+ "Christ" means "anointed one." At the time of Jesus, the term "anointed one" had become synonymous with "king." By declaring Jesus to be the "Son of the living God," Simon has directed attention away from kingship (who would lead the people to victory on earth and liberate them from the Romans) to his divine relationship with God. This is the revelation to which Jesus refers when he says "this was not revealed to you by man . . . " Peter had just shown that God the Father is using him as an instrument of His revelation.

+ Only in this place in the four gospels is Simon identified as "son of Jonah"; in the two other occurrences where his father is identified, he is identified as John (John 1:42 and 21:15-17). Jesus has just used the title "Son of Man" for himself, which means "one like a man"; could it be that Jesus is saying that Simon is to be "one like Jonah?" Jonah was the one who preached the impending destruction of Nineveh and effected the repentance of the people. This was an early type of the role which Peter was to play in the Church, leading people to reconciliation with God.

+ "Peter" means "rock" as the footnote indicates. The Aramaic (the language Jesus spoke) word is kepha which is transliterated in some texts as "Cephas" (John 1:42; 1 Corinthians; Galatians). Some will argue that the Greek text of Matthew has petros (pebble) for "Peter" and petras (large rock) for "rock" but this is inconsequential. In the time of Jesus the two words were used interchangeably, the distinction being that petras is the feminine form of the word and as such it is not applied to a male. Christianity has enough problems without inferring Peter was effeminate. Since Jesus spoke Aramaic and kepha is not gender specific, the word play is obvious, unlike the English where "Peter" is substituted for "rock." This name change is very significant because no one had ever been named "rock" before; it's like naming the anchor man on your tug-of-war team "post"; it signifies what he is to do.

+ In the four gospels, the Greek word ekklesia, translated here as "church" appears only twice; here and in Matthew 18:17:

"If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or tax collector." (NIV)

From this, it is clear that the term ekklesia applies to the visible gathering of the community of Christians.

From the above discussion, it is clear that it is Jesus who was promising to establish a visible Church on earth with Peter, the Rock, as its visible earthly anchor. The Church was not to be established on Peter's faith, which we know faltered when he denied Jesus 3 times, but upon Peter the individual who was leader of the Apostles and an instrument of the Father's revelation. As it says in Ephesians 2:20:

"Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone" (NIV).

Although this answers the question, let's look at the rest of the scripture passage from Matthew 16:

+ "the gates of Hades will not overcome it" means, very simply, that death will not overtake the Church. Hades, translated in the footnote as "Hell" was the abode of the dead, Abraham's bosom. It was the place where all departed souls went after their earthly life because heaven was not yet open (this event happened with Jesus' death on the cross). When Peter died, the role of leader would be taken by another; the office would not cease when the occupant died. This means that there will always be a visible head who, like Peter, will be an instrument of the Father's revelation and guidance; Satan will not be able to expropriate the office because it is divinely protected. This type of perpetual office is not foreign to the Holy Scriptures: Isaiah 22:19-21 describes the replacement of Shebna with Eliakim as the head of the palace of the house of David; and Acts 1:20 describes where Peter, as head of the Apostles, calls for a replacement for the position which had been occupied by Judas Iscariot ["his bishopric let another take" (KJV)].

+ The "keys of the kingdom of heaven" are the symbol of authority given only to the most trusted servant. Again, this is not an image which is foreign to Holy Scripture: It is used in Isaiah 22:22 where Eliakim is given the key to the house of David (a perpetual office since David has been dead for several hundred years), and in Revelation 1:18 where Jesus, who will judge us, is depicted as holding the keys of death and Hades.

+ Finally, the "binding" and "loosing." Very simply put, he who has the ability to bind and loose, has the ability to make the rules. As the visible head of the Church on earth, Peter is given the ability to make the earthly rules for the operation of this Church. This doesn't mean that he can change the rules that we have received from God (such as the ten commandments and all the others contained in Holy Scripture) but he can make such determinations as the length of the fast before receiving communion and whether priests should be allowed to marry. This binding and loosing also has an Old Testament parallel in Isaiah 22:22 where Eliakim, having received the keys, has the power of the keys explained "what he opens, no one can shut, and what he shuts, no one can open." This means that Eliakim alone among the servants has the ability to determine who is admitted and who is excluded from the house (kingdom) of David. The authority to "bind and loose" is also given to the Apostles in Matthew 18:18, with one significant difference: Only Peter has been given the "keys," the symbol of ultimate authority.

