Complaining about the Popes

Seeing the leadership of Peter and Paul in each pope

04/20/2023

Acts 5:27-33 When the court officers had brought the Apostles in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, "We gave you strict orders did we not, to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man's blood upon us." But Peter and the Apostles said in reply, "We must obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him." When they heard this, they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.

If you ever visit Rome, you will undoubtedly go to St. Peter’s Basilica and hope you get a glimpse of the pope. But even before you enter into the magnificent basilica, in the piazza (the square) you will confront two statued figured that are literally larger than life. You cannot miss the two 18-foot tall statues of St. Peter and St. Paul. It is easy to recognize which statue is which. St. Peter is carrying keys, the symbol of his authority over the whole Church. And St. Paul is holding a sword, the symbol of his zealous love for the Lord because he was beheaded in Rome.

These two towering figures are larger than life in another sense, too. That is, they are the two foundations of the Church. Now, you might be thinking: “Wait a minute, Fr. John! I thought there was only one foundation, Peter, the Rock, on which Jesus built his Church in Mt. 16:18." That is undeniably true. Nonetheless, the Church is the Body of Christ. And just like every human person has a physical body but also a spiritual soul, so in a sense, St. Peter represents the physical, structural, hierarchical Church, while St. Paul stands for the spiritual, missionary, charismatic Church.

Put more simply: St. Peter is law (the head); St. Paul is love (the heart). Both are equally necessary and indispensable in the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ. And because these two saintly figures are larger than life in the foundation of the Church, so the Church herself looms larger than life as their ministry is carried forward through the ages in the apostolic endeavors of each pope.

Now, nowhere in the Scriptures does one book highlight this dual apostolic foundation better than in the Acts of the Apostles. In fact, the 28 chapters of Acts can be almost evenly divided into two halves, each half focusing on one of these two apostles. Chapters 1-12 highlight the work of St. Peter. Chapters 13-28 highlight the work of St. Paul. But the parallels and points of contact between Peter and Paul go far deeper than that.

If you study Acts carefully, you will discover ten clear and unmistakable parallels between Peter and Paul (we heard one in the first reading). (1) Both deliver inaugural addresses to the people of Israel. (2) Both appeal to Ps 16 to explain the Resurrection of Jesus. (3) Both have the power to heal cripples. (4) Both are filled with the Holy Spirit. (5) Both are renowned for extraordinary miracles. (6) Both confer the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands. (7) Both confront and rebuke magicians. (😎 Both raise the dead to new life. (9) Both refuse to accept divine worship. And (10) Both are miraculously delivered from prison.

In other words, Luke is trying to do with a pen what the sculptor of those two statues did with a chisel, namely, make St. Peter and St. Paul appear larger than life. That is, to show how Peter is the hierarchical head of the Church, while St. Paul is the charismatic missionary spirit of the Church. One is the law and head, the other is the love and heart. And thanks to the tireless evangelical efforts of both apostles, the Church grows exponentially fast, and reaches the ends of the earth.

My friends, I don’t know about you, but I can often see the spirit of St. Peter or the spirit of St. Paul animating and inspiring the leadership of the recent popes. Have you noticed this? For instance, I would say St. Peter influenced Pope Benedict XVI, who emphasized the traditions, the laws, and the structure of the Church. And that was good. But now I see the spirit of St. Paul pervading the priorities of Pope Francis, a missionary and an evangelist who wants to bring everyone into the Church.

Or take another example. Pope St. John XXIII convened the Second Vatican Council in 1962 to “open the windows of the Church to the world” so the Good News could reach the end of the world. That was the spirit of St. Paul. On the other hand, Pope St. John Paul II revised the Code of Canon Law in 1983, which was also good and needful, in the spirit of St. Peter. Both influences are good and healthy. Why?

Well, because the Church is the Body of Christ extended through the ages. And just like a healthy person has a body and a soul, a head and a heart, so the Church has structure and hierarchy, but also missionaries and evangelists. Both aspects of ecclesial life are good and necessary, and make the Church larger than life, just like St. Peter and St. Paul were. So, stop complaining about the popes.

Praised be Jesus Christ!