Men participate in Divine Providence through their mission and their actions. And in this the Apostle Peter occupies a pre-eminent place, since he alone has been entrusted with the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven (cf. Mt 16:19).
Peter has primacy among the Apostles: he is the first on the list (cf. Mt 10:2-4), is given specific mention (cf. Mk 1:36), and he moreover speaks on behalf of all (cf. Jn 6:68). Our Lord chooses his boat from which to preach to the crowds (cf. Lk 5:1-3), and it is in his house that He stays during His sojourn in Capernaum (cf. Mt 8:14). Finally, as a principle of unity, he is responsible for paying the Temple tax for himself and for Jesus (cf. Mt 17:24-27).
The change of his name from Simon to Peter (cf. Jn 1:42) also indicates a paradigm shift: he is established as an everlasting rock that no human or diabolical force can overthrow. From a simple fisherman, he becomes a fisher of men (cf. Mt 4:19) and is entrusted with the care of Christ’s entire flock (cf. Jn 21:15-19).
However, this power does not originate with Peter, but with the Father (cf. Mt 16:17). For this reason, when the first Pontiff trusts in himself and not in grace, he receives the appellation of stumbling block and representation of Satan (cf. Mt 16:23) and literally sinks into the waters (cf. Mt 14:30). The Prince of the Apostles is required to thrice show his unconditional love, in order to fulfil his mission as shepherd. After Pentecost, he is so united to God’s will that he acts in full harmony with the Paraclete: “we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit” (Acts 5:32).
Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail, so that he could confirm – στήρισον – that is, strengthen his brothers (cf. Lk 22:32). The Vicar of Christ holds the principle of the Church’s unity – summarized by St. Ambrose’s famous aphorism: “Ubi Petrus, ibi Ecclesia” (In Psalmo XL, n.30) – and on his shoulders rests the responsibility of keeping it undefiled, “without spot or wrinkle” (Eph 5:27). Indeed, we believe not only in a Church that is one, but also in one that is holy.
Many heretics and revolutionaries have tried to disfigure this rock, to shipwreck the barque of Peter or to steal the keys that belong to him alone. We know by faith that this will never happen because, in virtue of Christ’s promise, the gates of hell will never prevail. However, it is up to Peter’s successors to be docile to the action of the Holy Spirit, in order to faithfully preserve the deposit of the Faith and not create a new doctrine at the whims of the wind (cf. DH 3070).
As successor to the Prince of the Apostles, Pope Leo XIV is entrusted with the helm of the Church, the Chair of Peter, the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and, in some way, the weight of the entire world, immersed in crises of every kind. We are undoubtedly at a key moment in the Church’s history, we would even say a moment of life and death, if the Church were not immortal.
The title he used for the Mystical Body of Christ applies well to the new Pontiff and his mission: “beacon that illumines the dark nights of this world” (LEO XIV. Homily, 9/5/25). The flock of Jesus therefore hopes for a great deal from this new Shepherd of the Universal Church: first and foremost, that he will strengthen and steady it by the very strength that emanates from the rock of Peter. ◊
