Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: cms@dragon.uucp Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: (sort of) Re: Names of Popes Message-ID: Date: 21 Aug 90 02:45:40 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Computer Projects Unlimited Lines: 137 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article , vm0t+@andrew.cmu.edu (Vincent Paul Mulhern) writes: > Can anyone explain who the second 'pope' was? I'm curious about how > the line was started. In the very-early church, was there a 'final > authority' on earth? Was Peter such an authority (in HIS time, was > there any claim by or about him indicating this?) How was this > authority transferred (theoretically assuming it existed). Paul rebuked > Peter for poor teaching and hipocrisy; I guess this bothers me > concerning someone who was the start of a line of leaders who can decide > something's infallible. I don't really see that Jesus's declaration of > "upon this rock I will build my church" implies a line of "number one > guys". I see that they were to be the foundation, but...beyond that, > I'd take care that I was not trying to make scripture fit with > tradition. > Anyone with some historical facts would be appreciated...my > knowledge of this matter is non-existent. > > -Vince Mulhern First of all, as has been noted in the past, every remark ever made by a Pope is not automatically considered infallible; if that were so, John Paul's remarks as he fell on the ski slope would be considered infallible :-) and they might not have been particularly nice :-). Infallibility means: 1. The whole Church is protected by God's grace (not by the human strength of the members of the Body of Christ) from falling away from God's revealed truth and love. 2. The teaching authority of the Church (or magisterium) is protected by God's grace from error whenever it proclaims binding dogma. The universal consent of the whole Church in matters of faith and morals is infallible. Infallibility is vested in those members of the Church whose authority rests on membership in the historic episcopate; under the Pope, the universal episcopate teaches what God has revealed as doctrine to the Church. Also, the Pope alone is the supreme teacher of the Church, thus, whenever he states a doctrine which is binding on the whole Church, it is irreversible. Whenever the Pope reaches such decisions, he is bound, as are other bishops, by Scripture, Tradition, and precedent. The Pope is not considered infallible in terms of his personal opinions. Note that I have tried the give the Roman Catholic view here. I am Episcopalian, although I used to be Roman Catholic. The Episcopal Church also claims infallibility in its Bishops. Episcopalian means, literally, a member of a Church ruled by Bishops, but is used often in reference to the Anglican Catholic Church. Generally Bishops (including Roman and Anglican) are distinguished from other priests mainly by their power to confer Holy Orders and administer Confirmation. While Protestants communions such as the Lutheran Church and Methodist Episcopal Churches use the title Bishop, they make no claim to the Apostolic Succession. Infallibility is based on John 16:13, among other verses, however, various beliefs are expounded concerning where such infallibility rests. The RC position is clear about where it believes infallibility rests. See also 1 John 2:24-27; continuity of the Apostolic witness safeguards the Church from false beliefs. Also John 14:22-24. Also 2 Cor 11:3-4, indicating the dangers of listening to those who interpret Scripture without having received the Spirit, but instead a different spirit. Whoever feels he can interpret Scripture authoritatively without having received the Spirit or teaching what those who have received the Spirit have taught since the days of the first Apostles is in serious danger of apostosizing the faith. Anglican Catholic and Roman Catholic Bishops have received this Spirit and may pass it on. Although it appears that the early Church used "presbyter" and "episcopos" interchangeably (Acts 20:17, 28), by the second century the Church was organized on an episcopal basis, and Ignatius distinguishes Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons quite clearly. (Some Protestants mistakenly assume infallibility implies sinlessness; not so, don't