Let's return to Matthew 16. After Peter professed faith in Jesus, "You are the Messiah, the son of the living God", Jesus turned to Peter and spoke remarkable words, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell 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."
What an incredible promise to Peter! Jesus established in His Church the office of Peter. Among his disciples, one is first, Peter. And Jesus promised that Peter will have the keys, the power to bind and loose. Jesus promised that heaven will respect Peter's binding and loosing. Amazing!!
So the Catholic Church, fulfilling this passage, has the office of Peter, the Pope. Peter was the first Pope and Francis is the 266th. Through the centuries there has always been a man entrusted with Peter's role, holding the keys to the kingdom with the power to loose and bind.
But Saint Peter was not always virtuous. All four gospels tell us that on the night Jesus was arrested, Peter denied that he even knew Jesus. Peter boasted at the Last Supper that he would die with Jesus, but a few hours later when fear gripped him, he denied that he was a friend of Jesus.
When Jesus established the office of Pope, He promised that the Pope will always teach the truth. Over and over Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit will guarantee the Church's authentic teaching. But Jesus never guaranteed that Peter or any leader would be sinless.
Peter denied Jesus. But he repented. After the resurrection and ascension, Peter took his role as leader of the early Church. Peter was not chosen because he deserved this role, but because Christ chose him.
Through the centuries there have been some bad Popes. There have been plenty of bad bishops and priests. And even the good priests and bishops have their sins.
God chooses to direct His Church through sinful men and women who are capable of great sin and great selfishness. The holiness and truthfulness of the Church do not depend on the virtue of its leaders but on God's faithfulness to His promises.
Modern schools present a negative, one sided view of the Catholic Church in history. The stories of unworthy Popes and bishops are presented as evidence that the Church is not from God, not of divine origin. For me, it is the opposite. One of the most convincing proofs of the divine nature of the Church is that the Church has not collapsed under the sins of its Popes, bishops and priests. Despite some terrible leaders, the Church has survived.
Thankfully, there have been plenty of holy Popes, bishops and priests, plenty of holy married people also. It is true that the holiness of the members and leaders of the Church is evidence of God's presence in the Church. I pray to God (and ask your prayers) that I might be one of the holy ones. But, whether we are sinners or saints, Jesus does not abandon us.