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Yeah but it's ONE verse for cripes sake! You don't build an entire church on one verse.

Tsk, tsk, using the Lord's name in vain....

The church isn't built on ONE verse alone (it IS built on Peter the Rock though ;-P)

Well you do but sensible men do not. It makes more sense to me that Christ was speaking to Peter as one of the Twelve and upon these Twelve he would build his church.

True -- and the others are equal. The Orthodox Patriarchs and the Bishop of Rome ARE equals, the Pope being but the first amongst equals. Pope John Paul II recently re-affirmed that with the Patriarch of Constantinople.

Granted that at times Popes have been uppity with regards to this, but the Church teachings are clear -- first among EQUALS.

He would not make Peter pope over the other eleven. It does not hold with what he did in his earthly ministry. It does not hold with Old Testament typology. God forbade the Hebrews from having a King. He allowed it finally with Saul but it caused all kinds of trouble and never ... never worked. Even great Solomon ended his days in idol wordhip and sin.

The Pope is NOT a King, he is NOT a ruler over the other Patriarchs. he IS their leader and with God's grace helps maintain the unity of the Church. You really hvae the wrong idea on all aspects of Christianity. Please throw away the propaganda literature where you got this information and read what the Church truly teaches.

For instance, the Maronnite and GReek Uniate Churchs are distinct from the Latin rite church, but they are part of the Catholic church, with different traditions, but still part of the "catholic" (universal) Church

The RC church has a pope because men always corrupt the ways of God.

Another silly one-liner. Have you even READ anything about Church history?

PS: If a papacy was on Jesus' mind it would not have been Peter at any cost. John was the stable one and the one closesf to The Lord.

and how would you know what was on God's mind?