{"id":53724,"date":"2026-02-17T23:46:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T06:46:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?p=53724"},"modified":"2026-02-18T11:19:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T18:19:36","slug":"the-king-and-his-royal-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-king-and-his-royal-court\/","title":{"rendered":"The King and His Royal Court","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-53745\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Jesus-12-Apostles-BG.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"590\" height=\"419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Jesus-12-Apostles-BG.jpg 1262w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Jesus-12-Apostles-BG-300x213.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Jesus-12-Apostles-BG-1024x727.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Jesus-12-Apostles-BG-768x545.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><em><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\">The ceiling mosaic in the Baptistry of Neon in Ravenna, Italy<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><div id=\"buzzsprout-player-18704395\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t <script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/1172402\/18704395.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-18704395&amp;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\">or on <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/-Vl1qSrQJzE\">YouTube<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<span class=\"mks_dropcap_letter\" style=\"font-size: 60px; color: #3a3a3a; \">T<\/span>he Church is not a democracy; it&#8217;s a <em>monarchy<\/em>.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong>Christ, high priest and unique mediator, has made of the Church \u201ca kingdom, priests for his God and Father\u2026\u201d <\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>\u2014<em>Catechism of the Catholic Church<\/em>, n. 1546<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>That is the context in which Peter&#8217;s role as &#8220;Pope&#8221; is properly understood: within a <em>Kingdom.<\/em><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5>David&#8217;s Dynasty<\/h5>\n<p>Matthew&#8217;s Gospel begins:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, <em>the son of David<\/em>&#8230;.<\/strong> (Matthew 1:1)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Jesus is the fulfillment of God&#8217;s promise to King David:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: I will make your dynasty stand forever <\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>and establish your throne through all ages.<\/strong> (Psalms 89:4-5)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Thus, the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and <em>the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father<\/em>, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.<\/strong> (Luke 1:31-33)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Jesus would himself say, &#8220;I have come not to abolish but to fulfill [the law and the prophets].&#8221; Thus,<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><span class=\"text\"><strong>The Lord Jesus inaugurated his Church by preaching the Good News, that is, the coming of the Reign of God, promised over the ages in the scriptures. To fulfill the Father\u2019s will, Christ ushered in the Kingdom of heaven on earth. The Church \u201cis the Reign of Christ already present in mystery.&#8221;<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u2014<em>Catechism of the\u00a0Catholic Church,\u00a0<\/em>n. 763<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5>Fulfill, Not Abolish<\/h5>\n<p>The Old Testament foreshadowed Christ and His Kingdom, so it is no surprise that Jesus adopts and perfects elements of the Davidic Kingdom.<\/p>\n<p>Most notably, David appointed a steward &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com\/2600-year-old-seal-bearing-hebrew-name-from-kingdom-of-judea-found-in-jerusalem\/\">over the household<\/a>,&#8221;<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_53724_1('footnote_plugin_reference_53724_1_1');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_53724_1('footnote_plugin_reference_53724_1_1');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_53724_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_53724_1_1\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Hebrew: <i>Al Habayit, <\/i>translates to &#8220;over the house&#8221; in Hebrew and refers to a high-ranking official or royal steward in ancient Israelite society, often serving directly under the king.<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_53724_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_53724_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> over his kingdom \u2014 a practice carried on by his successors.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_53724_1('footnote_plugin_reference_53724_1_2');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_53724_1('footnote_plugin_reference_53724_1_2');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_53724_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_53724_1_2\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. Isaiah 22:15; 22:20<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_53724_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_53724_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> During <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-53740\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Peter-Keys.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"326\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Peter-Keys.jpg 1241w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Peter-Keys-300x290.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Peter-Keys-1024x990.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Peter-Keys-768x743.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 326px) 100vw, 326px\" \/>Hezekiah&#8217;s reign, Eliakim was named the steward, who acted as a kind of &#8220;prime minister.&#8221; Upon his shoulder, the king placed&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>&#8230;the key of the house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall be open. I will fasten him like a peg in a sure place, and he will become a throne of honor&#8230;<\/strong>\u00a0(Isaiah 22:22-23)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Sound familiar? Compare that to what Jesus did and said:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>You are Peter and on this rock I will build My Church and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.<\/strong> (Matthew 16:18-20)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Peter&#8217;s office is &#8220;rock&#8221; \u2014 like a &#8220;peg in a sure place.&#8221; And like Eliakim, his office comes with the King&#8217;s authority to open and close, to bind and loose \u2014 that is, to govern according not to his own whims, but according to what Jesus entrusted to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>The pope isn\u2019t an absolute sovereign, whose thoughts and desires are law. On the contrary, the ministry of the pope is the guarantor of the obedience toward Christ and His word.