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| Not all agree on the Pope and his position over the church. A Roman Catholic archbishop at the Vatican Council challenged the text of Mt.16 to mean the "Rock" proving it is the primacy of Peter and the Pope: "The rule of Biblical interpretation imposed upon us is this: that the Scriptures are not to be interpreted contrary to the unanimous consent of the Fathers. It is doubtful whether any instance of that unanimous consent is to be found. But this failing, the rule seems to lay down for us the law of following, in their interpretation of Scripture, the major number of the Fathers, that might seem to approach unanimity. Accepting this rule, we are compelled to abandon the usual modern exposition of the words, `On this rock will I build my church.' "In a remarkable pamphlet `printed in facsimile of manuscript,' and presented to the Fathers almost two months ago, we find five different interpretations of the word `rock,' in the place cited, `the first of which declares' (I transcribe the words) `that the church was built on Peter'; and this interpretation is followed by seventeen Fathers-among them, Origen, Cyprian, Jerome, Hilary, Cyril of Alexandria, Leo the Great, Augustine. "The second interpretation understands from these words, `On this rock will I build my church,' that the church was built on all the apostles, whom Peter represented by virtue of the primacy. And this opinion is followed by eight Fathers among them, Origen, Cyprian, Jerome, Augustine, Theodoret. "The third interpretation asserts that the words, `On this rock,' etc., are to be understood of the faith which Peter had professed-that this faith, this profession of faith, by which we believe Christ to be the Son of the living God, is the everlasting and immovable foundation of the church. This interpretation is the weightiest of all, since it is followed by forty four Fathers and doctors; among them, from the East, are Gregory of Nyssa, Cyril of Alexandria, Chrysostom, Theophylact; from the West, Hilary, Ambrose, Leo the Great; from Africa, Augustine. "The fourth interpretation declares that the words, `On this rock,' are to be understood of that rock which Peter had confessed, that is, Christ-that the church was built upon Christ. This interpretation is followed by sixteen Fathers and doctors. "The fifth interpretation of the Fathers understands by the name of the rock, the faithful themselves, who, believing Christ to be the Son of God, are constituted living stones out of which the church is built. "From this it follows, either that no argument at all, or one of the slenderest probability, is to be derived from the words, `On this rock will I build my church,' in support of the primacy. Unless it is certain that by the rock is to be understood the Apostle Peter in his own person, and not in his capacity as the chief apostle speaking for them all, the word supplies no argument whatever, I do not say in proof of papal infallibility, but even in support of the primacy of the Bishop of Rome. If we are bound to follow the majority of the Fathers in this thing, then we are bound to hold for certain that by the rock should be understood the faith professed by Peter, not Peter professing the faith"-Speech of Archbishop Kenrick; cited in "An Inside View of the Vatican Council," edited by Leonard Woolsey Bacon, pp. 107-109.)
Pope Gregory I (A.D. 590-664)-repudiated the title of universal or ecumenical bishop. Was this not a plain denial of papal supremacy? "St. Peter is not called Universal Apostle . . . the whole church falls from its place when he who is called Universal falls . . . . But far from Christian hearts be that blasphemous name . . . . I confidently affirm that who so calls himself, or desires to be called Universal Priest, in his pride goes before Antichrist" (To the Emperor Maurice, Epistola 5:20-7:33) To the Patriarch of Antioch he says that this title is "profane, superstitious, haughty, and invented by the first apostate" (Epistola 7:27). Of whom does he speak such ill of? |
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