Why does the Roman Catholic Church consider St. Peter, as opposed to Jesus, the first Pope?

Question

Okay, most of the answers seem to indicate that the Roman Catholic Church considers Jesus its leader in heaven, and the pope its leader on Earth. But the point of my question was, wasn't Jesus the leader of the church on Earth before he was crucified?

Also, I've noticed that some of the responses attempt to address the issue of whether the Pope is the true leader of the Church on Earth. That may be an interesting issue, but it is beyond the scope of the question.

Answer 1

The Pope is fully human -- but NOT divine. Jesus was both human and divine. The Pope and St. Peter are spiritual leaders, not God's Son.

Answer 2

good question. The RCC is plenty faraway from being a Biblical "Church". The RCC is consistent with man made doctrines and rituals and has defiled the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ Himself is the "Head" of the genuine Church. He continually has been and continually would be the only genuine Head of the Church. The "Rock" upon which the genuine Church is provided is Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the residing God, it is no longer equipped on Peter. examine Matthew financial disaster sixteen in its entirety. no remember how many times the RCC claims that Peter became the 1st Pope or that the RCC is the "genuine Church" it remains a lie. Even interior the church homes that existed interior the 1st century A.D. there became departure from the instructions of Christ and the Apostles. it is the reason most of the epistles comprise corrective coaching however the RCC has chosen to dismiss those teachings. it is the reason idolitry, paganism, and Judaism are rampant in RCCism. examine the epistle of Galations, it consists of volumes of corrective coaching.

Answer 3

Up until the 4th Century CE, there was not a single christian sect that ever believed Simon (Peter) the Zealot was ever the founding patriarch of Christianity.

The Orthodox Churches of the East, the first churches always considered James the Just, the brother of Jesus was the first legitimate Patriarch (Pope) until his murder. All the early christian writers testify to this being the truth.

In contrast, the role of Simon (Peter) the Zealot was clouded in mystery, particularly when one of the key leaders of the rebellion against the Sadducees and Romans in the siege of Jerusalem was Simon (Peter) the Zealot.
See:
http://one-faith-of-god.org/new_testament/apocrypha/josephus_wars/josephus_wars_0110.htm

But in the 4th Century, the Roman christian bishops found themselves in increasingly more powerful position than their Eastern counterparts.

Desperate to become the controllers of all christianity, they faked a false history concerning papal succession- claiming Peter was the first Pope, ignoring the historic first Bishop Linus and then creating imaginary Popes up until the end of the second century.

Now this was a brilliant move by the Romans, for no christian group, including the orthodox has ever wanted to debate the truth concerning Peter being the leader of the Zealots that destroyed the Temple of Herod in 70 CE.

Answer 4

According to tradition Peter went to Rome and Jesus did not.
Also Jesus told Peter upon this rock I will build my Church.
The Catholic Church takes this to mean that Jesus was telling Peter that the Church would be started by Peter.

Answer 5

Since, in Acts, both Peter and Paul deferred to the authority of the church at Jerusalem, which was being led at the time by James the Just, who was Jesus' kid brother, I have often wondered why the dubious honor didn't fall on James.
Seriously, I can't see any of the Apostles ever allowing anyone to kneel before them, or to kiss their hand (I'm fairly sure none of them wore a ring), or to have anyone wait on them...I can't see any of them wearing those robes or that silly hat, or living in splendor in the Vatican.
The Apostles taught humility...something that lost it's value once Constantine made Christianity the state religion. Suddenly the church that had grown and thrived under severe persecution was not only free, it was official! Suddenly there was money, and power, and even offices to be fought over!
And the beautiful teachings of Jesus that the early church had labored to keep and pass down were all but forgotten.....

Answer 6

Because St. Peter WAS the first Pope, not Jesus. Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Promised One. He is, indeed, the head of the Church. The Pope is the head of the Church on Earth as Jesus instructed Peter to be. "Upon this rock, I will build my Church," is what Jesus said about Peter.

Answer 7

Jesus gave leadership to His church to Peter. Jesus was fixing to be crucified. Jesus is our High Priest.

The SPIRITUAL Rock, Christ, the High Priest and Head of the Church, authorized Peter to be the earthly Rock, His Vicar, of the Church -- the father of the New Covenant, just as God the Father made Abraham the earthly father of the Old Covenant (Isaiah 51:1-2) while remaining the ultimate, SPIRITUAL Father of that Covenant.

Answer 8

From the Catechism:

882 The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, "is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful." "For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered."

881 The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock. "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head." This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope.

Answer 9

I Think Roman Catholics are an evolution of the Pharisees in Jesus day, all they did was incorporate Jesus as God after they found out he came back. Think about it, they have all the traditions like Pharisees Jesus ISN'T the center of attn it is popes and saints and Mary. There is man made rules and it is boring (in my opinion) I feel they are the offspring of Pharisees

Answer 10

ARG

Jesus never would have been a pope, the pope is an office made up by the catholic church. Peter was not a pope, that is something made up by the catholic church.

Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior.