“So by all accounts Linus was the first pope and not Peter like Catholics would have us believe and Christ really didn’t make Peter the first pope.
Catholics really need to put their ducks in a row and rewrite what the church fathers wrote to make things more consistent.”
You’ve misunderstood.
Linus was ordained by Paul. Ordination isn’t the same as elevation to the Papacy. That’s what your source says.
Ordination simply means that he was appointed to be a priest by Paul. Popal succession is not the same as Apostolic Succession, because Popes do not usually ordain one another.
So you’re saying that the RCC doesn’t claim Peter was ever a pope? According to the list Peter wasn’t even a Bishop let alone pope.