|
Papal
Primacy
Also See:
The Pope (Topic Page)
Note:
The Pope's authority in the Church is supreme, however his power
is not absolute. The Magisterium may only teach what has been
revealed by God, and not new doctrines.
Click
here for: A Note Regarding the Term 'Church' (Church Talk
Section)
|
"Can. 1556 The First See is judged by no
one." (1917 Code of Canon Law)
"Can. 1404 The First See is judged by no
one." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"[T]he authority of the Roman Pontiff prevails over
the opinions of learned men" (Pope Pius XII, "Doctor
Mellifluus", 1953)
"The Pope has the plenitude of power in the
Church" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and 'greatest
theologian in the history of the Church')
"In matters involving the salvation of souls,
there is no teaching authority in the Church not subject to this
authority and vigilance." (Pope Pius XII, "Si Diligis",
1954 A.D.)
"The
primacy is the bulwark, or rather the corner-stone, of Catholicism;
without it, there would be as many churches as there are nations or
states." (Acton)
"It is heretical to propose that the Roman
Pontiff is ministerial head, if this is explained to mean that he
received from the Church the power of his office" (Pope Pius VI,
Auctorem Fidei)
"It has never been allowed that that be discussed
again which has one been decided by the Apostolic See." (Pope St.
Boniface I, 422 A.D."
"It is clear to everyone who knows the Gospel
that the care of the whole Church has been committed to the blessed
Peter, chief of the apostles." (Pope St. Gregory I the Great,
Doctor of the Church, circa
595 A.D.)
"Take care that I do not have to complain about
you to Jesus crucified. There is no one else I can complain to, for you
have no superior on earth." (St. Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the
Church, to Pope Gregory
XI, fourteenth century A.D.)
"Furthermore, in this one Church of Christ no man
can be or remain who does not accept, recognize and obey the authority
and supremacy of Peter and his legitimate successors." (Pope Pius
XI, "Mortalium Animos", 1928)
CONDEMNED
Error of John Hus: "The papal dignity originated
with the emperor, and the primacy and institution of the pope emanated
from imperial power." (This error was condemned by the Council of
Constance)
"The tradition of the Fathers has attributed such
great authority to the Apostolic See that no one would dare to disagree
wholly with its judgment." (Pope St. Zosimus, 418 A.D.)
"When God gave to Blessed Peter the princely
power of binding and loosing in heaven and on earth, He made no
exception, and withdrew nothing from his power." (Pope Gregory VII,
1081 A.D.)
"As the hinge while remaining immovable opens and
closes the door, so Peter and his successors have free judgment over all
the Church, since no one should remove their status because 'the highest
See is judged by no one.'" (Pope St. Leo IX, 1053 A.D.)
"Nobody at any time and for whatever human
pretext may haughtily set himself above the office of him who by
Christ's order was set above all and everyone and whom the universal
church had always recognized as its head." (Pope Gelasius I, 5th
century A.D.)
"But the primacy is given to Peter, that the
unity of the Church may be proclaimed. All are shepherds, but one flock
is indicated, which was then shepherded by all the apostles with
unanimous consent, and is henceforth shepherded by their successors
under a common care." (St. Bede the Venerable, Doctor of the Church)
"We exhort you, honorable brother, that you
obediently listen to what has been written by the blessed pope of the
city of Rome, since blessed Peter, who lives and presides in his own
See, offers the truth of the faith to those who seek. For we in our zeal
for peace an faith cannot decide questions of faith apart from the
consent of the bishop of Rome." (St. Peter Chrysologus, Doctor of
the Church, 449 A.D.)
"The pope possesses such a plenitude of power
within the Church that he can dispense from purely ecclesiastical
regulations, which are ordinances which belong to positive law, that is,
human law. But he can give no dispensation from the precepts of the
divine law and the natural law; their force comes from divine
decree." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and 'greatest
theologian in the history of the Church')
"It is evident that the judgment of the Apostolic
See, than which there is no authority greater, may be rejected by no
one, nor is it lawful for anyone to pass judgement on its judgement."
(Pope Nicholas I, 9th century A.D.)
"It is clear that this Church [of Rome] is to all
churches throughout the world as the head is to the members, and that
whoever separates himself from it becomes an exile from the Christian
religion" (Pope St. Boniface I, 422 A.D.)
"The Shepherd of the Lord's whole flock is the
Bishop of the Church of Rome, where the Blessed Apostle Peter, by
sovereign disposition of divine Providence, offered to Christ the
supreme witness of martyrdom by the shedding of his blood." (Pope
John Paul II)
"See how great power has that rock upon which the
Church is built, that its sentences are to continue firm as though God
gave sentence by it. (Mt. 16:19)" [Origen ('the greatest scholar
of Christian antiquity' - although he would eventually be excommunicated
and be regarded as a heretic), 3rd century A.D.]
"It is time, most loving Father, that you
recognized your pre-eminence. Then do you really take the place of
Peter, whose See you hold, when by your admonitions you strengthen
hearts weak in faith; when, by your authority, you break those who
corrupt the faith." (St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Doctor of the
Church)
"At the time of Victor (circa 189-198 A.D.), the
primacy of the Roman Pontiff was acknowledged by all. For, when in the
controversy concerning the celebration of Easter, Victor wished to excommunicate
the churches of Asia, they indeed accused him of too great severity (as
Irenaeus), but no bishop called into question either his right or his
authority." (Denzinger)
"If the hearts of the faithful should be
submitted to all priests in general who rightly administer divine
things, how much more should assent be given to the Bishop of that See
which the Most High wished to be pre-eminent over all priests, and which
the devotion of the whole Church has honored ever since." (Pope St.
Gelasius I, 494 A.D.)
"As the Son of God came to do the Father's will,
so shall ye fulfill the will of your mother, which is the Church, the
head of which, as has been stated already, is the church of Rome.
Wherefore, whatsoever may be done against the discipline of this church,
without the decision of justice, cannot on any account be permitted to
be held valid." (Pope St. Callixtus, circa 220 A.D.)
"[T]he Roman Pontiff, who holds Primacy in the
entire world, is the Successor of Blessed Peter the Prince of the
Apostles and the true Vicar of Christ, the head of the whole Church, and
is the visible Father and Teacher of all Christians." (Council of
Florence)
"This chair [of Peter] is the center of Catholic
truth and unity, that is, the head, mother, and teacher of all the
Churches to which all honor and obedience must be offered. Every church
must agree with it because of its greater pre-eminence - that is, those
people who are in all respects faithful." (Pope Pius IX,
"Inter Multiplices", 1853 A.D.)
"If any one shall despise the dogmatic decisions,
injunctions, interdicts, sanctions or decrees which have been wisely
published by the one who presides over the Apostolic See on behalf of
the Catholic faith, ecclesiastical discipline, the correction of the
faithful, the punishment of the wicked, or the forbidding of present or
future evils, let him be anathema." (Pope St. Nicholas I)
"From the whole world only one, Peter, is chosen
to preside over the calling of all nations, and over all the other
Apostles, and over the Fathers of the Church. Thus, although among the
people of God there are many priests and many pastors, it is really
Peter who rules them all, of whom, too, it is Christ who is their chief
ruler." (Pope St. Leo I the Great, Doctor of the Church, circa 455 A.D.)
