Jesus appointed the first Pope many days before His death on the cross. In Matt 16:18, Jesus said, in front of all His disciples "...You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church...".
By and by, many days passed. Jesus mounted on a donkey and entered Jerusalem. Again many days passed.
It was now the night before Jesus was cruxified. Jesus and His disciples were in the Upper Room for the Last Supper. Here Peter pledged his loyalty to Jesus and claimed "Even though all may fall away from You, I will never fall away." But Jesus said to him, "I say to you that this very night, before the cock crows, you shall deny Me 3 times." Matt 26:33-35.
We all know what happened after that. Peter denied 3 times that he knew Jesus.
So even though Peter was appointed to be the first Pope, he still had much to learn. What did Peter learn? Learn about his tendency to crumple under persecution, his tendency to feel ashamed of Jesus, avoid trusting himself, acknowledging his human weaknesses?
The first Pope had much to learn after his appointment. But, in the end, he did not fail Jesus -- he was cruxified too, but upside down.
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