Question:
Answer:
There is partial truth here. The Catechism of the Catholic Church declares:
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 (424).
It is true that Peter’s confession is essential. The Church is built upon St. Peter’s confession of faith. The error lies in separating St. Peter from his faith. In so doing, one does violence to the text. It is only after St. Peter’s confession that Christ promises the keys to Peter. But he promises the keys and the power of binding and losing to Peter. Peter’s faith is crucial, but it is the faith of St. Peter!
The Catechism completes the picture for us. The rock is both St. Peter and the faith of St. Peter:
Our Lord then declared to him: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” Christ, the “living stone,” thus assures his Church, built upon Peter, of victory over the powers of death. Because of the faith he confessed Peter will remain the unshakeable rock of the Church. His mission will be to keep his faith from every lapse and to strengthen his brothers in it (552).