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Thank you so much for sharing your insights, dear sister in Christ!

"The Rock" is a Name of God specially published by Moses in the Song of Moses which is sung in heaven along with the Song of the Lamb.

And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, [and] over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous [are] thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true [are] thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for [thou] only [art] holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. – Rev 15:2-4

Sadly, that Name of God was lost in translation of Deuteronomy 32:1-4 which begins the Song of Moses.

Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. [He is] the Rock, his work [is] perfect: for all his ways [are] judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right [is] he. – Deu 32:1-4

English from Hebrew (Masoretic)

[He is] the Rock, his work [is] perfect: for all his ways [are] judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right [is] he.

tsuwr po`al tamiym derek mishpat 'el 'emuwnah `evel tsaddiyq yashar

English from the Greek (Septuagint)

As for God, His works are true, and all His ways are justice. God is faithful and there is no unrighteousness in Him; just and holy is the Lord.

English from Latin (Vulgate)

The works of God are perfect, and all his ways are judgments: God is faithful and without any iniquity, he is just and right.

Dei perfecta sunt opera et omnes viae eius iudicia Deus fidelis et absque ulla iniquitate iustus et rectus

The Name of God as "The Rock" is however preserved elsewhere in Scripture, in particular here:

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. – 1 Cor 10:1-4

Also, God called the first in each covenant "the rock:"

Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock [whence] ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit [whence] ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah [that] bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. – Isaiah 51:1-2

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. – Matt 16:17-18

As I recall from reading an excerpt written by Pope Benedict, the Name of God "The Rock" has not been lost by him.

But I do wonder if people in their zeal to make sure others recognize that Peter is the Rock have forgotten that "The Rock" is a Name of God.

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. – Psalms 91:4

God's Name is The Rock.

As I recall from reading an excerpt written by Pope Benedict, the Name of God "The Rock" has not been lost by him.

Bingo. We can take things in context. We can know that one of God's name is "the Rock," and still think that Jesus' word to Peter was, well, as we think it to have been.

SOUNDS/READS LIKE

Many hereon--most RC's--

ASSUME

that God's use of

THE ROCK

regarding Himself

was just an idle coincidence . . .

and has absolutely no bearing on Christ talking to Peter about building

THE CHURCH
OF
JESUS THE CHRIST
ON GOD THE SOLID ROCK.

was just God blathering on inconsequentially because He couldn't think of anything more substantive to say.

GAG. /s