Howdy, it is me! said:
Ok, new question. I'm going to do my best to ask this clearly but may stumble over terminology.
Peter was the first pope and his authority has been passed down from him to the next pope all the way to the pope of today. How do bishops fit into the fold? Is it the same divine authority? The term "pope" didn't come until later right? There was a bishop of Rome and bishops of many other places. Was the bishop in Rome just always understood as being the greater and eventually a different title was given to show this distinction?
The spirit behind my question is I'm trying to understand how bad or heretical leaders get put into place and how it is explained.
I would reframe your statement to say that Simon was chosen by Jesus to be the first Peter > Rock >Pope, and CHRIST's
authority has been passed down in the visible Church through Apostolic succession. All Bishops have real authority and real apostolic succession with Jesus establishing Peter as the unique office for unification for the church.
Men are first ordained as Deacons before being ordained as Priests. All Bishops are priests prior to being elevated and consecrated as a Bishop, which includes having at least three Bishops to lay hands upon the new Bishop ensuring Apostolic Succession and due authority for the new bishop.
Each bishop has his own flock, or diocese, and he is responsible for his flock - and that the priests under him are teaching and practicing the faith/liturgy properly. Collectively, the bishops are unified through each other and ultimately in their communion with Rome.
The College of Cardinals are Bishops that have been designated as Cardinals with the responsibility of electing the Pope when there is a vacancy. The Pope is a sinner like all of us, and he is capable of making mistakes and being wrong. The charism of Infallibility is a protection for the church, not the Pope.
The term "Pope" may not have been used immediately in the Church, but I would argue that to the Apostles and first Christians the designation of Simon as PETER was essentially calling him Pope because Peter was his title and became his name. Notice that Jesus never calls Simon by the name of Peter, but everyone else does because Peter was a title…an office. We tend to gloss over this because to us Peter is just a common name, but that was not true back in those days. If you were to insert or replace Peter with "Pope" or "chief" in your reading of Scripture it might help you see the office that Christ instituted.
In Matt 16:18 Jesus gives Simon the name and title of Peter > Rock > Pope. The Keys (authority) were given to Peter singularly along with the singular authority to bind and loose on earth and in heaven. (The Apostles share in this authority as seen in Matt 18:18 but Peter was given the keys and through Peter the Apostles share in their authority).
Jesus declared Peter was to be regarded as the greatest during the dispute at the Last Supper. (Luke 22: 24-32)
After the disciples could not haul in the catch, Peter - at the command of Jesus - is able to haul in the net of 153 large fish without the nets being torn - schismo.
Jesus then commands Simon to feed his flock.
(John 21)
There are many more scriptural examples that support Simon Peter being the first Pope. But hopefully this is at least a starting point to help.
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To the question about heretical leaders….I would say our faith is in Jesus Christ, and in nobody else including the Pope. While we cannot trust any man or any man-made institution or religion, we can trust the Church because the Church was founded by Jesus on Peter and the Apostles, and the Holy Spirit guides and protects the Church until the end of the ages because that's the promise Christ gave.
