Pope/Saint Peter and the origin of the office

== Saint Peter and the origin of the office ==
The dogmas and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church teach that the institution of the papacy was first mandated by interpretations of several Biblical passages, mainly Matthew 16:13–19:
Catholics believe that this passage shows Jesus establishing his church on the shoulders of Simon son of John (Peter). In the past, some authorities have held that that the "rock" Jesus referred to was Jesus himself or was Peter's faith.Daniel William O'Connor. "Saint Peter the Apostle." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 27 Nov. 2009 . The general scholarly consensus is that this account is authentic, and almost all current scholars agree with the straightforward interpretation that the "rock" Jesus refers to in this passage is Peter.Such is "the consensus of the great majority of scholars today." "Saint Peter the Apostle." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 27 Nov. 2009 .
The reference to the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" here is the basis for the symbolic keys often found in Catholic papal symbolism, such as in the Vatican Coat of Arms (see below).
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