The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-08
THE PAPAL SUCCESSION.
Lecture by Father Calmsr at St. Xavier s
Church.

Last evening at st. Xavier's Church
Father Calmer delivered the twenty-sixth
lecture OF his regu ar course on the Papal
Primacy and Succession. There was a large
and increased attendance not only from
the st. Xavier congregation, but Catholic
and Protestant alike from various portions
of the city were present. The lecturer
spoke with his accustomed ability and elo-
quence, and in manner that proved his
thorough and intimate knowledge of his
subject and with much of the earnestness
and vigor and graceful utterance that char
acterize the popular orator. He has what
so many lecturers have not-the art of in
vestng his subject with an interest that
renders it source of pleasure and instruc-
ton to an intelligent and appreciative
audience.
The immediate subject of last evenings
lecture was, in continuation Of that of the
previous Sunday evening, "The Pope of
Rome the Successor of Saint Peter" ST..
Peter being, as we are assured, the founda-
ton stone upon which the visible church
is built, hence, as long as the edfice of the
church itself shall last so long must this
| foundation stone endure. Now, the church
is to last until the end of the world. Peter
is not living all this time. Therefore he
must live and continue to live in his sue
cessors. Besides Christ conferred the pri-
macy upon st. Peter in order t. preserve
unity, which is one of the essential proper
ties of the church. This unity again is to
last until the end Of time. The Church,
therefore, can never be without st. Peters
primacy. We must preserve that form of
government which Christ constituted. 9TH
erwise the intrinsic constitution OF the
Church would change, and then the Church
would not be ChrisS's, founded by Christ
| So that Christ instituted this primacy in
His church and that primacy must endure.
Christ could have conferred the prin-
acy upon st. Peter only for his lifetime
1t can not be maintained thatit was to cease
at the time when the Apostles were dead
and gone, and when the government of the
church was in such urgent need of being
presided over by one OF their number. The
jurisdiction granted by Christ to Peter was
to be permanent in His church. 1t was not
given to Peter as a mere personal favor but
to secure the welfare of the church, the eter-
nal benefit, the mystical benefit of the body
of Christ. Ii the primacy is thus perpetu-
ated the question to-day is, who is the per-
son who enjoys the losition and the pre-
negatives Of st. Peter?
1t is shown by reason, by the traditions
of the past, and history, with all its volumes
vast, as but one answer; it is one unanimous
answer; there is not one dissenting voice;
that the successor of St. Peter is the Pope
of Rome. In this successor Peter endures
and lives. This primacy must be continued
in one person, otherwise no institution of
the primacy would be required. Christ in
stituted in His Church monarchical form
of government that Is supreme in one per-
son. No history past or present denies the
assertion that the Pope il the successor OF
St. Peter. Who else can be considered as
this successor? So deeply rooted was this
idea of Rome's inseparable connection with
the papal primacy that when the Pope in
the fourteenth century fed to Avignon be.
fore the prosecutors OF the people of Rome
and when Petrarch advised him to change
his name to Bishop of Avignon
the Pope answered: Hitherto thou
hast spoken as friend TO me. but now a.
an enemy; for know thou not If were
to change my name would cease to bt
Pope, aud another would be elected in my
place."
History in every age presents undoubted
evidence in support Of the assertion tha
the Pope is the successor to the Primacy o
ST. Peter. The fathers Of the church al
unite in this declaration in words so clea
that there can be no mistake.
The speaker quoted number OF extract
. from the writings Of the fathers, and gare
sketch Of the earliest succession to the chat