What is the name of the first Catholic Pope?

Answer 1

Saint Peter is considered the first pope although the term 'pope' did not come into use until many decades later.
The Catholic Church considers Simon Barjona, St. Peter, as the first pope.

Answer 2

The Apostle St. Peter was the first Bishop of Rome, and thus the first Pope of the Catholic Church. Peter was chosen to become a Vicar of Christ by Jesus with Jesus as the Head of the Catholic church.

There are many references to this in the Bible. Just a few examples would include:

- "And I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church" (Matt. 16:18). (Note: the word for Peter and Rock is the same.) (Christ was acknowledging Peter's recognition of Christ and upon this recognition would Christ build his church. Christ did not appoint Peter as his successor rather he sent the 12 apostles to teach the people and build the Church.)

- Jesus entrusted Peter with his flock, making him too a Good Shepherd (John 21:15-17).

- After his conversion Paul went to see Peter, the chief apostle (Gal. 1:18).

Also, before Peter went on to establish the Roman church (the Catholic Church), he was the Patriarch of Antioch.

Many denominations, not just Catholic, recognize that indeed Peter was the first Pope.*

Note that not all Christian denominations reach the same conclusion from the following passage of scripture

13 ¶ When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18 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.

Another Opinion:

Firstly while holy scripture does not say that St. Peter was in Rome, it also does not say that he was not.

It is from the historical writings of the early church fathers that the Orthodox, Catholic,Anglican and Lutheran churches gain their belief that Peter was the first bishop of Rome and view him as being honored as the first among the apostles regardless of how they interpreted this supremacy.

St. Irenaeus, "Against Heresies" 3,1,1 180 A.D., J208

'...in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were evangelizing at Rome, and laying the foundations of the church'.

St. Irenaeus, "Against Heresies", chapter III, '...the very ancient, and universally known church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also (by pointing out) the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops'.

Eusebius, "History of the Church", 2,14,6, 300 A.D., J651dd

'In the same reign of Claudius, the all-good and gracious providence which watches over all things guided Peter, the great and mighty one among the Apostles, who, because of his virtue, was the spokesman for all the others, to Rome'.

Tertullian, "The demurrer against the heretics", chapter XXXII,1,

'...like the church of the Romans where Clement was ordained by Peter'.

Saint Peter of Alexandria, "The Canonical Letter", canon 9, 306 A.D.

"Peter, the first chosen of the Apostles, having been apprehended often and thrown into prison and treated with ignominy, at last was crucified in Rome."

Eusebius, "The Chronicle" Ad An.Dom 68, J651cc

"Nero is the first, in addition to all his other crimes, to make a persecution against the Christians, in which Peter and Paul died gloriously in Rome."

Eusebius, "History of the Church", 3,2, 300 A.D., J652a

"After the martyrdom of Paul and Peter, Linus was the first appointed to the Episcopacy of the Church at Rome."

Lactantius, "Of the manner in which the persecutors died":

This letter is addressed to Donatus. It not only shows that Peter was actually in Rome, but that he died there also at the hands of Nero. Chapter II. "His apostles were at that time eleven in number, to whom were added Matthias, in the room of the traitor Judas, and afterward Paul. Then were they dispersed throughout all the earth to preach the Gospel, as the Lord their Master had commanded them; and during twenty-five years, and until the beginning of the reign of the Emperor Nero, they occupied themselves in laying the foundations of the Church in every province and city. And while Nero reigned, the Apostle Peter came to Rome, and, through the power of God committed unto him, wrought certain miracles, and, by turning many to the true religion, built up a faithful and steadfast temple unto the Lord. When Nero heard of those things, and observed that not only in Rome, but in every other place, a great multitude revolted daily from the worship of idols, and, condemning their old ways, went over to the new religion, he, an execrable and pernicious tyrant, sprung forward to raze the heavenly temple and destroy the true faith. He it was who first persecuted the servants of God; he crucified Peter, and slew Paul: nor did he escape with impunity; for God looked on the affliction of His people; and therefore the tyrant, bereaved of authority, and precipitated from the height of empire, suddenly disappeared, and even the burial-place of that noxious wild beast was nowhere to be seen."

Saint Damasus I, "The Decree of Damasus" 3, 382 A.D., J910u

"The first see, therefore, is that of Peter the Apostle, that of the Roman Church, which has neither stain nor blemish nor anything like it."

Saint Augustine, "Letter to Generosus", 53,1,2, 400 A.D., J1418

"If the very order of episcopal succession is to be considered, how much more surely, truly, and safely do we number them from Peter himself, to whom, as to one representing the whole Church, the Lord said: "Upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not conquer it."

The Holy Bible is the word of God and the foundation stone and bedrock of Christianity, however one must realize that it does not mention absolutely everything that happened in the spread of Christianity, why would it, does it help the Christian message at all to start talking about absolutely everything Peter did, of course not, there is simply too much information to go into the good book.

Another Opinion:

A BIBLICAL BASIS FOR PETER BEING THE FIRST POPE:

While it is believed to be a historical fact that Peter was the first bishop of Rome (what we now call pope)...here is Biblical proof that Peter was chosen by Christ to be the leader of the apostles and the leader of His church:

1)Matt. 16:17-19

Even if you don't agree that Jesus is referring to Peter as the rock on which he would build his church...in verse 19, Jesus gives Peter alone the keys to the kingdom of heaven and says that his decisions would be binding in heaven.

