Why Catholics Have a Pope

About this sermon

Update, 2025: Habemus papam! The Catholic Church has a new earthly shepherd in Pope Leo XIV. Read hopeful and insightful commentary on the papacy and the new pope from trusted Catholics voices like Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jeff Cavins, Fr. Josh Johnson, and Katie Katie Prejean McGrady in "When the White Smoke Clears: A Guide to Pope Leo XIV's Early Days". Order your copy today: ascensionpress.com/whitesmoke Fr. Mike goes all the way back to Genesis to explain why Catholics have a pope. God established the kingdom of Israel with the twelve sons of Jacob. Centuries later, he appointed David as the king who would unite this kingdom. Centuries after that kingdom was divided, Jesus established a new kingdom by appointing the twelve apostles. To unite this new kingdom, which is the Church, he appointed Peter as his vicar here on earth. Jesus is the king, but he gave the keys of the kingdom to Peter. This means Peter and his successors play the role of the “prime minister”, or the right-hand-man, or the steward of the king while Jesus is gone. The papacy may be a divisive topic today, but clearly God gave his Church a pope as a sign of unity for all who are a part of the new kingdom Christ established. MORE FROM ASCENSION Ascension’s main website: http://ascensionpress.com Ascension Media: https://media.ascensionpress.com SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AscensionPress/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/AscensionPress LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascension-press Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ascensionpress/ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/c/ascensionpresents