"Can. 218 § 1 The Roman Pontiff, the Successor
in primacy to Blessed Peter, has not only a primacy of honor, but
supreme and full power of jurisdiction over the universal Church both in
those things that pertain to faith and morals, and in those things that
affect the discipline and government of the Church spread throughout the
whole world. § 2. This power is truly episcopal, ordinary, and
immediate, both over each and every church and over each and every
pastor and faithful independent from any human authority." (1917
Code of Canon Law)
"Can. 331 The bishop of the Roman Church, in whom
continues the office given by the Lord uniquely to Peter, the first of
the Apostles, and to be transmitted to his successors, is the head of
the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ, and the pastor of the
universal Church on earth. By virtue of his office he possesses supreme,
full, immediate, and universal ordinary power in the Church, which he is
always able to exercise freely." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"He
founded a single chair, and He established by His own authority a source
and an intrinsic reason for that unity. Indeed, the others were that
also which Peter was; but a primacy is given to Peter, whereby it is
made clear that there is but one Church and one chair...If someone does
not hold fast to this unity of Peter, can he imagine that he still holds
the faith? If he desert the chair of Peter upon whom the Church was
built, can he still be confident that he is in the Church?" (St.
Cyprian of Carthage, circa 251 A.D.)
"Let that false assembly, which without the
Apostolic See...was held contrary to the traditions of the venerable
fathers against the divine images, be declared anathema in the presence
of our delegates, and let the word of our Lord Jesus Christ be
fulfilled, that 'the gates of hell shall not prevail against her' (Matt.
16:18); and again: 'Thou art Peter...' (Matt. 16:18-19), whose throne
holding the first place in all the world shines forth and holds its
place as the head of the whole Church of God." (Pope Hadrian I, 785
A.D.)
"When [St.] Augustine, accordingly, had learned
of the Roman Pontiffs condemnation of Pelagius and Caelestius, he
uttered the following memorable words in a sermon to the people: 'The
views of two councils touching this controversy have been transmitted to
the Apostolic See, and the answer has been sent back. The case has been
settled. God grant that the error be ended likewise.' These words of
his, condensed a trifle, have passed into a proverb: 'Rome has spoken,
the cause is finished.'" (Pope Pius XI, "Ad Salutem",
1930 A.D.)
"We likewise define that the holy Apostolic See,
and the Roman Pontiff, hold the primacy throughout the entire world; and
that the Roman Pontiff himself is the successor of blessed Peter, the
chief of the Apostles, and the true vicar of Christ, and that he is the
head of the entire Church, and the father and teacher of all Christians;
and that full power was given to him in blessed Peter by our Lord Jesus
Christ, to feed, rule, and govern the universal Church; just as is
contained in the acts of the ecumenical Councils and in the sacred
canons." (Council of Florence, 1439 A.D.)
"Ignatius, also called Theophorus, to the Church
that has found mercy in the greatness of the Most High Father and in
Jesus Christ, His only Son; to the Church beloved and enlightened after
the love of Jesus Christ, our God, by the will of Him that has willed
everything which is; to the Church also which holds the presidency in
the place of the country of the Romans, worthy of God, worthy of honor,
worthy of blessing, worthy of praise, worthy of success, worthy of
sanctification, and because you hold the presidency of love, named after
Christ and named after the Father" (St. Ignatius of Antioch, circa
110 A.D.)
"The holy general synod of Basel, legitimately
assembled in the Holy Spirit, representing the universal church, for an
everlasting record. Since a good shepherd is the salvation of his flock,
it is the duty of this sacred synod to strive, with all the diligence
that human law can contrive, that the Roman pontiff, who is first in the
Lord's flock and the supreme shepherd, should be and continue to be such
as to provide for the salvation of all souls and the benefit of the
whole Christian world and to fulfill worthily so great an office."
(Council of Basel)
"Can. 1417 §1 Because of the primacy of the
Roman Pontiff, any of the faithful may either refer their case to, or
introduce it before, the Holy See, whether the case be contentious or
penal. They may do so at any grade of trial or at any stage of the suit.
§2 Apart from the case of an appeal, a referral to the Apostolic See
does not suspend the exercise of jurisdiction of a judge who has already
begun to hear a case. The judge can, therefore, continue with the trial
up to the definitive judgement, unless the Apostolic See has indicated
to him that it has reserved the case to itself." (1983 Code of
Canon Law)
"Who art
thou? Thou art the High Priest and the
Sovereign Pontiff. Thou art the prince of pastors and the heir of the
apostles...by thy jurisdiction, a Peter; and by thy unction, a Christ.
Thou art he to whom the keys have been delivered and the sheep
entrusted. There are indeed other gate-keepers of heaven, and there are
other shepherds of the flock [e.g. bishops]; but thou art in both
respects more glorious than they in proportion as thou hast inherited a
more excellent name. They have assigned to them particular portions of
the flock, his own to each; whereas thou art given charge of all the
sheep, as the one Chief Shepherd of the whole flock. Yea, not only of
the sheep, but of the other pastors also art thou the sole supreme
Shepherd." (St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Doctor of the Church)
"Can. 333 §1 By virtue of his office, the Roman
Pontiff not only has power over the universal Church, but also has
pre-eminent ordinary power over all particular Churches and their
groupings. This reinforces and defends the proper, ordinary and
immediate power which the Bishops have in the particular Churches
entrusted to their care. §2 The Roman Pontiff, in fulfilling his office
as supreme Pastor of the Church, is always joined in full communion with
the other Bishops, and indeed with the whole Church. He has the right,
however, to determine, according to the needs of the Church, whether
this office is to be exercised in a personal or in a collegial manner.
§3 There is neither appeal nor recourse against a judgement or a decree
of the Roman Pontiff." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"[A]uthority
being the basis of every society, and its maintenance being of the
utmost importance to the preservation of order and justice, it
should be respected and upheld first and foremost in the Roman
Pontiff, for he is the highest representative of authority on
earth, his temporal power is by far the oldest in existence, and
his kingly characters is enhanced by the union of supreme
spiritual powers. He, therefore, who attacks or overthrows the
temporal sovereignty of the Pope is an enemy to every Government;
for there is no other that can bear comparison with this in merit
and rightful possession; and if it be not spared, no other is
safe." (Gueranger)
"The Pope has the plenitude of pontifical power,
being like a king in his kingdom: whereas the bishops are appointed to a
share in his solicitude, like judges over each city. Hence them alone
the Pope, in his letters, addresses as brethren, whereas he calls all
others his sons. Therefore the plenitude of the power of granting
indulgences resides in the Pope, because he can grant them, as he lists,
provided the cause be a lawful one: while, in bishops, this power
resides subject to the Pope's ordination, so that they can grant them
within fixed limits and not beyond." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of
the Church and 'greatest theologian in the history of the Church')
"But this power of binding and loosing, though it
seems given by the Lord to Peter alone, is indeed given also to the
other Apostles, and is even now in the Bishops and Presbyters in every
Church. But Peter received in a special manner the keys of the kingdom
of heaven, and a supremacy of judicial power, that all the faithful
throughout the world might understand that all who in any manner
separate themselves from the unity of the faith, or from communion with
him, such should neither be able to be loosed from the bonds of sin, nor
to enter the gate of the heavenly kingdom." (Bl. Rabanus Maurus)
"Although the power of binding and loosing was
given to all the apostles in common, nevertheless in order to indicate
some order in this power, it was given first of all to Peter alone, to
show that this power must come down from him to the others. For this
reason He said to him in the singular: 'Confirm thy brethren' (Luke
22:32), and: 'Feed My sheep' (John 21:17), i.e. according to Chrysostom:
'Be thou the president and head of thy brethren in My stead, that they,
putting thee in My place, may preach and confirm thee throughout the
world whilst thou sittest on thy throne.'" (St. Thomas Aquinas,
Doctor of the Church and 'greatest theologian in the history of the
Church')
"All who defend the faith should aim to implant
deeply in your faithful people the virtues of piety, veneration, and
respect for this supreme See of Peter. Let the faithful recall the fact
that Peter, Prince of Apostles is alive here and rules in his
successors, and that his office does not fail even in an unworthy heir.