Recommended reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994, paragraphs 440, 442-443, 552-553, 765, 881, 1444
Jaki, Stanley L., And On This Rock, Trinity Communications, Manassas, VA, 1987, pages 71-92

Q. Explain Pope as successor of Peter.
Q. What is the exact role of the Pope?
Q. Why do Catholics think they have to have a Pope as a leader?

Because this is the way Jesus set it up. As explained in the answer to the preceding question, the office of Peter, the visible head of the Church on earth, was created by Jesus and given the promise that the gates of Hades would not prevail against it. This means that the office will remain, even after the occupant has gone to his eternal reward. The Lord Jesus is the one who gave His Apostles the responsibility to bind and loose, and is also the one who does the building. In this action He endowed His community with a structure that is to remain until the Kingdom is fully achieved. The Apostles recognized this because they elected the successor for Judas (Acts 1:15-26).

If there were no visible head (successor of Peter) and bishops (successors of the Apostles) to support him, anarchy and chaos would result. Without the visible and physical presence of the successors of Peter and the Apostles to continually interpret and apply what Jesus left us, we would not be of one faith (Ephesians 4:5). If there were no visible leadership, it would be like giving the people of the United States the Constitution and Bill of Rights and after President Washington dies saying "you're on your own now: no president, no congress, and no supreme court; may the spirit of Jefferson be with you." As evidence of this, just look at the more than 26,000 Protestant denominations which currently exist without a commonality of faith.

Recommended reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994, paragraphs 765, 816, 861-862
Ripley, Canon Francis J., "Peter and His Successors", This Rock, The Magazine of Catholic Apologetics & Evangelization, June 1993, pages 27-29
Currie, David B., Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, 1996, pages 63-97

Q. Does the Pope have special power and why?
Q. Is the Pope able to make new rules for the Church? If so, why?

The special "power" (authority and responsibility would be a better term) which the Pope has is called the "power of the keys"; if Jesus hadn't given Peter this authority and responsibility, Peter and his successors would not have been able to make any rules or make any application of the Holy Scriptures to our daily lives. As explained in the answer to the first question in this section, the authority to bind and loose was given first to Peter, along with the keys to the kingdom of heaven (his badge of office, so to speak), and then later to the Apostles as a group. When acting together, the bishops (successors of the Apostles) make rules which are binding on the universal (catholic) Church; provided the Pope (successor of Peter) approves the rules using the authority and responsibility given him by the "power of the keys." The Pope can also exercise the "power of the keys" in making what is called an infallible pronouncement which is binding on the universal (catholic) Church. There have been two such pronouncements in modern times: the dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Pope Pius IX in 1854, and the dogma of the Assumption by Pope Pius XII in 1950. Individual bishops also exercise their authority to bind and loose as they administer their respective dioceses on a daily basis; the most recent widely publicized example (1996) of this was when Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, Bishop of Lincoln (Nebraska), issued a list of forbidden groups and stated that continued membership in these organizations by parishioners in his diocese would result in automatic excommunication.

Recommended reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994, paragraphs 888-890

Q. Please explain Papal infallibility.
Q. I don't understand the infallibility of the Pope and Church dogma.

As stated in the answer to the previous question, the Pope can exercise the "power of the keys" in making what is called an infallible pronouncement which is binding on the universal (catholic) Church. Infallibility means that the Pope is preserved from error when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful, he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith and morals.

Infallibility does not mean that the Pope cannot sin. The Holy Father goes to the Sacrament of Confession frequently and acknowledges his sinfulness at Mass when he says "I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters . . . " and again when he washes his hands prior to the Eucharistic prayer while asking God to "wash away my iniquity, cleanse me from my sins." Likewise, infallibility does not mean that the Pope cannot make a mistake when he talks about mathematics, science, or some other nonreligious matter.

To teach infallibly, the Pope must be teaching on faith or morals; he must speak with his full authority as the Successor of Peter and head of the universal Church on earth; he must make a final pronouncement on a doctrine at issue, and he must bind all the faithful to accept his teaching or fall away entirely from the divine and Catholic faith. Personal correspondence, even that in which a sensitive issue is addressed, is not infallible because it is not meant to bind all the faithful.

That Jesus intended to preserve Peter and his successors from error can be found in our Lord's statement to Peter

"whatever you bind on earth will be (have been) bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be (have been) loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19, NIV [parenthesis contain footnoted interpretations from NIV text])

Jesus would hardly give approval in heaven to bad decisions by Popes on earth, so He provided protection against this happening. And what was this protection? It can be found in Matthew 28:20 where Jesus promised that "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (KJV) and again in John 14:16-17 where Our Lord says "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth" (NIV). This Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, has been with the Catholic Church since Pentecost. History shows that during the past almost 2,000 years, no Pope has ever made a false pronouncement on faith or morals. No dogma has ever been changed. Some have been refined to provide better definition, but the core thrust and effect of the dogmatic statement has never changed.

