Unity Without a Throne
What Leo XIV’s Radical Shift Means for the Future of the Church
On May 19, 2025, something astonishing happened in the heart of Catholicism.
Pope Leo XIV stood before a crowd of 150,000 at St. Peter's Square and told the world that Christ, not Peter, is the rock on which the Church is built.
That might sound theological or symbolic to some, but to anyone who understands Church history, it was nothing short of earth-shaking.
For centuries, the Roman Catholic Church has taught that Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18 (“You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church”) were proof of papal supremacy. That verse was the foundation for papal infallibility, for centralized control of doctrine, and for Rome’s insistence that unity must flow through the pope.
But Leo XIV just said that isn’t the case.
He pointed to Jesus as the rock. He invoked 1 Peter 2:5, where all believers are called “living stones.” He cited the early Church Fathers, many of whom agreed that the rock was Christ or Peter’s confession, not Peter himself. And then he said something even more remarkable:
“I come to you as a brother.”
Not a monarch. Not a ruler. A brother.
And just like that, a new chapter begins.
The End of Papal Supremacy?
Whether Leo meant it explicitly or not, his words mark the end of the old vision of the papacy. The dogma of absolute papal jurisdiction, shaped by centuries of tradition, political maneuvering, and Vatican I in 1870, no longer holds the same power.
Instead, Leo is reviving an older idea, that of primus inter pares, a "first among equals" model that echoes the earliest centuries of the Church, when no single bishop claimed universal authority.
And he’s doing so with open arms.
He invited “sister Christian churches" into dialogue. He quoted Ignatius of Antioch’s vision of love rather than power. He rejected religious propaganda and coercion. And in doing so, he aligned himself with the concerns of the Protestant Reformation, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and even the early apostolic church.
This isn’t just a shift. It’s a tectonic realignment.
A Biblical Correction
For those of us who believe in Scripture as final authority, Leo’s interpretation is not radical, it’s long overdue.
Matthew 16:18 has been debated for centuries. But when you survey the Church Fathers, the results are not what Rome has long claimed:
44 fathers said the rock is Peter’s confession of faith.
16 said the rock is Christ Himself.
8 said the rock is all the apostles.
Only 17 said it was Peter.
Archbishop Peter Kenrick highlighted these numbers during Vatican I in 1870, warning against building dogma on such a divided interpretation. He was ignored. But Leo XIV seems to be listening, even quoting these perspectives with admiration.
This matters because the true foundation of the Church has always been Christ:
"For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 3:11)
What This Means for Unity
True Christian unity has often felt out of reach. Protestant churches recoil at papal infallibility. Orthodox churches reject universal jurisdiction. Even many Catholics quietly question the centralization of spiritual authority.
But Leo’s vision changes that.
If the pope is not an emperor, but a brother…
If the Church is not built on Peter, but on Christ…
If unity is not enforced, but invited through love…
Then maybe the impossible becomes possible.
Maybe we can finally return to a vision of the Church that values truth over hierarchy, humility over control, and communion without coercion.
Technology, Authority, and the Church
Why does this matter to those of us also wrestling with the ethics of technology, AI, and the future?
Because power structures are everywhere, and we are building new ones every day.
The Church isn’t the only institution that must decide whether authority means control or service. We are doing the same with algorithms, automation, and artificial minds.
Will the systems we create lord it over others or walk alongside them?
Will our technological frameworks be built on dominion or dignity?
Will we create closed systems that demand submission, or open systems that invite fellowship?
Leo XIV just reminded us that the most powerful authority is the one that bends low in love.
That lesson doesn’t stop at the church door. It belongs in our labs, our code, our leadership, and our vision for the future.
A Future Worth Building
If this truly is the beginning of a new era. An ecumenical, humble, Christ-centered vision of leadership. Then we are standing on the edge of something beautiful.
Not a power shift. A paradigm shift.
The Church has often stumbled under the weight of man-made crowns. But if Leo XIV is serious, and if we respond in good faith, we may be witnessing something rare:
A moment when the throne becomes a table.
When the rock becomes our cornerstone again.
When unity finally looks like what Jesus prayed for:
“That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you… that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21)
It won’t happen overnight. But it starts with a step.
And maybe, just maybe, we took it this week.
Lord, build your Church again. Not on the pride of thrones, but on the humility of Christ.
Please consider taking the short survey above. I’d love to hear about your interests.