In the context of Matthew 16:16-19 it seems strange that Jesus would rename Simon "Peter", and then say that he's inconsequential. He gave Peter the keys to the kingdom of Heaven, such as we might give a very important person the keys to the city.
The difference is that I do not think that every man is required to read the bible on his own and come up with his own interpretation of every scripture verse, because we would have as many different interpretations as there are men. The Catholic Church was found 2,000 years ago. You don't agree that Jesus founded the Catholic Church, but I'm sure you'll agree that the Church has been around since about the time of Jesus. I trust the early church fathers and historians in their understanding taken from the Apostles and those who learned from the Apostles. The Bible itself wasn't written down for hundreds of years! Yet, except for the deuterocanicals, the Protestants accepted the Bible that Catholics canonized as Scripture.
I am not a theologian. I am not a scholar. I am a poor sinner who seeks forgiveness and mercy from the Lord. My faith is strong, but it can be stronger. I trust in the Church because I believe Jesus gave us the Church to help with disputes such as these. Jesus didn't intend for us to be divided and squabble. He intends for us to be one body in Christ, in communion with one another and with God.
Anyway, don't assume that Catholics don't read the bible, because we do. Don't assume that Catholics don't think, because we do. We think and accept through free will the teachings of the Church because we believe that the Holy Spirit is guiding the Church and that the gates of Hell shall not prevail.
God bless.