In this lecture, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains with theological and biblical precision the Orthodox position on the Catholic doctrine of the “Primacy of Peter” and the “Primacy of Rome.” He clarifies that this concept did not exist in the apostolic era, and that Christ never established a general headship over His Church, but rather gave equal authority to all the apostles.

Main theological points

1. Headship in the early Church:
   Leadership was local for each see, for the sake of order and pastoral care, and no one possessed universal authority over the whole Church.

2. Peter’s spiritual authority:
   The authority Christ gave to Peter—the power to bind and loose—was given to all apostles equally, as stated in Matthew 18 and John 20.

3. Christ’s rejection of earthly greatness:
   When the mother of the sons of Zebedee asked that her sons sit on Christ’s right and left, He clarified that whoever wants to be first must be servant of all; greatness is found in service, not in dominion.

4. The true rock of the Church:
   The rock is not Peter himself, but his confession that “Christ is the Son of the living God.” Christ Himself is the Rock, as declared in 1 Corinthians 10:4.

5. Peter’s human weakness:
   Despite his status, Peter weakened, denied Christ, and was rebuked with the words “Get behind Me, Satan,” showing that the Church cannot be built on a fallible man.

6. Founding of the Church of Rome:
   The Pope shows that Paul the Apostle founded the Church of Rome, for Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles, while Peter was Apostle to the circumcised. Scripture never states that Peter went to Rome.

7. No apostolic succession in universal headship:
   There was no “general head” succeeding Peter; John the Beloved lived over thirty years after Peter’s martyrdom and was never under the authority of any Roman bishop.

8. Mutual respect, not subordination:
   The courteous tone among the early fathers was not acknowledgment of headship but mutual reverence and brotherly respect.

Spiritual and ecclesial dimension

The Orthodox teaching focuses on humility, service, and love—not on authority or domination. Christ alone is the Head of the Church; the apostles were co-workers in ministry, not rulers over believers. The Church is built upon living faith and humble service, not on human power.

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