confuse the terms.) Infallibility belongs to God alone; the infallibility of the Catholic Church (Anglican and Roman) is a gift from God. The first Pope was Peter. In the Acts, its indisputably clear that Peter was the leader of the Church. It seems clear that he spent his last days in Rome according to 1 Peter 5:13 where "Babylon" is a code-word for Rome. Ignatius claimed that Peter and Paul held special authority over the Roman Church, whereas Irenaeus claimed they jointly founded the Church and began the succession of bishops. Their precise "constitutional" roles are not clear. According to Eusebius, they were both executed. John 21:18 implies Peter was crucified (legend has it upside down). Late second early third century claimed Peter as the first Bishop of Rome. Earlier tradition made Peter and Paul joint founders, an attitude the Church hasn't abandoned. Irenaeus of Lyons and Hegissipus passed down the earliest succession lists of Bishops of Rome; supported by Eusebius, Saint Linus was entrusted with the office by Peter and Paul after they had established the Church in Rome. One might conclude, therefore, that Linus was actually the first Pope, however, as noted earlier, the convention begun in the late second early third century regarded Peter as first. Eusebius and Irenaeus identified Linus as the same Linus who accompanied Paul, among those who sent greetings in 2 Timothy 4:21. Approximate dates indicate he held office about twelve years. Legend has it he died a martyr and was buried close to Saint Peter. Succeeding Bishops of Rome included Anacletus, Clement I, Evaristus, Alexander I, Sixtus I, Telesphorus, Hyginus, Pius I, Anicetus, Soter, and Eleutherius, who was the last Bishop of Rome recorded by Irenaeus. Saint Victor was the first Latin Pope and probably Latinized the Roman Church; Saint Jerome remarks he wrote Latin works of fair quality; reports of his martyrdom and burial near tomb of Peter are typically legendary. Following him were Zephyrinus, Callistus I, Saint Hippolytus (antipope), Urban I, Pontian, Anterus, Fabian, Cornelius, Novatian, Lucius I, Stephen I, Sixtus II, Dionysius, Felix I, Eutychian, Gaius, Marcellinus (an apostate who, like some Israelite kings of the Old Testament, offered sacrifices and incense to foreign gods; omitted from official lists of popes), Marcellus I, Eusebius (who presided over dispute regarding restoration after penance of those who had apostosized during Diocletian's persecutions), Miltiades (first Pope who presided as Church began to be tolerated and enjoy favor of Roman government), Silvester I (presided during reign of Constantine the Great; not an important Pope as Constantine did not make him chairman of of the first council of Arles in 314 but gave general conduct seat to bishop of Syracuse while allowing bishop of Arles to preside; also, Silvester was absent from the ecumenical council which, also summoned by Constantine, met at Nicaea in north-west Turkey in 325; he declined to attend citing old age although he sent two priests to represent him; during his papacy Rome took on the character of a Christian city; later generations couldn't believe the Pope played such a minor role or that Constantine was baptized on his deathbed by an Arian bishop), Mark (when Athansius was banished, Marcellus of Ancyra and other leaders of Nicene orthodoxy removed, and arch-heretic Arius was on his deathbed). Sources: Encyclopedia of Theology: The Concise Sacramentum Mundi edited by Karl Rahner; The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church edited by E. A. Livingstone; The Oxford Dictionary of Popes by J.N.D. Kelley; other theological works; the Bible. I probably missed some. Don't take what I say as Gospel, I address to those who accuse me of citing Catholic positions of claimed non-canonical character -- read the Bible, read the books cited. Don't wait for the movie. I don't claim expert authority in describing the opinions of those more knowledgable than me. -- Sincerely, Cindy Smith _///_ // SPAWN OF A JEWISH _///_ // _///_ // <`)= _<< CARPENTER _///_ //<`)= _<< <`)= _<< _///_ // \\\ \\ \\ _\\\_ <`)= _<< \\\ \\ \\\ \\ <`)= _<< >IXOYE=('> \\\ \\ \\\ \\_///_ // // /// _///_ // _///_ // emory!dragon!cms <`)= _<< _///_ // <`)= _<< <`)= _<< \\\ \\<`)= _<< \\\ \\ \\\ \\ GO AGAINST THE FLOW! \\\ \\ A Real Live Catholic in Georgia