Jesus spoke to the Apostles, and particularly to Peter, about "binding" and "loosing". The Catholic Church applies these statements to foundational doctrines such as ...
- The papacy (Pope)
- The hierarchy of the Church (college of bishops united to its head, the Pope)
- Succession of Church leaders via ordination (Bishops, Priests, Deacons)
- Church discipline including excommunication
- The teaching magisterium (authority) of the Catholic Church (via Popes and Bishops)
Additional info ...
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From the Catechism of the Catholic Church (note: as a Catholic I consider these passages as authoritative interpretations of the Biblical passages) ...
| Quotes | My comments |
In imparting to his apostles his own power to forgive sins the Lord also gives them the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church. . . . The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of the apostles united to its head.
Section, 1444 |
Peter and the apostles were given the power to "bind and loose". Jesus also gave them the power to forgive sins. |
The words bind and loose mean: whomever you exclude from your communion, will be excluded from communion with God; whomever you receive anew into your communion, God will welcome back into his. Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God.
Section 1445 |
The phrase "bind and loose" includes the authority of excommunication (Matthew 18:17. 1 Corinthians 5:13).
The statement regarding reconciliation with the Church does not mean that only Catholics are saved. (link, link, link, link) |
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. "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head." 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.
Section 881 |
Notice that only Peter is given the keys.
The power to "bind and loose" is given by Jesus twice: once to Peter only, and once to all the apostles. (Matthew 16:19, Matthew 18:18) |
An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishments due for their sins.
Section 1478 |
The power to "bind and loose" includes the authority to issue indulgences. |
Moved by the grace of the Holy Spirit and drawn by the Father, we believe in Jesus and confess: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." On the rock of this faith confessed by St. Peter, Christ built his Church.
Section 424 |
The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus built His church on the faith of Peter.
But as noted above, the Church also teaches that Jesus established the church as a college of bishops united to its head, the Pope. |
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