<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014POPE BENEDICT XVI, Homily of May 8, 2005;\u00a0<em>San Diego Union-Tribune<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Moreover, the steward was seen as a kind of <em>father<\/em> over the kingdom:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>I will clothe him with your robe, gird him with your sash, confer on him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.<\/strong> (Isaiah 22:21)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The word &#8220;pope&#8221; comes from the Latin &#8220;<em>papa<\/em>,&#8221; which in turn is derived from the Greek &#8220;\u03c0\u03ac\u03c0\u03c0\u03b1\u03c2&#8221; (p\u00e1ppas), meaning &#8220;father.&#8221; And so the Pope is seen as a kind of visible father to care for Christ&#8217;s flock. Another of the Pope&#8217;s titles is <em>Vicar of Christ<\/em>. The word \u201cvicar\u201d stems from the Latin \u201c<em>vicarius<\/em>,\u201d meaning \u201csubstitute\u201d or \u201cacting in the place of.\u201d It&#8217;s because of what Jesus asked Peter directly&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>&#8220;Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?\u201d Peter said to him, \u201cYes, Lord; you know that I love you.\u201d He said to him, \u201cFeed my lambs&#8230; tend My sheep&#8230; feed My sheep.&#8221;<\/strong> (John 21:15-17)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Hence, popes (and bishops) are often seen with a shepherd&#8217;s staff, representing their unique vocation to tend and feed Christ&#8217;s flock with the Word of God.<\/p>\n<p>From the beginning, the Church understood that Peter held a special place within Christ&#8217;s Kingdom as both a &#8220;father&#8221; to the flock and a keeper of the Keys of the Kingdom. Hence, we hear such early Church figures as the great biblical translator, St. Jerome, say:\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>I follow no one as leader except Christ alone, and therefore I want to remain in union in the Church with you, that is with\u00a0the chair of Peter. I know that on this rock the Church is founded.<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014St. Jerome in a letter to Pope Damasus,\u00a0<em>Letters<\/em>, 15:2; (cf. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-chair-of-rock\/\"><em>The Chair of Rock<\/em><\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And St. Ambrose famously said:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>Where Peter is, there is the Church!\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan (c. 340\u2013397)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5>The Royal Cabinet<\/h5>\n<p>While David granted special authority to the Steward as the keeper of the key, the king also retained a royal court, or you could say, cabinet ministers. Joab was the commander of David&#8217;s army; Jehosaphat was the chief chronicler of official records; Zadok was a high priest overseeing kingly ceremonies; Abiathar was a high priest and advisor; Seraiah was a scribe in the royal court; Benaiah served as a personal bodyguard, and so forth.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-53749\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Royal-Court.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"590\" height=\"257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Royal-Court.jpg 1700w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Royal-Court-300x131.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Royal-Court-1024x446.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Royal-Court-768x335.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Royal-Court-1536x670.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In Christ&#8217;s Kingdom on earth, the other eleven Apostles also share in the administrative power of Christ&#8217;s temporal kingdom. To them and their successors, He also said:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>&#8230;whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.<\/strong> (Matthew 18:18)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>This applies most especially to the <em>authority to forgive sins:<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.<\/strong> (John 20:22-23)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In fact, so closely does Jesus identify with His chosen royal ministers that He says:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>Whoever listens to you listens to Me. Whoever rejects you rejects Me. And whoever rejects Me rejects the one who sent Me.<\/strong> (Luke 10:16)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>For that to be true, Jesus had to confer on the Twelve Apostles a share in His own infallibility&#8230;<\/p>\n<h5>\u00a0<\/h5>\n<h5>You Will Know the Truth<\/h5>\n<p>The <em>Catechism of the Catholic Church<\/em> explains:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong>In order to preserve the Church in the purity of the faith handed on by the apostles, Christ who is the Truth willed to confer on her a share in his own infallibility. By a &#8220;supernatural sense of faith&#8221; the People of God, under the guidance of the Church&#8217;s living Magisterium, &#8220;unfailingly adheres to this faith.&#8221; &#8230;It is this Magisterium&#8217;s task to preserve God&#8217;s people from deviations and defections and to guarantee them the objective possibility of professing the true faith without error.<\/strong> <\/span>\u2014<em>Catechism of the Catholic Church\u00a0<\/em>(CCC), 889-890<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>It is absolutely critical that Christians know the &#8220;true faith&#8221; throughout the ages, and here&#8217;s why. Jesus said, <em>&#8220;&#8230;you will know the truth, and the truth will <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-53750\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Christ_Taking_Leave_of_the_Apostles.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"325\" height=\"281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Christ_Taking_Leave_of_the_Apostles.jpg 849w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Christ_Taking_Leave_of_the_Apostles-300x259.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Christ_Taking_Leave_of_the_Apostles-768x662.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 325px) 100vw, 325px\" \/>set you free.&#8221;<\/em> <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_53724_1('footnote_plugin_reference_53724_1_3');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_53724_1('footnote_plugin_reference_53724_1_3');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_53724_1_3\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[3]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_53724_1_3\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">John 8:32<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_53724_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_53724_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> In contrast, He adds, <em>&#8220;everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.&#8221; <\/em><span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_53724_1('footnote_plugin_reference_53724_1_4');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_53724_1('footnote_plugin_reference_53724_1_4');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_53724_1_4\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[4]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_53724_1_4\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">John 8:34<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_53724_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_53724_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> So you see what&#8217;s at stake: if we don&#8217;t know with <em>certainty\u00a0<\/em>what the truth is, how can we be sure what sets us free? If the truth can be changed by a pope, or a council, or an ambitious theologian&#8230; then how can we be assured of freedom if such men were to lead us into error?