The Papacy

Who is the pope?

Why is he the leader of Christ’s Church on earth, and from where does his authority derive?
Our current pope, Pope Benedict XVI, like every pope before him, is a direct successor of the first pope, Saint Peter, who was the first Bishop of Rome.

Saint Peter received his authority to lead the Church directly from Jesus.

Among his many interactions with Jesus, Peter is remembered for his exchange with Christ on the road to Caesarea Philippi, recorded in the Injil Mateus (Bab 16).

When Jesus asked the Disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”, Peter answered for them, replying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (16:15-16). Dina waktosna, Ceuk Isa ka manéhna, “Bagja anjeun, Simon Bar-Jonah! Pikeun daging jeung getih teu wangsit ieu ka anjeun, tapi Rama Kami anu di sawarga” (17).

The question of Jesusidentity was definitively answered for His followers by Peter with divine assistance. Jesus went on to say,

“Sareng kuring nyarioskeun ka anjeun, anjeun Peter, sarta dina batu ieu kuring baris ngawangun garéja kuring, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kindgom of heaven, jeung naon wae nu ngabeungkeut di bumi bakal kabeungkeut di sawarga, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (18-19).

This passage provides the main Biblical proof for Peter’s primacy among the Apostles. Today’s Catholic bishops are the spiritual descendants of the Apostles. The Bishop of Rome (atawa Paus) is the successor of Peter. He retains Peter’s primacy among the bishops.

The name “Peter” comes from the Aramaic word Tapi (atawa Cephas), meaningRock.” Yésus milih méré ngaran anyar ieu ka Rasul Simon di Kaisaréa Pilipi pikeun alesan simbolis. Ciri has wewengkon ieu outcropping badag tina batu, nu dina waktu éta ruruntuhan candi pagan ngadeg. Ieu di dieu yén Yesus milih ngumumkeun rencana-Na pikeun ngawangun hiji Garéja anyar on Peter nu moal succumb kana petikan waktu..

Tangtosna, petikan ieu euweuh cara undermines kapercayaan urang di Kristus salaku Yayasan sabenerna Garéja (tingali Surat munggaran ka urang Korinta 3:11). Yesus teu maksudna pikeun imply Peter bakal kumaha bae ngaganti Anjeunna salaku Rock Garéja, tapi yén manéhna ngan saukur ngagambarkeun Anjeunna sapertos kitu. Salaku Saint Francis de Sales nempatkeun eta,

Sanajan [Peter] éta batu, acan anjeunna henteu éta batu; pikeun Kristus sabenerna batu immovable, tapi Peter dina akun tina batu. Kristus memang méré hak prerogatif sorangan ka batur, acan anjeunna masihan aranjeunna henteu kaleungitan aranjeunna nyalira, anjeunna nyepeng aranjeunna mangkaning. Anjeunna batu, sarta anjeunna ngadamel batu; naon nya, anjeunna komunikasi ka abdi-Na (Kontrovérsi).

Éta sami sareng Yesus’ jangji bakal masihan Peter konci Karajaan Sawarga teh. Kristus teh Raja Sawarga, sarta konci milik Anjeunna nyalira (Kitab Wahyu, 3:7).

Dina mercayakeun konci ka Peter, Yesus nujul deui kana adat Daud anu ku raja, nalika ninggalkeun kota, bakal nunjuk steward karajaan na ngawas karajaan dina henteuna anjeunna, nginjeumkeun konci gerbangna (tingali Yesaya 22:22). Di Mateus 16:19, Kristus Raja nunjuk steward-Na, Peter, pikeun ngawas Garéja, Karajaanana di bumi, dina henteuna Anjeunna.

Saratna “ngabeungkeut” jeung “leupas” in the passage above indicate that the authority given to Peter to declare certain things permissible or forbidden to the earthly faithful. Peter’s decisions on these matters, komo deui, shall be confirmed in heaven. If God is going to confirm the decisions of Peter, a sinner, then obviously Peter must be given a special grace to prevent him from issuing commands contrary to the will of God. This preventive grace is infallibility.

The Church teaches that the Pope, as Peter’s successor, retains this infallibility.

This is not a claim that the Pope is without sin—infallibility has nothing to do with conduct, kanyataanna—rather it is the belief that when teaching definitively on a matter of faith and morals he will be guarded by the Holy Spirit against teaching error.

Infallibility does not mean everything the Pope says or writes is without error, but only those things said ex cathedra (Latin, “from the chair”). Ex cathedra refers to the Chair of Peter, nyaeta, to the seat of apostolic authority. The concept of a primary seat of authority comes from the Old Testament, in which Moses sat in judgment of the people, settling their religious disputes (tingali Book of Exodus 18:13).

