Catholic Culture, Phil Lawler:
If this disastrous papacy brings one lasting benefit to the Church, it may be a careful re-examination of the question of papal primacy—in particular, the question of how the Pope’s authority relates to that of the college of bishops.
The Gospels clearly show St. Peter to be chosen by Jesus for a special leadership role in the Church. Even St. Paul, who claimed his own commission directly from the Lord, acknowledged his need for St. Peter’s recognition. Yet St. Peter did not govern as an autocrat; the other apostles could and did argue with him and change his mind, most notably at the Council of Jerusalem. The St. Peter shown in the Acts of the Apostles is not a dictator but a final arbiter, a “buck-stops-here” decision-maker, whose leadership preserves the unity among the apostles. Continue reading here.
