Why do people call Simon Peter the first Pope when he was in fact a roving preacher and was never a Pope?

Answer 1

Peter was called by Jesus "the rock" that he would base his church on. Not just a "roving preacher".

Peter did not hold the title of Pope, but held the same position within the group of apostles that the earliest men called "Popes" held amongst the group of bishops. The function and standing being the same, the title applies as equally to the past as present.

Similarly, a corporation founded 300 years ago no doubt had a Chief Financial Officer, but would not have called him that. We may retroactively speak of a "first CFO", though.

The Catholics recognize Peter as the first Pope, however they are not alone in awarding a retroactive title to label a similar function. Many diverse denominations of Christianity will claim that their current leadership is the inheritor of Peter's legacy. Thus Peter may be regarded as a first President/Prophet or first "faithful and discrete slave", whichever is appropriate to the group in question.

And in some sense, they are all correct. Each demonination, as best they understand it, is trying to carry on the mission first charged to Peter.

There are those who believe that when Jesus said He'd build His church upon "This Rock" He was talking about Himself - yes, Peter was a rock in his faith and personality (but remember this was before he denied Jesus), but he wasn't the Rock Jesus spoke of building His church upon.

Answer 2

Peter was appointed as leader of the Church when Our Lord said:

And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. (Matthew Chapt. 16)

Peter assumed the position upon the Ascension of Our Lord into heaven. The term 'pope' did not come into usage until many years later but Peter was still considered a pope even though the establishment of the office of pope and hierarchy was yet to come. All the apostles, even Paul, deferred to Peter for important decisions.

One thing needs to be pointed out here. Our Lord and Peter were speaking in Aramaic and not Greek. In Aramaic there was but one word for 'rock' and that is cephas. There is no confusion in usage as in Greek depending upon the size of the 'rock' which is an argument that many non-Catholics seem to ignore. The confusion in vocabulary arose years later when the gospel was translated to Greek.

And, yes, Peter did reside, at least for a time, in Rome and died there under orders from Roman Emperor Nero. Francis A. Sullivan SJ in his book From Apostles to Bishops states unequivocally that Peter was in Rome and died there. His statement is based on both scripture as well as the writings of early Church fathers.

Peter would have assumed leadership about the year AD33 and he died sometime between AD64 and AD67.