The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-13
ANSWERS QUERIESAS
TO AVAILABILITY
OF THE. POPE
Father Conway, at st. Luke's
Church, Cites Scripture in
Support of the Doctrine
That st. Peter and His
Successors Were Clothed
With Special Powers to
Teach the Gospel.

Last night at the Paulist Fathers
mission at ST. Luke's church, Father
Conway spoke on papa1 infallibility.
Father Harvey, his coadjutor, has
been rendered unable to participate III
the mission work owing to a severe
attack Of bronchitis. Father Conway
Will, single handed, conduct the mis-
sion work this week.
He spoke last evening in answer to
these questions:
Us not the ruling power of the
Roman popes usurpation?"
Where does the Bible declare that
Jesus appointed a pope?"
What proof does scripture give that
Peter had any authority over the 9TH
er disciples?"
Were not all the apostles equal?
Did not Jesus give to all the power
of binding and loosing? Matt. xviii,
49,"
10. xxi, 1917: Jesus saith to
Simon Peter-Simon. son Of John, low
est thou me more than these? He said
to Him: Yes, Lord, Thou knowest that
I love Thee. He saith to him: Feed
my lambs.
He saith to him again: Simon, son
of John, lowest thou me? He said to
Him: Yes, Lord, Thou knoWest that
l love Thee. He saith to him: Feed my
lambs.
He saith to him the third time:
Simon, son of John, lowest thou me?
Peter was grieved because He had said
to him the third time: Lowest thou
me? And he said to Him: Lord, Thou
knowest all things; Thou knoWest that
l love Thee. He said to him: Feed my
sheep"
A careful study of these words clear
ly proves that ST. Peter held a unique
place among the twelve apostles, ana
that Jesus Christ made him His vicar
and representative on earth.
l. Jesus Christ the Rock Il. Cor.
x. 4, Acts w., II, Eph. ii. 20-22, I. Peter
ii. 4-S) promised to make Peter the
rock foundation of the church in His
stead. (Matt. xvi. 49, The foundation
of building gives it unity, strength
and stability (Matt. vii "a, 25), so the
church built on Peter is forever
through him to be kept strong ana
united in government and doctrine.
o. Christ the Keybearer Us. xii.
%, Apoc. 1S) promises to make Peter
keybearer in his kingdom, i. e., to have
complete power and jurisdiction in the
church.
49, In Luke xxi. Christ prays for
Peter that his faith ever remain strong
and pure to strengthen the faith OF the
wavering and doubling brethren.
"a. Christ the Good Shepherd 90. X.
11) plainly gives to Peter His own full
power to rule the flock as shepherd in
His stead. 90. xxi. 15)
Power Given to Apostles.
Some powers were undoubtedly Civ
en- by our Savior to all the apostles in
common, viz: The power to preach the
gospel Matt. xviii. 20), to baptize Us.
49,, to forgive sins 90. Xxx. 23), to say
mass duke xxi. 19), ETC., but Peter
alone was made the rock, the keybear-
er, the confirmer of the brethren and
the shepherd of the flock. This has
ever been the witness of Catholic tradi-
ton.
(See a Manual of Catholic Theology,
Vol. IL, page 6-S27.-Faith Of Catho-
lies. (Vol. II, page 1-59D
Indeed, our Lord indicated the pre-
eminence of st. Peter by the promised
change of name at their first meeting:
Thou art Simon the son of iona; thou
shalt be called Caphas, which is inter-
preted Peter 90. 1-42); and through
out the New Testament his name is
ever first (Matt. X, 2; Mark ill.,, 16;
Luke vi, IA, Acts 1, 40, and he is treat
ed as the leader of the twelve. Matt.
xvi, %, %; xvii, %, 26; XVI, $40;
Mark ", 81; xvi, Z; Luke ", 2-10; Luke
tx, 1923, etc. He presides at the cleo
ton of Matthias (Acts l., 15); he is the
first preacher of the gospel and the
converter of the gentiles (Acts IL, IA,
sea- x 9 seq); he is the first to work
miracles MARK xvi, 1O he condemns
the guilty Ananias and Sapphire (Acts
v, 1-10); the church prays unceas-
ingly for his release from prison (xii,
1-15); he settles the dispute at the first
Io,,o T-10l. 10 10
visited by st. Paul (Ga1. t., Is, 19); etc.
Authority to Teach.
1--WE have seen that Christ establish
ed divine, infallible authority to teach
His gospel until the end of the world
just as he taught it. Once this is adj
mitted, it follows logically that the su-
preme head of this infallible church
must need be infallible. For if st. Pc
ter or his successor speaking authort-
tativelN to the church could teach false
doctrine then he would instantly cease
to be the firm rock foundation on which
Christ built His church, the gates of
hell would prevail, error would be sane
toned by God in heaven (Matt. xvi, IS,
19), the prayer of Christ for Peter per-
sonally would be fruitless for the faith
of the brethren would not be strength
ened duke xii, 32), and the whole
flock of Christ would be deprived of
the true food of divine faith 60. xxi,
15-1O.
Does it not seem probable that if in
these United States the powers of our
republic were wise enough to estab
lish a supreme court to settle prac-
tically and finally all disputes regard
ing the constitution, in the church the
All Wise Son of God, foreseeing and
prophesying that false teachers would
arise For there will arise false Christs
and false prophets (Matt. xiii, a2),
would have provided a supreme court
to infallibly (else no man is bound to
believe) decide every controversy
about written or unwritten doctrine?
What has the Protestant denial of one
pope brought about save the creating
of many, and an anarchy of opinion de-
structive with millions of all super