+ Today's feast celebrates the triumph of Christ's grace in the heart and soul of Peter, and his status as the primary pastor and teacher of the Church, as its first pope (although he himself was never given the title "pope"). It also celebrates the symbolic value of the chair of Peter, located in the Vatican, which signifies his teaching authority, as well as the teaching authority of every bishop that is symbolized in the chair or cathedra located in their own individual cathedrals.
We know that Peter enjoyed a unique status within the college of apostles. He was the first disciple whom Jesus called; he served as the spokesman for the others; he was the first to whom the Risen Lord appeared. He was prominent in the original Jerusalem community, described by Paul as one of its "pillars." He settled early disputes that arose regarding practice and application of Christian principles.
In the Catholic tradition, the biblical basis for associating the primacy with Peter is embodied in three texts: Matthew: you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church…I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven; Luke: …you must strengthen your brothers; and John: Feed my lambs…Tend my sheep…Feed my sheep. This is not to say that Peter's authority was exclusive and absolute. In the Acts of the Apostles Peter is shown consulting with the other apostles and even being sent by them. He and John are portrayed as acting as a team. And Paul confronts Peter for his inconsistency and hypocrisy in drawing back from table fellowship with gentile Christian in Antioch under pressure from some Jewish Christians who arrived later from Jerusalem. Paul "opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong."
However, the ministry of pastoral leadership exercised by Peter in the first part of Acts is the model and the norm of the Petrine ministry exercised by every one of his successors. It involves witnessing to the faith, overseeing the way in which local churches preserve and transmit this faith, providing assistance and encouragement to fellow bishops in their own local and universal ministry of proclaiming and defending the faith, speaking in the name of the bishops and their local churches when the need arises, and articulating the faith of the Church in the name of the whole communion of local churches that together constitute the universal Church. In sum, the Petrine ministry is that of a "servant of the servants of God;" a servant of his brother bishops and a servant of the whole People of God!
You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it!
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