Let them recall that Christ the Lord placed the impregnable foundation
of his Church on this See of Peter and gave to Peter himself the keys of
the kingdom of Heaven. Christ then prayed that his faith would not fail,
and commanded Peter to strengthen his brothers in the faith. Consequently
the successor of Peter, the Roman Pontiff, holds a primacy over the
whole world and is the true Vicar of Christ, head of the whole Church
and father and teacher of all Christians." (Pope Pius IX, "Nostis
et Nobiscum ", 1849)
"Furthermore if you have not heard us, it remains
for you to be with us of necessity, such as our Lord Jesus Christ has
commanded those to be considered, who disdained to hear the Church of
God, especially since the privileges of the Roman Church, built on
Blessed Peter by the word of Christ, deposited in the Church herself,
observed in ancient times and celebrated by the sacred universal Synods,
and venerated jointly by the entire Church, can by no means be
diminished, by no means infringed upon, by no means changed; for the
foundation which God has established, no human effort has the power to
destroy and what God has determined, remains firm and strong... Thus
the privileges granted to this holy Church by Christ, not given by the
Synod, but now only celebrated and venerated." (Pope St. Nicholas
I, 865 A.D.)
"A twofold power is required in order to absolve
from sins, namely, power of order and power of jurisdiction. The former
power is equally in all priests, but not the latter. And therefore, when
our Lord (John 20:23) gave all the apostles in general, the power of
forgiving sins, this is to be understood of the power which results from
receiving orders, wherefore these words are addressed to priests when
they are ordained. But to Peter in particular He gave the power of
forgiving sins (Matthew 16:19), that we may understand that he has the
power of jurisdiction before the others. But the power of orders,
considered in itself, extends to all who can be absolved: wherefore our
Lord said indeterminately, 'Whose sins you shall forgive, they are
forgiven them,' on the understanding that this power should be used in
dependence on the power given to Peter, according to His
appointment." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
'greatest theologian in the history of the Church')
"Well known are the terms of [the First] Vatican
Council's solemn definition: 'Relying on the open testimony of the
Scriptures and abiding by the wise and clear decrees both of our
predecessors, the Roman Pontiffs, and the general Councils, We renew the
definition of the Ecumenical Council of Florence, by virtue of which all
the faithful must believe that 'the Holy Apostolic See and the Roman
Pontiff hold primacy over the whole world, and the Roman Pontiff himself
is the Successor of the blessed Peter and continues to be the true Vicar
of Christ and head of the whole Church, the father and teacher of all
Christians, and to him is the blessed Peter our Lord Jesus Christ
committed the full power of caring for, ruling and governing the
Universal Church....'" (Pope Pius XII, "Ad Apostolorum
Principis", 1958 A.D.)
"Above all these [priests, bishops, archbishops,
patriarchs] the Catholic Church has always placed the Supreme Pontiff of
Rome, whom Cyril of Alexandria, in the Council of Ephesus, named the
Chief Bishop, Father and Patriarch of the whole world. He sits in that
chair of Peter in which beyond every shadow of doubt the Prince of the
Apostles sat to the end of his days, and hence it is that in him the
Church recognizes the highest degree of dignity, and a universality of
jurisdiction derived, not from the decrees of men or Councils, but from
God Himself. Wherefore he is the Father and guide of all the faithful,
of all the bishops, and of all the prelates, no matter how high their
power and office; and as successor of St. Peter, as true and lawful
Vicar of Christ our Lord, he governs the universal Church."
(Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"Although the tradition of the Fathers has
attributed such great authority to the Apostolic See that no one would
dare to disagree wholly with its judgment, and it has always preserved
this judgment by canons and rules, and current ecclesiastical discipline
up to this time by its laws pays the reverence which is due to the name
of Peter, from whom it has itself descended...; since therefore Peter
the head is of such great authority and he has confirmed the subsequent
endeavors of all our ancestors, so that the Roman Church is fortified...by human as well as by divine laws, and it does not escape you that
we rule its place and also hold power of the name itself, nevertheless
you know, dearest brethren, and as priests you ought to know, although
we have such great authority that no one can dare to retract from our
decision, yet we have done nothing which we have not voluntarily
referred to your notice by letters...not because we did not know what
ought to be done, or would do anything which by going against the
advantage of the Church, would be displeasing." (Council of
Carthage, 418 A.D.)
"Using the words of St. Leo the Great; 'Among the
holy apostles there was a similarity of honor but a distinction of
power: while the election of all was equal, it was given only to one to
have preeminence among the others ... because the Lord wanted the
sacrament of evangelical duty to belong to the office of the apostles;
thus He placed it principally in St. Peter, the head of all the
apostles.' He granted this to Peter alone out of all the apostles when
He promised him the keys of the kingdom of heaven and entrusted to him
the obligation of feeding the Lord's sheep and lambs and the duty of
strengthening his brothers. He wanted this to extend to Peter's
successors whom He placed over the Church with equal right. This has
always been the firm and united opinion of all Catholics. It is Church
dogma that the pope, the successor of St. Peter, possesses not only
primacy of honor but also primacy of authority and jurisdiction over the
whole Church. Accordingly the bishops are subject to him." (Pope
Gregory XVI, "Commissum Divinitus", 1835 A.D.)
"Also this same holy Roman Church holds the
highest and complete primacy and spiritual power over the universal
Catholic Church which she truly and humbly recognizes herself to have
received with fullness of power from the Lord Himself in Blessed Peter,
the chief or head of the Apostles whose successor is the Roman Pontiff.
And just as to defend the truth of Faith she is held before all other
things, so if any questions shall arise regarding faith they ought to be
defined by her judgment. And to her anyone burdened with affairs
pertaining to the ecclesiastical world can appeal; and in all cases
looking forward to an ecclesiastical examination, recourse can be had to
her judgment, and all churches are subject to her; their prelates give
obedience and reverence to her. In her, moreover, such a plentitude of
power rests that she receives the other churches to a share of her
solicitude, of which many patriarchal churches the same Roman Church has
honored in a special way by different privileges - its own prerogative
always being observed and preserved both in general Councils and in
other places." (Council of Lyons II, 1274 A.D.)
