|
Why is the Petrine ministry seen to guarantee the Church's infallibility
when St Peter was the only Apostle known to have fallen into serious error and used his position to promote it? (Gal 2.11ff) |
| The rather
‘glib’ answer might be that the Lord chose the apostles and entrusted them
with the mission, and who are we to question the choice? But in truth, I admire that apostle Peter, taken from his fishing to be a’ fisher of men’ (and women). He is so very human in his denials, and in the strength of his assertions thrice repeated ‘You know that I love you, Lord!’ Maybe that is the point, his weakness of faith is something we can understand and we can appreciate the readiness of Jesus to appoint him as the ‘rock’ upon which to build the faith community. In the same way, Peter’s error, if we call it that, which is referred to in the Letter to the Galatians, is another example of how the individual’s Christian’s faith may grow, deepen and develop. While, we actually do not know the ‘pressures’ placed upon Peter at the time, nor his reasons for electing to vacillate between strict Jewish ritual observance, and a more liberal no ritualistic custom adopted by many in the early Christian communities of the Diaspora in the Greek speaking world, we do need to acknowledge that he got it right in the end and had the strength to change his practice when challenged by the apostle Paul that day in Jerusalem! These folks may be Saints. But thank God they were also very human, and therein, lies our own hope for salvation. Peregrinator Ignotus Bristol UK - historic maritime City E-mail : fisherpeteruk@yahoo.co.uk |