2)Luke 22:31-32

Jesus foretells Peter's denial and prays that Peter's faith would not fail and gives Peter the task of strengthening the other disciples.

3)John 21:15-17

After Christ's resurrection He asks Peter 3 times if he loves him (for the 3 times Peter had denied Him) and 3 times asks Peter to be the shepherd of His church.

4)Acts 2:14, 37 and 5:29

The book of Acts gives a few examples that show Peter in his role as leader by referring to the disciples as "Peter and the apostles".

Answer:Catholic tradition says that the apostle Peter went to Rome to lead the Christians there, and that he was the first pope. There is no actual evidence that Peter ever went to Rome, and Clement of Rome, writing (1 Clement) just thirty years after Peter was supposedly in Rome, appears to have been unaware that Peter had been to Rome. The tradition that Peter was in Rome is believed to have begun during the second century, probably by Anicetus of Rome.

If the pope is the bishop of Rome, it is important to note that the role of bishop did not arise until the second century. Some have suggested that Clement was the first overall leader of the Roman churches, whether or not he formally held the role of bishop. Other scholars believe that the first to hold the position of bishop in Rome may have been Anicetus himself, and therefore the first actual pope.

An attribute of the Catholic pope is considered to be his universal authority. In this regard, Council of Nicaea in 325 had only recognised the bishop of Rome as having authority in his area, while his peers had authority in other parts of the empire. Pope Damasus I (366-384) is credited with being the first bishop of Rome to claim specific primacy over the Church as a whole. Whether or not others recognised that authority, he was at least the first bishop of Rome to claim papal primacy, supplanting the decision of the Council of Nicaea. In terms of professed authority, Damasus may have been the first Catholic pope.

Catholic AnswerThe Catholic Church for 2000 years has always considered that Saint Peter was the first leader of the Church. The title 'Pope' may not have been in use at the time but Peter was no less a pope. There is ample evidence that he was in Rome. Peter ordained Clement a priest in Rome and later, about the year 70, Clement wrote his first letter to the Corinthians in which he mentions the martyrdom of both Peter and Paul in Rome. Tertulian, as well, writes of Peter in Rome and his martyrdom there. It actually makes no difference if Peter ever made it to Rome as he was still appointed by Christ as the first leader of the Church. Anyone then appointed or elected to take Peter's place would then be considered to be the head of the Church. Whether Peter took the headquarters of the Church to Rome or one of his successors is really not relevant.

St Peter, Jesus's apostle was the first pope.

from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994

880 When Christ instituted the Twelve, "he constituted [them] in the form of a college or permanent assembly, a the head of which he placed Peter, chosen from among them." (Lumen gentium 19; cf Lk 6:13; Jn 21:15-17) Just as "by the Lord's institution, St. Peter and the rest of the apostles constitute a single apostolic college, so in like fashion the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, and the bishops, the successors of the apostles, are related with and united to one another." (Lumen gentium 22; cf. Codex Iuris Canonici, can 330.)

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. (Cf. Mt16:18-10; Jn 21:15-17.) "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head." (Lumen gentium 22 section 2) 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.

882 The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, "is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful." (Lumen gentium 23) For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered. (Lumen gentium 22; cf. Christus Dominus 2, 9.)

Roman is an epithet first commonly used in England after the protestant revolt to describe the Catholic Church. It is never used by the Catholic Church.

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In Catholic Tradition the Apostle Peter was the first Catholic Pope. According to Catholic belief, Peter was the first Bishop of Rome and chief pastor of the whole Roman Catholic Church-the Vicar of Christ upon Earth. Although Peter never bore the title of "Pope", or "Vicar of Christ", the Catholic Church believes him to be the first Pope. Therefore, they consider every pope to be Peter's successor and the rightful superior of all other bishops.

The Catholic Church's recognition of Peter as head of its church on Earth (with Christ being its heavenly head) is based on its interpretation of two passages from the Canonical Gospels of the New Testament. The first passage is John 21:15-17, which concludes with "feed my sheep"-seen by Catholics as Christ promising the spiritual supremacy to Peter. The Catholic Encyclopedia sees in this passage Jesus "charging [Peter] with the superintendency of all his sheep, without exception; and consequently of his whole flock, that is, of his own church". The second passage is Matthew 16:17-20:

I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven".

In reference to Peter's occupation before becoming an Apostle, the popes wear the Fisherman's Ring, which bears an image of the saint casting his nets from a fishing boat. The keys used as a symbol of the pope's authority refer to the "keys of the kingdom of Heaven" promised to Peter.[Matt. 16:18-19] The terminology of this "commission" of Peter is unmistakably parallel to the commissioning of Eliakim ben Hilkiah in Isaiah 22:15-23. Peter is often depicted in both Western and Eastern Christian art holding a key or a set of keys.

Answer 3

The first to carry the title of Pope was the Patriarch of Alexandria, Pope Heracleus (232-249 AD), the 13th Alexandrine Patriarch.

Roman Catholic AnswerThe first Pope of the Catholic Church was St. Peter appointed by Jesus Christ.