<\/p>\n<p>Case in point: the Anglican Church permits divorce and remarriage; the Catholic Church does not. Many Evangelical sects permit contraception; Catholic Tradition never has. The United Church allows euthanasia; Catholicism defends the sanctity of life from the womb to the tomb. So you see, knowing the truth is literally a <em>matter of life and death<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Thus, Jesus promised His Royal Court that they would both know and be led into all truth:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>The Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name \u2014 He will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you&#8230; When He comes, the Spirit of truth, He will guide you to all truth.<\/strong> (John 14:26, 16:13)<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; color: #003366;\"><strong>Thus, the pastoral duty of the Magisterium is aimed at seeing to it that the People of God abides in the truth that liberates. To fulfill this service, Christ endowed the Church&#8217;s shepherds with the charism of infallibility in matters of faith and morals&#8230;<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #003366;\">\u00a0<\/span>\u2014CCC, 891<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This promise of infallibility, however, is not a promise of <em>impeccability<\/em>: the Apostles, and their successors, are fallible men \u2014 sinners like everyone else. Hence, even Peter &#8220;the rock&#8221; can at times, by his witness and weakness, be a &#8220;stumbling stone.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>The fact that it is Peter who is called the \u201crock\u201d is not due to any achievement on his part or to anything exceptional in his character; it is simply a\u00a0<em>nomen officii<\/em>, a titled that designates, not a service rendered, but a ministry conferred, a divine election and commission to which no one is entitled solely by virtue of his own character \u2014 least of all Simon, who, if we are to judge by his natural character, was anything but a rock&#8230; <b>And has it not been thus throughout the history of the Church that the Pope, the successor of Peter, has been at once <em>Petra<\/em> and <em>Skandalon<\/em> \u2014 both the rock of God and a stumbling block?\u00a0<\/b><\/strong>\u2014POPE BENEDICT XIV, from <em>Das neue Volk Gottes,\u00a0<\/em>p. 80ff<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30524 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/st1peterkeys.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"325\" height=\"452\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/st1peterkeys.jpg 1438w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/st1peterkeys-1104x1536.jpg 1104w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/st1peterkeys-216x300.jpg 216w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/st1peterkeys-768x1068.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/st1peterkeys-736x1024.jpg 736w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 325px) 100vw, 325px\" \/>Yet, wrote St. Catherine of Siena:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>To whom did He leave the keys of this Blood? To the glorious Apostle Peter, and to all his successors who are or shall be till the Day of Judgment, all of them having the same authority which Peter had, which is not diminished by any defect of their own. <\/strong>\u2014from the <em>Book of Dialogues<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Jesus is not only a wise King, but a <em>wise builder<\/em>. Despite the sinners who have succeeded the Apostles, the Kingdom of Christ endures&#8230; as does &#8220;the rock&#8221; and the Royal Court.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>&#8230;be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock&#8230; the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.<\/strong> (Matthew 7:24-25)<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>\u2026the barque of the Church is not mine but [Christ\u2019s]. Nor does the Lord let it sink; it is He who guides it, <em>surely also through those whom He has chosen<\/em>, because He so wished. This has been, and is, a certainty which nothing can shake.<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014BENEDICT XVI, last General Audience, February 27th, 2013;\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/w2.vatican.va\/content\/benedict-xvi\/en\/audiences\/2013\/documents\/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20130227.html\">Vatican.va<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5>Related Reading<\/h5>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-chair-of-rock\/\"><em>The Chair of Rock<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\">A 2600 year old seal bearing a steward&#8217;s name was found: see <a href=\"https:\/\/jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com\/2600-year-old-seal-bearing-hebrew-name-from-kingdom-of-judea-found-in-jerusalem\/\">here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/moving-forward-together\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-53717\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Mark-Farm.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"335\" height=\"251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Mark-Farm.jpeg 1600w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Mark-Farm-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Mark-Farm-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Mark-Farm-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Mark-Farm-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>Thanks to those who have <br \/>\ncontributed to this ministry<br \/>\nso that The Now Word can<br \/>\ncontinue to proclaim the Word.<\/p>\n<p><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/donations\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Donateovalbtnonbeige.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"112\" height=\"48\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">To journey with Mark in\u00a0<strong><em>The <\/em><\/strong><em><strong>Now Word<\/strong><\/em>,<em><br \/>\n<\/em>click on the banner below to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/subscribe\/\">subscribe<\/a>. <br \/>\nYour email will not be shared with anyone.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/subscribe\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-25916\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/now-word-banner.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"469\" height=\"153\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/now-word-banner.jpeg 850w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/now-word-banner-300x98.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/now-word-banner-768x250.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 469px) 100vw, 469px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Now on Telegram. Click:<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/thenowword\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-46727\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Telegram-.