Of the four gospels, Saint Matthew is the only to state, “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Not only is this stated to Saint Peter, but only two chapters later it is stated again to the apostles as a collective whole.
What differs between these two exchanges is what was said to Peter alone, “Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.” These keys are a reference to Isaiah, “I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.”
For the ancient kingdom of Judah, the royal steward, was the highest ranking official in the royal court, second in authority to only the king himself. It was he who managed the day to day administration of the kingdom and spoke and acted with full weight of the king’s authority. Jesus is the ultimate king of Israel who prior to ascending into heaven appoints Peter to manage His royal household, the Church, on earth.
When Shebna was removed from his office as steward the key was handed down to Eliakim because the office outlives the man who holds the key. Similarly, the papacy is not a temporary gift to Peter, but is a perpetual office passed down through apostolic succession to every Bishop of Rome which would include our current pope, Leo.
The pope is the guardian and not the author of the faith. It is his primary job to safeguard, defend, and pass down the Deposit of Faith. This being the divine revelation handed down from Christ and the Apostles through Scripture and Sacred Tradition. From the throne of Saint Peter he speaks infallibly (speaking as such is rare), but outside such a statement he can be wrong, misinformed, or make a poor decision.
The pope does not work in isolation in protecting the Deposit of Faith for he works in union with the College of Bishops. Together with the pope as its head, the College of Bishops possesses supreme and full power over the universal Church. We see such authority expressed through ecumenical councils and the universal magisterium. Cum et Sub Petro (With and Under Peter).
Therefore, the Deposit of Faith is not subject to modern political trends, culture wars, or the personal whims of an individual leader. It is the steward’s job to keep the house running on the King’s rules thus providing a stable foundation so that our faith stays rooted in Christ.
We cannot allow our own personal preferences to lead us astray from the unity of faith. Obedience is always the answer (even if difficult) for through obedience we place our trust in Christ and not the trends of the world which bring forth division. Let us always pray for our Holy Father (Leo), our Bishop (Mark), and the preservation of the unity of faith by all the people of God.
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