"In seeking the things of God...preserving the
examples of ancient tradition...you have strengthened the vigor of your
religion...with true reason, for you have confirmed that reference must
be made to our judgment, realizing what is due the Apostolic See, since
all of us placed in this position desire to follow the Apostle, from
whom the episcopate itself and all the authority of this name have
emerged. Following him we know how to condemn evils just as (well as
how) to approve praiseworthy things. Take this as an example, guarding
with your sacerdotal office the practices of the fathers you resolve
that (they) must not be trampled upon, because they made their decisions
not by human, but by divine judgment, so that they thought that nothing
whatever, although it concerned separated and remote provinces, should
be concluded, unless it first came to the attention of this See, so that
what was a just proclamation might be confirmed by the total authority
of this See, and from this source (just as all waters proceed from their
natal fountain and through diverse regions of the whole world remain
pure liquids of an uncorrupted source), the other churches might assume
what [they ought] to teach, whom they ought to wash, those whom the
water worthy of clean bodies would shun as though defiled with filth
incapable of being cleansed." (Pope St. Innocent I, 417 A.D.)
"It has ever been unquestionably the office of
the Roman Pontiffs to ratify or to reject the decrees of Councils. Leo
the great rescinded the acts of the Conciliabulum of Ephesus. Damasus
rejected those of Rimini, and Hadrian I those of Constantinople. The
28th Canon of the Council of Chalcedon, by the very fact that it lacks
the assent and approval of the Apostolic See, is admitted by all to be
worthless. Rightly, therefore, has Leo X laid down in the 5th council
of Lateran 'that the Roman Pontiff alone, as having authority over all
Councils, has full jurisdiction and power to summon, to transfer, to
dissolve Councils, as is clear, not only from the testimony of Holy
Writ, from the teaching of the Fathers and of the Roman Pontiffs, and
from the decrees of the sacred canons, but from the teaching of the very
Councils themselves.' Indeed, Holy Writ attests that the keys of the
Kingdom of Heaven were given to Peter alone, and that the power of
binding and loosening was granted to the Apostles and to Peter; but
there is nothing to show that the Apostles received supreme power
without Peter, and against Peter. Such power they certainly did not
receive from Jesus Christ." (Pope Leo XIII, "Satis Cognitum",
1896 A.D.)
"The watchful care over the universal Church
confided to Peter abides with him by reason of the Lord's statement; for
he knows on the testimony of the Gospel [Matt. 16:18] that the Church
was founded on him. His office can never be free from cares, since it is
certain that all things depend on his deliberation. These considerations
turn my mind to the regions of the Orient, which we behold in a way with
genuine solicitude. Far be it from the priests of the Lord, that anyone
of them fall into the offense of making the decrees of our elders
foreign to him, by attempting something in the way of a novel and
unlawful usurpation, realizing that he thus makes him a rival, in whom
our Christ has placed the highest power of the priesthood, and whoever
rises to reproach him cannot be an inhabitant of the heavenly regions.
'To you,' He said, 'I shall give the keys of the kingdom of heaven'
[Matt. 16:19] into which no one shall enter without the favor of the
door-keeper. He said: 'Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I shall build
my church' [Matt. 11:29]. Whoever, therefore, desires before God to be
judged worthy of the dignity of the priesthood, since one reaches God
with the support of Peter, on whom, as we have said above, it is certain
that the Church was founded, should be 'meek and humble of
heart' [Matt. 11:29], lest as a contumacious disciple of him, whose pride
he has imitated, he undergo the punishment of the teachers" (Pope St. Boniface I, 422 A.D.)
"God indeed even made the Church a society far
more perfect than any other. For the end for which the Church exists is
as much higher than the end of other societies as divine grace is above
nature, as immortal blessings are above the transitory things on the
earth. Therefore the Church is a society divine in its origin,
supernatural in its end and in means proximately adapted to the
attainment of that end; but it is a human community inasmuch as it is
composed of men. For this reason we find it called in Holy Writ by names
indicating a perfect society. It is spoken of as the House of God, the
city placed upon the mountain to which all nations must come. But it is
also the fold presided over by one Shepherd, and into which all Christ's
sheep must betake themselves. Yea, it is called the kingdom which God
has raised up and which will stand forever. Finally it is the body of
Christ - that is, of course, His mystical body, but a body living and
duly organized and composed of many members; members indeed which have
not all the same functions, but which, united one to the other, are kept
bound together by the guidance and authority of the head. Indeed no true
and perfect human society can be conceived which is not governed by some
supreme authority. Christ therefore must have given to His Church a
supreme authority to which all Christians must render obedience. For
this reason, as the unity of the faith is of necessity required for the
unity of the Church, inasmuch as it is the body of the faithful, so also
for this same unity, inasmuch as the Church is a divinely constituted
society, unity of government, which effects and involves unity of
communion, is necessary jure divino." (Pope Leo XIII, "Satis
Cognitum", 1896)
"That which our
Lord Jesus Christ, the prince of
shepherds and great shepherd of the sheep, established in the blessed
apostle Peter, for the continual salvation and permanent benefit of the
Church, must of necessity remain for ever, by Christ's authority, in the
Church which, founded as it is upon a rock, will stand firm until the
end of time. For no one can be in doubt, indeed it was known in every
age that the holy and most blessed Peter, prince and head of the
apostles, the pillar of faith and the foundation of the Catholic Church,
received the keys of the kingdom from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior and
Redeemer of the human race, and that to this day and for ever he
lives and presides and exercises judgment in his successors the bishops
of the holy Roman see, which he founded and consecrated with his blood.
Therefore whoever succeeds to the chair of Peter obtains by the
institution of Christ himself, the primacy of Peter over the whole Church. So what the truth has ordained stands firm, and blessed Peter
perseveres in the rock-like strength he was granted, and does not
abandon that guidance of the Church which he once received. For this
reason it has always been necessary for every church - that is to say
the faithful throughout the world - to be in agreement with the Roman
church because of its more effective leadership. In consequence of being
joined, as members to head, with that see, from which the rights of
sacred communion flow to all, they will grow together into the structure
of a single body. Therefore, if anyone says that it is not by the
institution of Christ the Lord himself (that is to say, by divine law)
that blessed Peter should have perpetual successors in the primacy over
the whole Church; or that the Roman pontiff is not the successor of
blessed Peter in this primacy: let him be anathema." (First Vatican
Council)
"It was necessary that a government of this kind,
since it belongs to the constitution and formation of the Church, as its
principal element - that is as the principle of unity and the foundation
of lasting stability - should in no wise come to an end with St. Peter,
but should pass to his successors from one to another. 'There remains,
therefore, the ordinance of truth, and St. Peter, persevering in the
strength of the rock which he had received, hath not abandoned the
government of the Church which had been confided to him' (S. Leo M.
