4. The Development of the Papacy Flashcards
The Post-Apostolic Age in the Diocese Of Rome:
What is the importance of the congregation at Rome
The growth of Rome’s congregation is probably the greatest and fastest in the Latin West, despite persecutions.
Even more than its early bishops, the congregation was seen to be very generous, exceeding the limits of Christian love. Examples:
- Clement’s Letter to the Corinthians, in which he praised the Romans for their great acts of charity (c. ad 96).
- Ignatius’ Letter to the Romans
Christians travelled to Rome to seek recognition for doctrines, learn the true teaching, work for the peace and unity of the Church
189-199: Pope Victor I
Advanced Latin over Greek in the liturgy. Responsible for the “Latin” element (language and thinking) beginning to dominate among Christians by the end of the 2nd C.
Asserted himself and his authority in calling for uniformity in the date of Easter: first Sunday after 14th Nisan (the date of Jewish Passover); excommunicated those who did not accept his date.
First bishop of Rome who dealt with the imperial household.
Pre-Eminence of the See & Its Bishop
The Roman See was seen as having pre-eminence within the Church as a whole…
202: Irenaeus of Lyons
220: Tertullian
254: Pope Stephen I
258: Bishop of Carthage
202: Irenaeus of Lyons
Father of the Church; became bishop of Lyons, quoted polemicist Celsus.
- Listed as a martyr, but we do not know exactly how he died.
- Fought with gnostics
- Ascribed high value to the Roman church for ascertaining the apostolic tradition
- Irenaeus: anyone seeking the truth will find it in Rome
254: Pope Stephen I
- Conscious of his position in disciplinary matters when he was involved in actions of far-off bishops
- His decision was accepted over that of the local synod
258: Bishop Cyprian of Carthage
- The bishop of Rome decided who was “in communion”
- Cyprian also referred to Rome as “the place of Peter” - He said the apostles were equal in dignity, but that unity was identified with Peter because of Mt 16:18
The Constantinian Period
311-314: Pope Miltiades or Melchiades
314-335: Pope Silvester I
387+ Cyril of Jerusalem
311-314: Pope Miltiades or Melchiades
The first bishop of Rome under Constantine.
- Received the Lateran palace as a gift for his official residence. It remained the “official” residence until the 1500s.
- Miltiades called to arbitrate the questionable consecration of a bishop. Constantine had been asked to arbitrate the case, but assigned Miltiades and three Gallic bishops to adjudicate in Rome.
- Miltiades turned the government commission into a synod by adding more bishops and ruled in favour of the bishop against his opponents, putting the rigorists in their place
- Led to a schism since not all agreed but kept true to the principles of the faith
314-335: Pope Silvester I
The bishop of Rome through most of the Constantinian period (Constantine outlived him by two years).
Constantine called Council at Arles (314)
- to settle once and for all the question of Bishop Caecilian
- to settle the date of Easter
Constantine insisted the bishop of Rome be there but Silvester thought it was too soon after his installation to leave Rome, so he sent two legates in his stead.
When the council ended the legates returned to Rome with a letter addressed to Silvester, which contained the decision of the council, expressing Silvester’s primacy over the West. He was asked to communicate the decision to the rest of the churches of the West.
Silvester was the first to use a style of hat, later called a “tiara” to indicate his role as distinct from other bishops.
387+ Cyril of Jerusalem
Refers to Peter as “the chiefest and foremost of Apostles” iIn one of his catechetical works.
The Bishops of Rome in The Post-Apostolic Age (8):
189: Pope Victor I
202: Irenaeus of Lyons
220: Tertullian
254: Pope Stephen I
258: Bishop of Carthage
311-314: Pope Miltiades or Melchiades
314-335: Pope Silvester I
387+ Cyril of Jerusalem
4 Titles For The Pope
- Pope/Father
- Bishop of Rome
- Successor of the Prince of the Apostles
- Servant of the Servants of God
Titles For The Pope: Pope/Father
- From the Latin “papa” meaning “father”
- Pope Benedict would sign his name as “Benedictus pp XVI” (“pp” is for papa)
3rd C
- WEST: used as an honorific title for any bishop
- EAST: reserved for the bishop of Alexandria (still used today by him)
6th C
- Normally reserved for the bishop of Rome, even by the chancery of Constantinople, first as a personal title, then as an official title
11th C
- By decree of Pope Gregory VII, widely understood to be used exclusively for the bishop of Rome in recognition of his papal primacy
- Except for the bishop of Alexandria (note – this is before the East / West schism)
The bishop of Alexandria is the only other person in the world recognized as a Pope.
Titles For The Pope: Bishop of Rome
- Sets out primary function of the pope
- From earliest days after Peter
- Peter was not called a bishop because only the successors of Peter are bishops, the apostles were not bishops
Titles For The Pope: Successor of the Prince of the Apostles
- Commonly “Successor of Peter”
- Apostolic succession
