Mk 3:16-19; Lk 6:14-16; Acts 1:13), which vary in many points of detail but all unamimously name Peter as the head. In Matthew's account, Peter is introduced as the "first", the root by which we get "primacy", the term used by the church to speak of the special mission given to Peter, the fisherman from Bethsaida.
The same substance is seen when Mk 1:36 and Lk 9:32 introduce the disciples with the formula "Peter and those with him."
It is Jesus who changes Simon Peter's name to "Cephas" or "rock". Simon is the first to confess Jesus as the Christ and the first witness of the Resurrection, becomes the "rock" that stands against the impure tide of unbelief and its destruction of man.
"Jesus replied, Blest are you Simon son of John! No mere man has revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. I for my part declare to you, you are Rock, and on this rock I will build my church, and the jaws of death(gates of hell) shall not prevail against it. I will entrust to you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you declare bound on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever you declare loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:17-19
May we pray for the Pope, allow the Pope to teach and guide us in the way of Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment