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Irenaeus: Difference between revisions
→Irenaeus and Rome
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Irenaeus writes that this succession of Bishops in Rome is as follows: Peter and Paul, Linus, Anacletus, Clement, Evaristus, Alexander, Sixtus, Telephorus, Hyginus, Pius, Anicetus, Sorer, and Eleutherius being the 12th from the apostles. | Irenaeus writes that this succession of Bishops in Rome is as follows: Peter and Paul, Linus, Anacletus, Clement, Evaristus, Alexander, Sixtus, Telephorus, Hyginus, Pius, Anicetus, Sorer, and Eleutherius being the 12th from the apostles. | ||
While the Roman Catholic Church has used this succession to highlight these men as Popes, and to establish the succesion of | While the Roman Catholic Church has used this succession to highlight these men as Popes, and to establish the succesion of future Popes and the universal authority of the Church, some important factors are missing from this conclusion. | ||
#Irenaeus was only the third from the Apostles, through John and Polycarp only. | #Irenaeus was only the third from the Apostles, through John and Polycarp only. | ||
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#Finally, the apostolic tradition was preserved in Rome by "those faithful men who exist everywhere" - not by the Bishops of Rome themselves. Another translation of this last line of Irenaeus supporting the apostolic succsession is as follows: ''"On account of the chief magistracy(2) [of the empire], the faithful from all parts, representing every Church, are obliged to resort to Rome, and there to come together; so that [it is the distinction of this Church that], in it, the tradition of the apostles has been preserved by Christians gathered together out of all the Churches."'' | #Finally, the apostolic tradition was preserved in Rome by "those faithful men who exist everywhere" - not by the Bishops of Rome themselves. Another translation of this last line of Irenaeus supporting the apostolic succsession is as follows: ''"On account of the chief magistracy(2) [of the empire], the faithful from all parts, representing every Church, are obliged to resort to Rome, and there to come together; so that [it is the distinction of this Church that], in it, the tradition of the apostles has been preserved by Christians gathered together out of all the Churches."'' | ||
Once the Church in Rome began exerting its influence over the other churches, it lost its Apostolic succession. This was attempted by the Bishop Victor, but he was corrected by Irenaeus, never to attempt this heresy again. | Once the Church in Rome began exerting its influence over the other churches, it lost its Apostolic succession. This was attempted by the Bishop Victor, but he was corrected by Irenaeus, never to attempt this heresy again. | ||
=References= | =References= | ||