sermo iii., cap. 3). For this reason the Pontiffs who succeed Peter in
the Roman Episcopate receive the supreme power in the Church, jure
divino. 'We define' (declare the Fathers of the Council of Florence)
'that the Holy and Apostolic See and the Roman Pontiff hold the primacy
of the Church throughout the whole world: and that the same Roman
Pontiff is the successor of St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, and
the true Vicar of Christ, the head of the whole Church, and the father
and teacher of all Christians; and that full power was given to him, in
Blessed Peter, by our Lord Jesus Christ to feed, to rule, and to govern
the universal Church, as is also contained in the acts of oecumenical
councils and in the sacred canons' (Conc. Florentinum). Similarly the
Fourth Council of Lateran declares: 'The Roman Church, as the mother and
mistress of all the faithful, by the will of Christ obtains primacy of
jurisdiction over all other churches.' These declarations were preceded
by the consent of antiquity which ever acknowledged, without the
slightest doubt or hesitation, the Bishops of Rome, and revered them as
the legitimate successors of St. Peter. Who is unaware of the many and
evident testimonies of the holy Fathers which exist to this
effect?" (Pope Leo XIII, "Satis Cognitum", 1896)
"Likewise it is decreed: After the announcement of all
these prophetic and evangelic as well as apostolic wrings which we have
listed above as Scriptures, on which, by the grace of God, the Catholic
Church is founded, we have considered that it ought to be announced that
although all the Catholic Churches spread abroad through the world
comprise but one bridal chamber of Christ, nevertheless, the holy Roman
Church has been placed at the forefront not by conciliar decisions of
other Churches, but has received the primacy by the evangelic voice of
our Lord and Savior, who says: 'You are Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it; and
I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you
shall have loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven.' In addition to
this, there is also the companionship of the vessel of election, the
most blessed Apostle Paul, who contented and was crowned with a glorious
death along with Peter in the City of Rome in the time of Caesar Nero -
not at a different time, as the heretics prattle, but at one and the
same time and on one and the same day: and they equally consecrated the
above-mentioned holy Roman Church to Christ the Lord; and by their own
presence and by their venerable triumph they set it at the forefront
over the others of all the cities of the whole world. The first see,
therefore, is that of Peter the Apostle, that of the Roman Church, which
has neither stain nor blemish nor anything like it. The second see,
however, is that at Alexandria, consecrated in behalf of blessed Peter
by Mark, his disciple and an evangelist, who was sent to Egypt by the
Apostle Peter, where he preached the word of truth and finished his
glorious martyrdom. The third honorable see, indeed, is that at Antioch,
which belonged to the most blessed Apostle Peter, where first he dwelt
before he came to Rome, and where the name Christians was first applied,
as to a new people." (Pope St. Damasus I, circa 382 A.D.)
"He invested [Peter], therefore, with the needful
authority; since the right to rule is absolutely required by him who has
to guard human society really and effectively... The Church is typified
not only as an edifice but as a Kingdom, and every one knows that the
keys constitute the usual sign of governing authority. Wherefore when
Christ promised to give to Peter the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, he
promised to give him power and authority over the Church. 'The Son
committed to Peter the office of spreading the knowledge of His Father
and Himself over the whole world. He who increased the Church in all the
earth, and proclaimed it to be stronger than the heavens, gave to a
mortal man all power in Heaven when He handed him the Keys' (S. Johannes
Chrysostomus, Hom. liv., in Matt. v., 2). In this same sense He says:
'Whatsoever thou shall bind upon earth it shall be bound also in Heaven,
and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth it shall be loosed also in
Heaven.' This metaphorical expression of binding and loosing indicates
the power of making laws, of judging and of punishing; and the power is
said to be of such amplitude and force that God will ratify whatever is
decreed by it. Thus it is supreme and absolutely independent, so that,
having no other power on earth as its superior, it embraces the whole
Church and all things committed to the Church. The promise is carried
out when Christ the Lord after His Resurrection, having thrice asked
Peter whether he loved Him more than the rest, lays on him the
injunction: 'Feed my lambs-feed my sheep.' That is He confides to him,
without exception, all those who were to belong to His fold. 'The Lord
does not hesitate." (Pope Leo XIII, "Satis Cognitum",
1896 A.D.)
"Surely jurisdiction and authority belong to him
in whose power have been placed the keys of the Kingdom taken
collectively. And as the Bishops, each in his own district, command with
real power not only individuals but the whole community, so the Roman
pontiffs, whose jurisdiction extends to the whole Christian
commonwealth, must have all its parts, even taken collectively, subject
and obedient to their authority. Christ the Lord, as we have quite
sufficiently shown, made Peter and his successors His vicars, to
exercise for ever in the Church the power which He exercised during His
mortal life. Can the Apostolic College be said to have been above its
master in authority? This power over the Episcopal College to which we
refer, and which is clearly set forth in Holy Writ, has ever been
acknowledged and attested by the Church, as is clear from the teaching
of General Councils. 'We read that the Roman Pontiff has pronounced
judgments on the prelates of all the churches; we do not read that
anybody has pronounced sentence on him' (Hadrianus ii., in Allocutione
iii., ad Synodum Romanum an. 869, Cf. Actionem vii., Conc.
Constantinopolitani iv). The reason for which is stated thus: 'there is
no authority greater than that of the Apostolic See' (Nicholaus in Epist.
lxxxvi. ad Michael. Imperat.) wherefore Gelasius on the decrees of
Councils says: 'That which the First See has not approved of cannot
stand; but what it has thought well to decree has been received by the
whole Church' (Epist. xxvi., ad Episcopos Dardaniae, n. 5)." (Pope
Leo XIII, "Satis Cognitum", 1896 A.D.)
"We teach and declare that, according to the
gospel evidence, a primacy of jurisdiction over the whole church of God
was immediately and directly promised to the blessed apostle Peter and
conferred on him by Christ the Lord. It was to Simon alone, to whom he
had already said You shall be called Cephas, that the Lord, after his
confession, You are the Christ, the son of the living God, spoke these
words: Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona. For flesh and blood has not
revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you,
you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of
the underworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of
the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. And
it was to Peter alone that Jesus, after his resurrection, confided the
jurisdiction of supreme pastor and ruler of his whole fold, saying: Feed
my lambs, feed my sheep. To this absolutely manifest teaching of the
sacred scriptures, as it has always been understood by the Catholic
Church, are clearly opposed the distorted opinions of those who
misrepresent the form of government which Christ the Lord established in
his Church and deny that Peter, in preference to the rest of the
apostles, taken singly or collectively, was endowed by Christ with a
true and proper primacy of jurisdiction. The same may be said of those
who assert that this primacy was not conferred immediately and directly
on blessed Peter himself, but rather on the Church, and that it was
through the Church that it was transmitted to him in his capacity as her
minister. Therefore, if anyone says that blessed Peter the apostle was
not appointed by Christ the Lord as prince of all the apostles and
visible head of the whole Church militant; or that it was a primacy of honor
only and not one of true and proper jurisdiction that he directly
and immediately received from our Lord Jesus Christ himself: let him be
anathema." (First Vatican Council) "But if the authority of Peter and his successors
is plenary and supreme, it is not to be regarded as the sole authority.
For He who made Peter the foundation of the Church also 'chose, twelve,
whom He called apostles' (Luke vi., 13); and just as it is necessary
that the authority of Peter should be perpetuated in the Roman Pontiff,
so, by the fact that the bishops succeed the Apostles, they inherit
their ordinary power, and thus the episcopal order necessarily belongs
to the essential constitution of the Church. Although they do not
receive plenary, or universal, or supreme authority, they are not to be
looked as vicars of the Roman Pontiffs; because they exercise a power
really their own, and are most truly called the ordinary pastors of the
peoples over whom they rule. But since the successor of Peter is one,
and those of the Apostles are many, it is necessary to examine into the
relations which exist between him and them according to the divine
constitution of the Church. Above all things the need of union between
the bishops and the successors of Peter is clear and undeniable. This
bond once broken, Christians would be separated and scattered, and would
in no wise form one body and one flock. 'The safety of the Church
depends on the dignity of the chief priest, to whom if an extraordinary
and supreme power is not given, there are as many schisms to be expected
in the Church as there are priests' (S. Hieronymus, Dialog, contra
Luciferianos, n. 9). It is necessary, therefore, to bear this in mind,
viz., that nothing was conferred on the apostles apart from Peter, but
that several things were conferred upon Peter apart from the Apostles.
