The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ. The first pope was the apostle formerly known as Simon Bar-Jonah whom Christ renamed "Peter" which means "rock". The Lord said to Simon Bar-Jonah, "I say to you that you are Peter [rock] and upon this rock I will build my Church."

The apostles did have disagreements among themselves, but in the end it was Peter's word which would prevail. This can be seen in the Book of Acts in the account of the Council of Jerusalem.

Below are some links to articles regarding Church history including the primacy of St. Peter, apostolic succession and other relevant points about this topic.

The Church has faced many challenges over the century. Christ promised that "the wheat and the weeds should grow together until the harvest". This means that the presence of sinners in the Church will always be so until Christ comes again. Despite the challenges we have faced, the Church has grown more and more into the fullness of the truth so that while the people within the Church may not always follow the teachings of our Faith, by virtue of the guidance of the Holy Spirit we can be certain that the teachings themselves will remain consistent throughout all ages.

You are invited to become a part of the Catholic Church today and to be a piece of Her history tomorrow.

Apostolic Succession - Catholic Answers

Apostolic Succession Discussion - Dave Armstrong

The Visible, Hierarchical, Apostolic Church -- Dave Armstrong

The Authority of the Pope (Part One) - Catholic Answers

The Authority of the Pope (Part Two) - Catholic Answers

Origins of Peter as Pope - Catholic Answers