Who is more important, Mary or Peter?

[Curiouse]

O.K., really noobish question, who is more important to Catholics, Peter or Mary? I understand Mary is the Mother of God and intercedes on out behalf, but does not Scripture also state that what Peter binds and looses on Earth, is bound and loosed in heaven? So does that mean that he can intercede on our behalf just as much, if not more than Mary?

 

[Karianne]

O.K., really noobish question, who is more important to Catholics, Peter or Mary? I understand Mary is the Mother of God and intercedes on out behalf, but does not Scripture also state that what Peter binds and looses on Earth, is bound and loosed in heaven? So does that mean that he can intercede on our behalf just as much, if not more than Mary?

No Mary, no Jesus. Therefore Mary wins!

 

[Fergal]

All Catholics move with Peter, through Mary to Jesus.
It far more than just a matter of who is more important.

 

[Epsilon_Omega]

I give the slight edge to Mary. No Mary, no Jesus, but also No Peter, No church (Kind of a stretch, but its true). So lets just say they are both important. Peter is important for the creation of the Church, while Mary is important for the intercession and the help she does for sinners. How bout we look at it this way… Mary and Peter make a pretty good Tag Team against Satan .

 

[scylla]

Good question, I never thought of that.

It would have to be Mary for this reason, without Mary there is no belief that Jesus is really God. Who else would we trust to know that He was born of God and a virgin? She would be the only witness to this and Luke says that he relied on witnesses for his Gospel.

So without Mary being the witness whom Luke relied on, we have no basis for believing that Jesus was born of God and a virgin. So we have to trust her word which is backed up by being in God’s Word.

Now this doesn’t put down Peter in any way as he is the first Pope and to bind and loose means God backs him he rest of the Popes, up. So when he binds or looses God has his back and keeps him from making a mistake. Or else if Peter binds something by mistake then God is backing up a mistake which God can’t allow to happen. (God wont back up evil actions)

So God makes sure this doesn’t happen by ensuring that the Church stands forever, no matter how messed up we are.

In Christ
Scylla

 

[johnnycatholic]

There was something in the Poem of the Man God about Mary being second to Peter in the hierarchy. This is impossible because Mary isn’t in the hierarchy. She and Peter function so differently. It’s like asking which is more important? Your hand or your foot?

 

[mlchance]

Please see Matthew 18:1-5.

– Mark L. Chance.

 

[JesuXPIPassio]

Yes, the Bible does say that Peter has the authority to bind and loose. This refers to the Apostolic power to forgive sins on behalf of Christ. All priests have this in the Sacrament of Confession.

But Mary is higher than that – she is not dominated by sin. From the moment she was conceived, she was immaculate, never sinning.

Peter didn’t have the same privilege. Indeed, Peter sinned time and again in the Gospels, even denying Jesus while He was in His final hours.

Saint Peter was our first Pope. Popes have been devoted to Mary, but Mary does not need to devote herself to any Pope. She is the mistress of all popes, all of mankind, all of heaven. We even see this in how the Church forms – there are numerous Catholic Orders devoted to Mary, but I can only think of one that is devoted to Saint Peter (the FSSP fraternity).

As the Litany of the Rosary says,
Mary – the Queen of Apostles.

Saint Peter, by the way, is called the Prince of the Apostles.

Nothing that was created – not any one, not any thing, not anything in heaven or earth, not even the whole heaven and earth combined – could be considered greater than Mary. Even angels have sinned, or so Saint Faustina tells us.

… Peter binds and looses on Earth, is bound and loosed in heaven? So does that mean that he can intercede on our behalf just as much, if not more than Mary?

 

[Prayer_Warrior]

I would have to say Mary is more important given her unique relationship to Christ. Mary is still bringing people to her Son on a very large scale. St. Peter is also very, very important in the foundation of the Church. But as others have said no Mary, no Jesus.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

O.K., really noobish question, who is more important to Catholics, Peter or Mary? I understand Mary is the Mother of God and intercedes on out behalf, but does not Scripture also state that what Peter binds and looses on Earth, is bound and loosed in heaven? So does that mean that he can intercede on our behalf just as much, if not more than Mary?

++ I think this is like asking which we need more - spine or lungs Both are necessary, neither can do the work of the other; take either away, and life becomes impossible. So with the members of Christ’s Body ++

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Your question reminds me of another.

I recently had by-pass surgery. Who is more important - the surgeon who did the surgery, or the one who developed the technique? Both were pretty vital to me.

 

[exoflare]

Mary.

 

[Evan]

I would say Mary is extremely more important. She was chosen to be the Mother of God. She was a witness to His coming. She was a witness to his Passion. She continues to intercede for us as the Queen Mother.

Peter was the head of the apostles, the first pope, the one who was given initial authority.

Peter died. All this about Peter is past tense. As a saint he can continue to intercede for us, but Mary continues to appear in this world and continues to act.

She is still with us in a way Peter is not. She was assumed. Peter was buried.

She has a continuing role and Peter has passed on the mantel of pope to Bendict.

I say Mary, way more… :dancing:

 

[JesuXPIPassio]

I just thought of another thing.

Let’s look back at the Gospels when Mary and Peter both began their historic relationship with God.

Peter was called, commanded: “Come, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Mary was never commanded. She was asked. And she said yes.

God of course is not subservient to Mary, but it definitely is meaningful that Peter was commanded while Mary was asked,

 

[steveandersen]

I think this is like asking which we need more - spine or lungs Both are necessary, neither can do the work of the other; take either away, and life becomes impossible. So with the members of Christ’s Body

I agree

Why & how would there be a competition?

 

[CRW]

O.K., really noobish question, who is more important to Catholics, Peter or Mary? I understand Mary is the Mother of God and intercedes on out behalf, but does not Scripture also state that what Peter binds and looses on Earth, is bound and loosed in heaven? So does that mean that he can intercede on our behalf just as much, if not more than Mary?

IMHO, the simple statement, “Mother of God”, provides the answer.

 

[thistle]

There was something in the Poem of the Man God about Mary being second to Peter in the hierarchy. This is impossible because Mary isn’t in the hierarchy. She and Peter function so differently. It’s like asking which is more important? Your hand or your foot?

I wouldn’t give that much credence. Its banned reading for Catholics.