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"55\" height=\"56\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Telegram-.png 500w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Telegram--300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Telegram--150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 55px) 100vw, 55px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Follow Mark and the daily &#8220;signs of the times&#8221; on MeWe:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mewe.com\/group\/6001b664d73c61322e27a39c\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-44298\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Signs-Banner22.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"242\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Signs-Banner22.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Signs-Banner22-300x124.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Signs-Banner22-1024x424.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Signs-Banner22-768x318.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Signs-Banner22-1536x636.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Signs-Banner22-640x265.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nFollow Mark\u2019s writings here:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mewe.com\/p\/thenowword\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-48548\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MeWe-Pages-Banner-Update.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"197\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MeWe-Pages-Banner-Update.jpg 1880w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MeWe-Pages-Banner-Update-300x101.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MeWe-Pages-Banner-Update-1024x345.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MeWe-Pages-Banner-Update-768x259.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MeWe-Pages-Banner-Update-1536x518.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Listen on the following:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thenoword.buzzsprout.com\"><br \/>\n<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/thenoword.buzzsprout.com\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/buzzsprout3-cutout.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"165\" height=\"43\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/the-now-word\/id1519573192?uo=4\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/apple-podcasts2-cutout.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"162\" height=\"42\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/6sXnpNwaMtd5ja4MyA1YgX\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-43899\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/spotifyPodcasts.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"164\" height=\"42\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/spotifyPodcasts.png 740w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/spotifyPodcasts-300x77.png 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/spotifyPodcasts-640x163.png 640w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/spotifyPodcasts-720x189.png 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 164px) 100vw, 164px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"f6hij\" data-offset-key=\"7ormq-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"7ormq-0-0\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"speaker-mute footnotes_reference_container\"> <div class=\"footnote_container_prepare\"><p><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_label pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_53724_1();\"><h5>Footnotes<\/h5><\/span><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button\" style=\"display: none;\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_53724_1();\">[<a id=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_53724_1\">+<\/a>]<\/span><\/p><\/div> <div id=\"footnote_references_container_53724_1\" style=\"\"><table class=\"footnotes_table footnote-reference-container\"><caption class=\"accessibility\"><h5>Footnotes<\/h5><\/caption> <tbody> \r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_53724_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_53724_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_53724_1_1');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>1<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">Hebrew: <i>Al Habayit, <\/i>translates to &#8220;over the house&#8221; in Hebrew and refers to a high-ranking official or royal steward in ancient Israelite society, often serving directly under the king.<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_53724_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_53724_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_53724_1_2');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>2<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. Isaiah 22:15; 22:20<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_53724_1_3\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_53724_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_53724_1_3');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>3<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">John 8:32<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_53724_1_4\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_53724_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_53724_1_4');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>4<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">John 8:34<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n <\/tbody> <\/table> <\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> function footnote_expand_reference_container_53724_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_53724_1').show(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_53724_1').text('\u2212'); } function footnote_collapse_reference_container_53724_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_53724_1').hide(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_53724_1').text('+'); } function footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_53724_1() { if (jQuery('#footnote_references_container_53724_1').is(':hidden')) { footnote_expand_reference_container_53724_1(); } else { footnote_collapse_reference_container_53724_1(); } } function footnote_moveToReference_53724_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_53724_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } } function footnote_moveToAnchor_53724_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_53724_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } }<\/script>","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The ceiling mosaic in the Baptistry of Neon in Ravenna, Italy &nbsp; or on YouTube &nbsp; he Church is not a democracy; it&#8217;s a monarchy. Christ, high priest and unique mediator, has made of the Church \u201ca kingdom, priests for his God and Father\u2026\u201d \u00a0\u2014Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1546 That is the context [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,41,48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-journal","category-faith-and-morals","category-webcast"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The King and His Royal Court - The Now Word<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-king-and-his-royal-court\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The King and His Royal Court - The Now Word\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The ceiling mosaic in the Baptistry of Neon in Ravenna, Italy &nbsp; or on YouTube &nbsp; he Church is not a democracy; it&#8217;s a monarchy. 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