Musa’ authority, oge, was handed down through a line of successors. The Seat of Moses remained active until the time of Christ, as the Jesus, Dirina, ceuk, “The scribes and Pharisees sit on Mosesseat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice” (Mateus 23:1-3). Peter and the Popes fulfill a similar role in the New Covenant, serving as Christ’s earthly representative through whom God speaks to the people to resolve religious disputes and maintain unity among the faithful.

This special role is seen in the Biblical account of Peter’s actions at the Council of Jerusalem, at which the Apostles are called to decide whether or not adherence to the Mosaic Law is required for salvation. It is Peter who ends the dispute, teaching the assembly on doctrine (tingali Kalakuan para Rasul, 15:7). His successors have maintained this role in the Church throughout the ages.

Interestingly, those who have rejected the Pope’s role have suffered doctrinal confusion and ongoing (and accelerating) division, which is evidenced by the explosion of non-Catholic, Christian sects.

Early Christian Historical References to the Papacy:

Pope Saint Clement I, the fourth Bishop of Rome, Surat ka urang Korinta, circa AD 96:

Accept our counsel and you will have nothing to regret. … If anyone disobey the things which have been said by Him (i.e., Gusti) ngaliwatan kami (i.e., Garéja Roma), let them know that they will involve themselves in transgression and in no small danger. … You will afford us joy and gladness if, being obedient to the things which we have written through the Holy Spirit, you will root out the wicked passion of jealousy, in accord with the plea for peace and concord which we have made in this letter (58, 59, 63).

Saint Ignatius, the Bishop of Antioch, Surat ka Romawi, c. A.D. 107:

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, Gusti urang, by the will of Him that has willed everything which is; to the Church also which olds the presidency, in the location of the country of the Romans, worthy of God, worthy of honor, worthy of blessing, worthy of praise, worthy of success, worthy of sanctification, jeung, because you hold the presidency in love, named after Christ and after the Father. … You have envied no one, but others you have taught. I desire only that what you have enjoined in your instructions may remain in force (Alamat, 3).

Saint Irenaeus, the Bishop of Lyons, Ngalawan Heresies, c. A.D. 185:

But since it would be too long to enumerate in such a volume as this the successions of all the Churches, we shall confound all those who, in whatever manner, whether through self-satisfaction or vainglory, or through blindness and wicked opinion, assemble other than where it is proper, by pointing out here the successions of the bishops of the greatest and most ancient Church known to all, diadegkeun jeung diayakeun di Roma ku dua Rasul paling glorious, Peter jeung Paul, that Church which has the tradition and the faith which comes down to us after having been announced to men by the Apostles. For with this Church, because of its superior origin, all Churches must agree, nyaeta, all the faithful in the whole world; and it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the Apostolic tradition. …

The blessed Apostles, having founded and built up the Church, they handed over the office of the episcopate to Linus. Paul makes mention of this Linus in the Epistle to Timothy (4:21). To him succeeded Anacletus; and after him, in the third place from the Apostles, Clement was chosen for the episcopate. He had seen the blessed Apostles and was acquainted with them. It might be said that he still heard the echoes of the preaching of the Apostles, and had their traditions before his eyes. And not only he, for there were many still remaining who had been instructed by the Apostles.

In the time of Clement, no small dissension having arisen among the brethren in Corinth, the Church in Rome sent a very strong letter to the Corinthians, exhorting them to peace and renewing their faith. … To this Clement, Evaristus succeeded; and Alexander succeeded Evaristus. Saterusna, sixth after the Apostles, Sixtus was appointed; after him, Telesphorus, who also was gloriously martyred. Then Hyginus; after him, Pius; and after him, Anicetus. Soter succeeded Anicetus, and now, in the twelfth place after the Apostles, the lot of the episcopate has fallen to Eleutherus. In this order, and by the teaching of the Apostles handed down in the Church, the preaching of the truth has come down to us. In the time of Clement, no small dissension having arisen among the brethren in Corinth, the Church in Rome sent a very strong letter to the Corinthians, exhorting them to peace and renewing their faith. … To this Clement, Evaristus succeeded; and Alexander succeeded Evaristus. Saterusna, sixth after the Apostles, Sixtus was appointed; after him, Telesphorus, who also was gloriously martyred. Then Hyginus; after him, Pius; and after him, Anicetus. Soter succeeded Anicetus, and now, in the twelfth place after the Apostles, the lot of the episcopate has fallen to Eleutherus. In this order, and by the teaching of the Apostles handed down in the Church, the preaching of the truth has come down to us (3:3:2-3)

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