On May 8, we celebrated the first anniversary of Pope Leo's election. This is a moment for us to reflect on how Saint Peter's successor figures in the life of 1.4 billion Catholics around the world.
Singapore has been blessed with the visits of popes Saint John Paul II in 1986 and Francis in 2024. Both left a profound impact on many hearts, with Catholics and non-Catholics touched by their words, warmth, and genuine affection for every person they encountered.
Why does the pope inspire such widespread respect and affection, even among those who may not fully understand his role? To answer this, we examine the faith that supports how Catholics understand the papacy.
Biblical foundation
The pope, through apostolic succession, holds unique authority as head of the Church.
Catholic dogma states that when the pope speaks ex-cathedra – from the chair – on faith and morals, he is preserved from the possibility of error on doctrine.
This gift is only exercised on rare and solemn occasions, when the pope definitively proclaims a doctrine to be held by all the faithful. One example is Pius XII's 1950 dogma on the Assumption of Mary, Munificentissimus Deus (Most generous God).
Papal infallibility is rooted in Scripture, where Christ declares Peter to be the "rock" upon which He will build His Church, promising that the powers of evil will never overcome it, and gives him "the keys of the kingdom of heaven", granting authority to bind and loose in His name (Matthew 16:16-19).
❝ The papacy is a great gift from God – a visible sign of Christ's love and care for His Church. ❞
With these words, Christ entrusted Peter and his successors with the responsibility of guiding and governing the Church.
Yet, as emphasised by St John Paul II, the "rock" is not Peter's human strength alone, but his faith – revealed by God and sustained by grace.
This is confirmed in the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus assures Peter that He has prayed for him, that his faith may not fail (cf. Luke 22:31-32).
Teaching authority and service
For most of the time, however, the pope teaches in an ordinary way, offering guidance on Christian life and belief.
While these teachings are not infallible in the strict sense, they are given with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, the faithful are called to receive them with "religious assent" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 892) – a respectful and sincere openness rooted in faith.
Servant of the servants of God
The pope's authority is exercised as a humble service in the example of Christ, who came "not to be served but to serve" (Matthew 20:28).
He also cannot act arbitrarily – the pope is bound by Divine Revelation handed on through sacred Scripture and tradition. In other words, he must be faithful to Christ.
Pope Leo XIV, in his homily at the Sistine Chapel on May 9, 2025, expressed beautifully the attitude of any successor of Peter: "to move aside so that Christ may remain, to make oneself small so that He may be known and glorified."
The human face of the papacy
The papacy is a great gift from God – a visible sign of Christ's love and care for His Church through the guidance it provides and the unity it fosters among believers throughout the world.
Yet, the pope remains fully human. Like Peter, he is a man of "flesh and blood", with weaknesses and struggles (Matthew 16:17).
The Gospels do not hide Peter's failings: his resistance to the Cross; his fear during the Passion; his threefold denial. These remind us God works through human frailty.
As St John Paul II noted in his 1995 encyclical Ut unum sint (That they may be one), the pope must continually recognise his need for conversion and rely on God's grace.
For this reason, the faithful have a vital role: to support the pope through prayer and affection. This is a real responsibility, because the burden of the Petrine ministry is heavy – a sharing in the Cross of Christ. By the Sea of Galilee, the risen Jesus foretold that Peter's leadership would lead to his own martyrdom (John 21:19).
The saints are witnesses of this love and fidelity. St Catherine of Siena, who helped Gregory XI return to Rome from Avignon at a turbulent time for the papacy, called the pope "the sweet Christ on earth."¹
St Ignatius of Loyola founded the Society of Jesus with a special vow of obedience to the pope, and to be ready to go anywhere in the world at his command.²
More recently, St Josemaría Escrivá strongly promoted a spirit of unity when he wrote "Thank you, my God, for that love for the Pope you have placed in my heart" (The Way, 573).
Like the saints, cultivating a sincere love for the pope and unity strengthens our faith and contributes to the unity of the Church. In the end, "to be united with the Pope is to be united with Christ Himself"³.
¹ "Il dolce Cristo in terra", The Letters of St Catherine of Siena, Letter T74 to Pope Gregory XI, trans. Suzanne Noffke.
² Formula of the Institute of the Society of Jesus (1540), approved by Pope Paul III.
³ St Alphonsus de Liguori, The Truths of the Faith, Part III.
Practical ways to live this teaching:
☑️ Pray regularly for the Pope, especially in personal prayer or at Mass.
☑️ Receive his teachings with openness, seeking to understand them in the light of faith.
☑️ Foster unity in the Church, avoiding attitudes of division or unnecessary criticism.
☑️ Grow in love for the Church, appreciating all the genuine charisms and praying for all members: lay, religious, priests, bishops, and the Pope.