Recommended reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994, paragraphs 891-892
Drummey, James J., Catholic Replies, C. R. Publications, Norwood, MA 02062, 1995, pages 71-74
Ripley, Cannon Francis J., "Infallibility", This Rock, The Magazine of Catholic Apologetics & Evangelization, March 1993, pages 21-23

Q. Please explain the hierarchy of the Church as it relates to the authority for following doctrine.

The doctrine of the Catholic Church comprises all those teachings in faith and morals entrusted to the Church by Christ through the Apostles and given to us for the sake of our salvation. As such, doctrine is synonymous with the whole of revelation. Some doctrines (such as the Trinity) have resulted from conciliar definitions confirmed by papal authority while others have resulted from papal definitions (such as the Immaculate Conception). Most of these definitions have been formulated in response to heterodox challenges to a particular doctrine. Defined doctrines are not optional and are the authentic teachings of the Church.

The teaching office of the Church, called the magisterium, was established by Jesus the Christ when He promised "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever . . . the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (John 14:16-17,26, NIV). The Magisterium rests with the Pope and the Bishops in communion with him.

Recommended reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994, paragraphs 84, 90, 175, 234, 888-892
Stravinskas, Rev. Peter M. J., Our Sunday Visitor's Catholic Encyclopedia, Our Sunday Visitor, Huntington, IN 46750, 1991, pages 321, 615
Meagher, Paul K. OP, O'Brien, Thomas C. & Aherne, Sister Consuelo M. SSJ, Encyclopedic Dictionary Of Religion, Corpus Publications, Washington, D.C., 1979, page 2209

Q. Are Catholics required to follow the Pope's teaching on moral issues, or only his teaching on doctrine?

All doctrinal teachings involve the issues of faith and morals. Although every encyclical letter addressed to the world on matters of faith and morals in not an infallible pronouncement, if the Pope restates a long-held teaching of the Church (for example, the evil of artificial contraception or that priestly ordination is reserved to men) a good case can be made for the infallibility of that restatement, even if the Pope does not specifically identify his encyclical as infallible, since he is definitively proclaiming that a certain doctrine of faith or morals is to be believed.

Catholics cannot disregard non-infallible statements from the Pope or their Bishop. Divine assistance is given to the Pope and the bishops in communion with him when they, as part of their ordinary teaching duties, propose a teaching that leads to a better understanding of divine revelation in matters of faith and morals. The faithful are to submit humbly and adhere sincerely to the teachings of the Pope, even when he is not speaking infallibly, because his ordinary teaching is an extension of his extraordinary charism.

Recommended reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994, paragraph 892

Q. Did a reliable prophet really predict that Pope John Paul II is our last Pope?

No. St. Malachy (1095-1148) was a holy and dedicated bishop who restored religious fervor to Ireland in the 12th century. He is reputed to have performed miracles, and he died in the arms of St. Bernard at Clairvaux. St. Malachy is best known today however, for his alleged prophecies about those who would be Pope from the time of Celestine II (died 1144) to the end of the world.

According to the alleged list of Malachy, which was not discovered until more than 400 years after his death, there would be 112 Popes after Celestine (the 165th Pope) ending with the only one listed by name, Peter the Roman; the rest being described by short phrases such as "Apostolic Pilgrim" and "Pastor and Sailor." Since John Paul II is the 263rd successor of St. Peter, this would leave 11 Popes yet to be elected before Peter the Roman.

The smartest thing to do is to recall the words of our Lord: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, or the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36, (NIV). "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (Matthew 24:42, NIV).

Recommended reading:
Drummey, James J., Catholic Replies, C. R. Publications, Norwood, MA 02062, 1995, pages 77-78

Q. Someone at work told me they read in one of the news magazines that Pope John Paul was quoted as saying he would be the last Pope. The Pope that followed would be the antichrist.
Q. I have heard that it has been a message from Our Lady that he would be the last Pope.

None of this has any bearing in truth. At the end of every millennium a certain hysteria breaks out. People become convinced that the end of the world is imminent. When this happens, rumors such as those in this question abound. Similar hysteria accompanied the arrival of the year 1000. As was said in the preceding answer, the smartest thing to do is to recall the words of our Lord: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, or the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36, (NIV). "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (Matthew 24:42, NIV). To this might also be added St. Paul's admonition to "work out you own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12, KJV). We must all approach each day as if it may be our last.

