Sir, - Despite the crescendo of failings attributed to Peter in the Scriptures, he was nevertheless universally recognised as the chief. This is especially significant when we recall that the Gospels were written many years after the historical events themselves. The names Peter, Simon and Cephas are used 191 times in the New Testament, a number capped only by that of Christ himself.
During the time of Christ, a temple to Caesar Augustus sat on the pinnacle of a rock-wall overlooking Caesarea Phillippi and when Christ brought his disciples there, Peter, under revelation, confessed his faith in him as Messiah. Then Christ called Peter the rock on which his Church would be built and said the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Jesus appointed Peter as the steward of his kingdom and shepherd of his flock, even if, as a man, perhaps he was nothing more than shifting sand. He gave Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Keys entrusted to a man have always represented the delegation of authority.
Christ's naming of Peter as rock is all so much clearer as they stand before that actual rock which supports the temple dedicated to the Lord of the Palatine (the "false church"). The foundation rock of the spiritual temple which Jesus will build to the Lord of heaven is to be the disciple who first professed Christ's messiahship. He gave the gift of infallibility restricted to matters of faith and morals for the universal Church to Peter himself, and, through him to the apostles and their successors, the bishops, in union with him.
What they will be interpreting is the Word of God in Revelation, as in the case of ordination to the priesthood in the New Testament and sacred Tradition. The sacrament of ordination as the ministerial priesthood is clearly conferred on the apostles, but not on the women present, including his own mother, Theotokos ("Godbearer"). Nor does such conferring occur in the 2,000 years of unbroken tradition of the theocratic Church.
The gift of editorial space in a secular paper precludes further elaboration of the egregious error advocating women's ordination - they are blessed with personal charismata - or of the transcendent prerogative opposing it. - Yours, etc., Fr Enda McCormack,
Clogher, Co Tyrone.