St. John Chrysostom in explaining the words of Christ asks: 'Why,
passing over the others, does He speak to Peter about these things?' And
he replies unhesitatingly and at once, 'Because he was pre-eminent among
the Apostles, the mouthpiece of the Disciples, and the head of the
college' (Hom. lxxxviii. in Joan., n. I). He alone was designated as the
foundation of the Church. To him He gave the power of binding and
loosing; to him alone was given the power of feeding. On the other hand,
whatever authority and office the Apostles received, they received in
conjunction with Peter. 'If the divine benignity willed anything to be
in common between him and the other princes, whatever He did not deny to
the others He gave only through him. So that whereas Peter alone
received many things, He conferred nothing on any of the rest without
Peter participating in it' (S. Leo M. sermo iv., cap. 2)." (Pope
Leo XIII, "Satis Cognitum", 1896 A.D.) "Since the circumstances demand, examine if you
please, the decrees of the canons; you will find, what church ranks
second after the church at Rome, or what is third. In these (decrees)
there appears a distinct order, so that the pontiffs of the other
churches recognize that they nevertheless are under one church...and
share the same priesthood, and to whom they, preserving charity, should
be subject because of ecclesiastical discipline. Indeed this teaching of
the canons has persisted from antiquity, and continues even at the
present time, through the grace of Christ. No one has ever boldly raised
his hands in opposition to the apostolic supremacy, from whose judgment
there may be no withdrawal; no one in this has been rebellious, except
him who wished judgment to be passed on himself. The above mentioned
great churches preserve...their authority through the canons: the
churches of Alexandria and of Antioch, having the knowledge of
ecclesiastical law. They preserve, I say, the statutes of our elders... in all things rendering and receiving an interchange of that grace
which they know that they owe to us in the Lord who is our peace. But
since the situation demands it, it must be shown by documents that the
greatest churches of the Orient in important affairs, in which there was
need of greater inquiry, have always consulted the See of Rome, and, as
often as experience demanded, asked for its help. Athanasius of holy
memory and Peter, priests of the church of Alexandria, sought the aid of
this See. When the Church of Antioch was afflicted during a very long
period, with the result that conferences because of this were often
held, it is clear that the Apostolic See was consulted, first under
Meletius and later under Flavianus. According to its authority, after
the many things which were accomplished by our church, no one doubts
that Flavianus received the grace of communion, which he would have
lacked forever if his writing had not gone forth hence upon this basis.
The emperor Theodosius of most kindly memory, thinking that the
ordination of Nectarius did not possess stability, since it did not take
place in our way, sending from his presence members of his court
together with bishops, demanded that it be performed in this case by the
Roman See, and that they direct it in the regular way, so as to
strengthen the priesthood. A short time ago, that is under my
predecessor of happy memory, Innocent, the Pontiffs of the Oriental
churches, grieving that they were separated from the communion of
blessed Peter, through envoys asked for peace, as your charity
remembers. And at this time the Apostolic See without difficulty granted
all, obeying the Master who says: 'And to whom you have pardoned any
thing, I also. For what I have pardoned, if I have pardoned anything,
for your sakes have I done it in the person of Christ. That we be not
overreached by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his devices [2 Cor.
2:10 f.], that is, who always rejoices at dissension. Since then, most
beloved Brethren, I think that the examples which we have given suffice
to prove the truth, although more are retained in your own minds,
without harm to our brotherhood we wish to meet your assembly, as you
see by this letter which has been directed by Us through Severus, a
notary of the Apostolic See, most acceptable to Our heart, chosen from
Our circle. Thus in agreement, as befits brothers, let not anyone
wishing to endure in our communion bring up again for discussion the
name of our brother and fellow priest, Bishop Perigenas, whose
sacerdotal office the Apostle Peter has already confirmed at the
suggestion of the Holy Spirit, leaving no question about this for the
future, and let there be no objection to this, since he was appointed by
Us during the space of that time in which the office was vacant..."
(Pope St. Boniface I, 422 A.D.) "But the Episcopal order is rightly judged to be
in communion with Peter, as Christ commanded, if it be subject to and
obeys Peter; otherwise it necessarily becomes a lawless and disorderly
crowd. It is not sufficient for the due preservation of the unity of the
faith that the head should merely have been charged with the office of
superintendent, or should have been invested solely with a power of
direction. But it is absolutely necessary that he should have received
real and sovereign authority which the whole community is bound to obey.
What had the Son of God in view when he promised the keys of the Kingdom
of Heaven to Peter alone? Biblical usage and the unanimous teaching of
the Fathers clearly show that supreme authority is designated in the
passage by the word keys. Nor is it lawful to interpret in a different
sense what was given to Peter alone, and what was given to the other
Apostles conjointly with him. If the power of binding, loosening, and
feeding confers upon each and every one of the Bishops the successors of
the Apostles a real authority to rule the people committed to him,
certainly the same power must have the same effect in his case to whom
the duty of feeding the lambs and sheep has been assigned by God.
'Christ constituted [Peter] not only pastor, but pastor of pastors;
Peter therefore feeds the lambs and feeds the sheep, feeds the children
and feeds the mothers, governs the subjects and rules the prelates,
because the lambs and the sheep form the whole of the Church' (S.
Brunonis Episcopi Signiensis Comment. in Joan., part iii., cap. 21, n.
55). Hence those remarkable expressions of the ancients concerning St.
Peter, which most clearly set forth the fact that he was placed in the
highest degree of dignity and authority. They frequently call him 'the
Prince of the College of the Disciples; the Prince of the holy Apostles;
the leader of that choir; the mouthpiece of all the Apostles; the head
of that family; the ruler of the whole world; the first of the Apostles;
the safeguard of the Church.' In this sense St. Bernard writes as
follows to Pope Eugenius: 'Who art thou? The great priest - the high
priest. Thou art the Prince of Bishops and the heir of the
Apostles...Thou art he to whom the keys were given. There are, it is
true, other gatekeepers of heaven and pastors of flocks, but thou are so
much the more glorious as thou hast inherited a different and more
glorious name than all the rest. They have flocks consigned to them, one
to each; to thee all the flocks are confided as one flock to one
shepherd, and not alone the sheep, but the shepherds. You ask how I
prove this? From the words of the Lord. To which - I do not say - of the
Bishops, but even of the Apostles have all the sheep been so absolutely
and unreservedly committed? If thou lovest me, Peter, feed my sheep.
