We don't see that "equal authority" in the scripture do we? St. Peter is one given a new name and the keys, on whome the Church is to be built, one for whom Christ has a special prayer as regards the others
[31] ...Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: [32] But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren. (Luke 22)
It is truethat all the bishops of the Church are sovereign princes of their own domain. The Church is not a dictatorship.
Who called [and presided at] the "Council of Jerusalem"?
But it is St. Peter who makes the winning argument. Since the council was local in Jerusalem, the bishop of Jerusalem presided, and he was St. James. This episode illustrates the model of Catholic episcopacy very well. It is conciliar in its nature and not dictatorial.
You could make the same argument that the Orthodox make: that the Early Church model gives St. Peter's chair primacy but not supremacy. With that I will not argue: the authority of the Pope in the Latin Church is indeed stronger than in other local Churches in communion with Rome (e..g Melkites, Ukrainian, Byzantine, etc). This is probably how it will be with the Orthodox also one day.
1. Not only do we see "equal authority" of each Apostle throughout Scripture, we see nowhere where Peter is given any authority unique to him.
(To all the Apostles) (DOUAY-RHEIMS) MATHEW 18:18 Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.
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2. Peter was not given a new name at the time he was given the "keys". The name was given the very first time Jesus met him.
(DOUAY RHEIMS) JOHN 1:
41 He findeth first his brother Simon, and saith to him: We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
42 And he brought him to Jesus. And Jesus looking upon him, said: Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter.
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3. The Catholic Church does not teach the Church was built on Peter but upon his confession of faith.
CATHOLIC CATECHISM
424 Moved by the grace of the Holy Spirit and drawn by the Father, we believe in Jesus and confess: 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. On the rock of this faith confessed by St. Peter, Christ built his Church.
881 The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock. "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head." This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope.
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Who called [and presided at] the "Council of Jerusalem"?
But it is St. Peter who makes the winning argument. Since the council was local in Jerusalem, the bishop of Jerusalem presided, and he was St. James. This episode illustrates the model of Catholic episcopacy very well. It is conciliar in its nature and not dictatorial.
Hardly worthy of comment. The argument doesn't pass the most elementary sniff test.
Peter was one among other leaders at this "council" and was subordinate to James. There was no such thing as a hierarchy with a single "leader" during the life of Peter. (This development took several hundred years before the "Papacy" was invented".