Q. What is a conclave?

A conclave is a closed meeting of the cardinals for the purpose of electing a Pope. The word literally means a room closed with a key. The practice of having the meeting take place behind locked doors was initiated by Pope Gregory X in 1274 for the purposes of eliminating any outside interference and also to hasten the process, since his own election took almost three years, during which time a vacancy existed in the papacy. On February 22, 1996, Pope John Paul II issued the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis (On The Vacancy Of The Apostolic See And The Election Of The Roman Pontiff) which establishes the rules for the election of his successor. The election takes place in the Sistine Chapel. The maximum number of Cardinal electors must not exceed 120 and no Cardinal who has reached the age of 80 on or before the day before the Pope's death is allowed to vote. Assuming one ballot on the first day of the conclave and two ballots on each succeeding voting day, for the first 33 ballots a two-thirds majority is required to elect a new Pope and after 33 ballots an absolute majority is required. All ballots and notes are burned at the end of each voting day with black smoke indicating that no new Pope has been elected and white smoke indicating that a successor has been elected.

Recommended reading:
Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis (On The Vacancy Of The Apostolic See And The Election Of The Roman Pontiff), February 22, 1996

Q. What proof is there that Peter was the first Pope?

The best "proof" is Holy Scripture. However, no "proof" is sufficient if the person doesn't want to believe. In Matthew 16:18 our Lord promised to build His Church on Peter, the Rock (see the first question in this section). In John 21:15-17 Jesus, the Good Shepherd, turns His flock over to Peter with the admonition to "Feed my lambs . . . Take care of my sheep . . . Feed my sheep" (NIV). In Acts 15:7-14, at the council in Jerusalem, it is Peter who provides the solution and ends the discussion on the problem of how to admit Gentiles into the Church. Throughout the Bible whenever the Apostles are listed, Peter is always listed first; an indication of his primacy.

There are some who have claimed that Peter was never in Rome and therefore never was the Bishop of Rome. This claim has pretty much died out in the past 30 years as archaeological excavations directly under the high altar of St. Peter's Basilica have unearthed a tomb which matches the description of the one in which Peter was reported to have been buried, complete with inscriptions referring to Peter. In the summer of 1968 Pope Paul announced that the skeletal remains of Saint Peter had been found and satisfactorily identified.

Recommended reading:
Walsh, John Evangelist, The Bones of Saint Peter, Fount Paperbacks, Bungay, Suffolk, Great Britain, 1984

Q. Was there a female Pope?

No. Some time ago some misguided writers wrote of a "Pope Joan" who was supposed to have reigned from 855 to 857. The Encyclopedia Britannica says that she is pure myth. The Oxford Dictionary of the Popes, written by J. N. D. Kelly (a Protestant) says the legend of a woman Pope "scarcely needs painstaking refutation today, for not only is there no contemporary evidence for a female Pope at any of the dates suggested for her reign, but the known facts of the respective periods makes it impossible to fit one in."

Recommended reading:
This Rock, The Magazine of Catholic Apologetics & Evangelization, December 1990, page 25
Rumble, Rev. Dr. Leslie & Carty, Rev. Charles Mortimer, Radio Replies, First Volume, TAN Books & Publishers, Rockford, IL 61105, 1979, paragraph 455
Madrid, Patrick, Pope Fiction, Basilica Press, San Diego, CA, 1999, pages 167-177

Q. Was there ever a false Pope?

Yes. There have been several periods of time in the history of the Church where more than one person claimed to be Pope at the same time. Those individuals who were not legitimately elected are called anti-Popes (false Popes) and there have been about 17 of them. The first was about the year 252 after the persecution by Roman Emperor Decius. Once the persecution ended a dispute arose about whether those who had denied their faith could be readmitted to the Church. Pope Cornelius and Bishop Cyprian of Carthage taught that bishops could grant God's forgiveness even for serious sins, like apostasy, even though the penances were long and severe. A party of rigorists, headed by the Roman priest Novatian, advocated permanent exclusion of all apostates from the Church. Claiming that Pope Cornelius had betrayed his trust, Novatian had himself elected as Pope by his followers.

The most memorable period lasted from 1378 to 1417 and is known as the great western schism. During this period of time, Western Christendom was torn between two, and at times three, rival claimants to the papacy. Each of the rival claimants reflected national interests with the division initially taking place shortly after the death of Pope Gregory XI and the election of Urban VI as his successor. The disputes were finally resolved at the Council of Constance (1414-1417).