Which sheep? Of this or that country, or kingdom? My sheep, He says: to
whom therefore is it not evident that he does not designate some, but
all? We can make no exception where no distinction is made' (De
Consideratione, lib. ii., cap. 8)." (Pope Leo XIII, "Satis
Cognitum", 1896) "Now, if we look at what was done, Jesus Christ
did not arrange and organize such a Church as would embrace several
communities similar in kind, but distinct, and not bound together by
those bonds that make the Church indivisible and unique after that
manner clearly in which we profess in the symbol of faith, 'I believe in
one Church.' ... Now, Jesus Christ when He was speaking of such a
mystical edifice, spoke only of one Church which He called His own: 'I
will build my Church' [Matt. 16:18]. Whatever other church is under
consideration than this one, since it was not founded by Jesus Christ,
cannot be the true Church of Christ... And so the Church is bound to
spread among all men the salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ, and all
the blessings that proceed therefrom, and to propagate them through the
ages. Therefore, according to the will of its Author the Church must be
alone in all lands in the perpetuity of time... The Church of Christ,
therefore, is one and perpetual; whoever go apart (from it) wander away
from the will and prescription of Christ the Lord and, leaving the way
of salvation, digress to destruction. But He who founded the only
Church, likewise founded it as one; namely, in such a way that whoever
are to be in it, would be held bound together by the closest bonds, so
much so that they form one people, one kingdom, one body: 'One body and
one spirit, as you are called in one hope of your calling' [Eph. 4:4.... Agreement and union of minds are the necessary foundation of so
great and so absolute a concord among men, from which a concurrence of
wills and a similarity of action naturally arise... Therefore, to unite
the minds of men, and to effect and preserve the union of their minds,
granted the existence of Holy Writ, there was great need of a certain
other principle... Therefore, Jesus Christ instituted in the Church a
living, authentic, and likewise permanent magisterium, which He
strengthened by His own power, taught by the Spirit of Truth, and
confirmed by miracles. The precepts of its doctrines He willed and most
seriously commanded to be accepted equally with His own... This, then,
is without any doubt the office of the Church, to watch over Christian
doctrine and to propagate it soundly and without corruption... But,
just as heavenly doctrine was never left to the judgment and mind of
individuals, but in the beginning was handed down by Jesus, then
committed separately to that magisterium which has been mentioned, so,
also, was the faculty of performing and administering the divine
mysteries, together with the power of ruling and governing divinely,
granted not to individuals [generally] of the Christian people but to
certain of the elect... Therefore, Jesus Christ called upon all
mortals, as many as were, and as many as were to be, to follow Him as
their leader, and likewise their Savior, not only separately one by one,
but also associated and united alike in fact and in mind; one in faith,
end, and the means proper to that end, and subject to one and the same
power... Therefore, the Church is a society divine in origin,
supernatural in its end, and in the means which bring us closest to that
end; but inasmuch as it unites with men, it is a human community. When
the divine Founder decreed that the Church be one in faith, and in
government, and in communion, He chose Peter and his successors in whom
should be the principle and as it were the center of unity... But,
order of bishops, as Christ commanded, is to be regarded as joined with
Peter, if it be subject to Peter and obey him; otherwise it necessarily
descends into a confused and disorderly crowd. For the proper
preservation of faith and the unity of mutual participation, it is not
enough to hold higher offices for the sake of honor, nor to have general
supervision, but there is absolute need of true authority and a supreme
authority which the entire community should obey" (Pope Leo XIII, "Satis cognitum",
June 29, 1899) "And since truly, as Augustine teaches, God has
placed the doctrine of truth in the chair of unity, that unfortunate
writer on the contrary leaves nothing undone with which to harass and
attack in every way this See of Peter, in which See the Fathers have
taught with unanimous agreement that that chair was established, in
which alone unity might be preserved by all; from which the rights of
the venerable communion emanate to all the others; and to which it is
necessary that every church and all the faithful everywhere come. He has
not hesitated to call fanatic the crowd which he saw breaking forth into
these words at the sight of the Pontiff: 'He is the man who has received
from God the keys of the kingdom of heaven with the power of binding and
loosing, to whom no other bishop can be made equal, from whom these very
bishops receive their authority as he himself received his supreme power
from God; moreover, he is the vicar of Christ, the visible head of the
Church, the supreme judge of the faithful.' Could, therefore (a thing
horrible to say), that voice of Christ have been fanatical, which
promised [Matt. 16:19] Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven with the
power of binding and loosing; which keys Optatus Milevitanus, following
Tertullian, did not hesitate to confess that Peter alone received to be
communicated to the others? Or, are so many solemn decrees of the Popes
and Councils repeated so many times to be called fanatic, by which those
have been condemned who denied that in blessed Peter, the prince of the
Apostles, his successor, the Roman Pontiff, was established by God as
the visible head of the Church and the vicar of Jesus Christ, that to
him has been transmitted full power of ruling the Church, and that true
obedience is due him from all who are considered Christians; and that
such is the power of the primacy, which he holds by divine right, that
he is superior to other bishops not only by his rank of honor but by the
plenitude of his supreme power? All the more must be deplored that blind
and rash temerity of the man who was eager to renew in his unfortunate
book errors which have been condemned by so many decrees, who has said
and insinuated indiscriminately by many ambiguities, that every bishop,
no less than the pope, was called by God to govern the Church, and was
endowed with no less power; that Christ gave the same power Himself to
all the apostles; and that whatever some people believe is obtained and
granted only by the pope, that very thing, whether it depends on
consecration or ecclesiastical jurisdiction, can be obtained just as
well from any bishop; that Christ wished His Church to be governed in
the manner of a republic; and that, indeed, for that government there is
need of a head for the good of unity, but one who does not dare to
interfere in the affairs of others (bishops) who rule at the same time;
nevertheless, he has the privilege of exhorting those who are negligent
to the fulfillment of their duties; that the power of the primacy is
contained in this one prerogative, of making up for the negligence of
others, of looking after the preservation of unity by encouragement and
example; that the popes have no power in another diocese except in an
extraordinary case; that the pope is the head because he holds his power
and strength from the Church; that the Pontiffs have made it lawful for
themselves to violate the rights of bishops, to reserve to themselves
absolutions, dispensations, decisions, appeals, bestowal of benefices,
in a word all other duties which he enumerates one by one and derides as
unjust reservations and injurious to bishops." (Pope Pius VI, 1786
A.D.) "That apostolic primacy which the Roman pontiff
possesses as successor of Peter, the prince of the apostles, includes
also the supreme power of teaching. This holy see has always maintained
this, the constant custom of the Church demonstrates it, and the
ecumenical councils, particularly those in which East and West met in
the union of faith and charity, have declared it. So the fathers of the
fourth council of Constantinople, following the footsteps of their
predecessors, published this solemn profession of faith: The first
condition of salvation is to maintain the rule of the true faith. And
since that saying of our Lord Jesus Christ, You are Peter, and upon this
rock I will build my Church, cannot fail of its effect, the words spoken
are confirmed by their consequences. For in the apostolic see the
Catholic religion has always been preserved unblemished, and sacred
doctrine been held in honor. Since it is our earnest desire to be in no
way separated from this faith and doctrine, we hope that we may deserve
to remain in that one communion which the apostolic see preaches, for in
it is the whole and true strength of the Christian religion. What is
more, with the approval of the second council of Lyons, the Greeks made
the following profession: 'The holy Roman church possesses the supreme
and full primacy and principality over the whole Catholic Church. She
truly and humbly acknowledges that she received this from the Lord
himself in blessed Peter, the prince and chief of the apostles, whose
successor the Roman pontiff is, together with the fullness of power. And
since before all others she has the duty of defending the truth of the
faith, so if any questions arise concerning the faith, it is by her
judgment that they must be settled.' Then there is the definition of the
council of Florence: 'The Roman pontiff is the true vicar of Christ, the
head of the whole Church and the father and teacher of all Christians;
and to him was committed in blessed Peter, by our Lord Jesus Christ, the
full power of tending, ruling and governing the whole Church.' To
satisfy this pastoral office, our predecessors strove unwearyingly that
the saving teaching of Christ should be spread among all the peoples of
the world; and with equal care they made sure that it should be kept
pure and uncontaminated wherever it was received. It was for this reason
that the bishops of the whole world, sometimes individually, sometimes
gathered in synods, according to the long established custom of the
churches and the pattern of ancient usage referred to this apostolic see
those dangers especially which arose in matters concerning the faith.
