What does the Bible say about the Pope?
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
One of the distinguishing marks of the Catholic Church is our belief in the unique role of the Pope as the successor of St. Peter and the visible head of the Church on earth. This belief is not merely a matter of tradition or human authority—it is rooted deeply in Sacred Scripture. And these early days of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate give us a great opportunity to unpack those depths.
To understand the New Testament foundation of the Pope’s role, we must begin with the Old Testament. In Isaiah 22:20–22, we read about Eliakim, a steward placed over the royal household of King Hezekiah. God says of him:
“I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one shall shut, what he shuts, no one shall open.”
This “key” symbolizes delegated authority—a royal steward acting with the king’s authority in his absence. This image of a key and binding authority sets the stage for what Jesus later bestows upon Peter.
Fast forward to Matthew 16:13–20, where Jesus, after asking His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” receives Peter’s bold confession: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replies:
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Here, Christ explicitly gives Peter a unique role: the rock (in Greek: Petros) upon which the Church is built. The language of keys and binding and loosing echoes Isaiah 22, indicating that Peter is being given a special stewardship within the Kingdom of God—the Church.
This authority is not about power for its own sake, but about servant leadership and unity. In John 21:15–17, after the Resurrection, Jesus confirms Peter’s leadership by charging him three times to “Feed my lambs… Tend my sheep… Feed my sheep.” This pastoral commission shows that Peter’s leadership is to be exercised in love, mirroring the Good Shepherd Himself.
Throughout Acts and the New Testament letters, Peter acts with authority: he speaks for the apostles at Pentecost (Acts 2), he presides over the choosing of Judas’s successor (Acts 1), and he settles doctrinal disputes (Acts 15). Even when Peter is corrected, such as by Paul in Galatians 2, it is never suggested that Peter’s role as head of the apostles is in question.
The Catholic Church has always understood Peter’s role as the first Pope—not a mere figurehead, but a sign of unity and orthodoxy. His successors, the bishops of Rome, continue this ministry. As the Second Vatican Council taught:
“In the person of the Roman Pontiff… the visible principle and foundation of unity of both the bishops and of the faithful” (Lumen Gentium, 23).
May we grow in gratitude for the Petrine ministry, not as a relic of the past, but as a living reality through which Christ continues to shepherd His flock today. Be sure to regularly include our new Holy Father, the successor of St. Peter, in your daily prayers. Long live Pope Leo XIV!
Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever!
All you holy saints of God, pray for us!
Peace in Christ,
Fr. Michael Silloway
Pastor