This was to ensure that any damage suffered by the faith should be
repaired in that place above all where the faith can know no failing.
The Roman pontiffs, too, as the circumstances of the time or the state
of affairs suggested, sometimes by summoning ecumenical councils or
consulting the opinion of the churches scattered throughout the world,
sometimes by special synods, sometimes by taking advantage of other
useful means afforded by divine providence, defined as doctrines to be
held those things which, by God's help, they knew to be in keeping with
sacred scripture and the apostolic traditions. For the Holy Spirit was
promised to the successors of Peter not so that they might, by his
revelation, make known some new doctrine, but that, by his assistance,
they might religiously guard and faithfully expound the revelation or
deposit of faith transmitted by the apostles. Indeed, their apostolic
teaching was embraced by all the venerable fathers and reverenced and
followed by all the holy orthodox doctors, for they knew very well that
this see of St Peter always remains unblemished by any error, in
accordance with the divine promise of our Lord and Savior to the prince
of his disciples: I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail;
and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren. This gift of
truth and never-failing faith was therefore divinely conferred on Peter
and his successors in this see so that they might discharge their
exalted office for the salvation of all, and so that the whole flock of
Christ might be kept away by them from the poisonous food of error and
be nourished with the sustenance of heavenly doctrine. Thus the tendency
to schism is removed and the whole Church is preserved in unity, and,
resting on its foundation, can stand firm against the gates of hell. But
since in this very age when the salutary effectiveness of the apostolic
office is most especially needed, not a few are to be found who
disparage its authority, we judge it absolutely necessary to affirm
solemnly the prerogative which the only-begotten Son of God was pleased
to attach to the supreme pastoral office. Therefore, faithfully adhering
to the tradition received from the beginning of the Christian faith, to
the glory of God our savior, for the exaltation of the Catholic
religion and for the salvation of the Christian people, with the
approval of the sacred council, we teach and define as a divinely
revealed dogma that when the Roman pontiff speaks Ex Cathedra, that is,
when, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all
Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he
defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole
church, he possesses, by the divine assistance promised to him in
blessed Peter, that infallibility which the divine Redeemer willed that his Church
be endowed for defining doctrine concerning faith or morals.
Therefore, such definitions of the Roman pontiff are of themselves, and
not by the consent of the Church, irreformable. So then, should anyone,
which God forbid, have the temerity to reject this definition of ours:
let him be anathema." (First Vatican Council) "And so, supported by the clear witness of holy
scripture, and adhering to the manifest and explicit decrees both of our
predecessors the Roman pontiffs and of general councils, we promulgate
anew the definition of the ecumenical council of Florence, which must be
believed by all faithful Christians, namely that the apostolic see and
the Roman pontiff hold a world-wide primacy, and that the Roman pontiff
is the successor of blessed Peter, the prince of the apostles, true
vicar of Christ, head of the whole Church and father and teacher of all
Christian people. To him, in blessed Peter, full power has been given by
our Lord Jesus Christ to tend, rule and govern the universal church. All
this is to be found in the acts of the ecumenical councils and the
sacred canons. Wherefore we teach and declare that, by divine ordinance,
the Roman church possesses a pre-eminence of ordinary power over every
other church, and that this jurisdictional power of the Roman pontiff is
both episcopal and immediate. Both clergy and faithful, of whatever rite
and dignity, both singly and collectively, are bound to submit to this
power by the duty of hierarchical subordination and true obedience, and
this not only in matters concerning faith and morals, but also in those
which regard the discipline and government of the Church throughout the
world. In this way, by unity with the Roman pontiff in communion and in
profession of the same faith, the church of Christ becomes one flock
under one supreme shepherd. This is the doctrine of Catholic truth,
and no one can depart from it without endangering his faith and
salvation. This power of the supreme pontiff by no means detracts from
that ordinary and immediate power of episcopal jurisdiction, by which
bishops, who have succeeded to the place of the apostles by appointment
of the Holy Spirit, tend and govern individually the particular flocks
which have been assigned to them. On the contrary, this power of theirs
is asserted, supported and defended by the supreme and universal pastor;
for St Gregory the Great says: 'My honor is the honor of the whole
church. My honor is the steadfast strength of my brethren. Then do I
receive true honor, when it is denied to none of those to whom honor is due.' Furthermore, it follows from that supreme power which the Roman
pontiff has in governing the whole Church, that he has the right, in the
performance of this office of his, to communicate freely with the
pastors and flocks of the entire Church, so that they may be taught and
guided by him in the way of salvation. And therefore we condemn and
reject the opinions of those who hold that this communication of the
supreme head with pastors and flocks may be lawfully obstructed; or that
it should be dependent on the civil power, which leads them to maintain
that what is determined by the apostolic see or by its authority
concerning the government of the Church, has no force or effect unless
it is confirmed by the agreement of the civil authority. Since the Roman
pontiff, by the divine right of the apostolic primacy, governs the whole
Church, we likewise teach and declare that he is the supreme judge of
the faithful, and that in all cases which fall under ecclesiastical
jurisdiction recourse may be had to his judgment. The sentence of the
apostolic see (than which there is no higher authority) is not subject
to revision by anyone, nor may anyone lawfully pass judgment thereupon.
And so they stray from the genuine path of truth who maintain that it is
lawful to appeal from the judgments of the Roman pontiffs to an
ecumenical council as if this were an authority superior to the Roman
pontiff. So, then, if anyone says that the Roman pontiff has merely an
office of supervision and guidance, and not the full and supreme power
of jurisdiction over the whole Church, and this not only in matters of
faith and morals, but also in those which concern the discipline and
government of the Church dispersed throughout the whole world; or that
he has only the principal part, but not the absolute fullness, of this
supreme power; or that this power of his is not ordinary and immediate
both over all and each of the churches and over all and each of the
pastors and faithful: let him be anathema." (First Vatican Council)
Also
See: All
Should Agree With the Holy See | The
Church is Not a Democracy | The
Church Rests on St. Peter | Infallibility
| Necessity
of a Teaching Authority | Necessity
of Union With the Roman Pontiff | Obedience
/ Disobedience / Assent | The
Papacy is Indestructible / Perpetual |
Papal Supremacy / Councils | Preservation
of Truth / Unity | Those
Who Wander From the Apostolic See Wander From the Church | Unlawful
to Make Recourse Against the Roman Pontiff to an Ecumenical Council
| The
Visible Church | Vatican
Facts | Pope
/ Papacy (Topical Scripture)
Note:
Categories are subjective and may overlap. For more items related
to this topic, please review all applicable categories. For more
'Reflections' and for Scripture topics, see links below.
Top |
Reflections: A-Z | Catg.
| Scripture: A-Z |
Catg.
| Help |
