The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-02-22
BISHOPS LENTEN PASTORAL

meant the possession of supreme com.
mand and commission to rule. Christ
again promised, in no uncertain terms,
to Peter alone, legislative and judi
ciary power in it's fullest measure.
the authority to bind and to loose;
"and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon
earth shall be bound also in heaven,
and whatsoever thou shalt loose on
earth shall be loosed also in heaven"
Matt 16, 10. Witness here how
Christ tells st. Peter alone that his
DEGREES will be ratified in heaven.
Our Divine Lord, moreover, sub
sequent to His Resurrection, in most
solemn manner, thrice committed to
st. Peter alone the supreme pastor
ship, the divine commission to spir-
itually feed, the commission to teach
pastors and people, the entire Church
of Christ, Feed My Lambs, Feed My
Sheep" John 21, Is, II. Peters SUI.
periority over the rest of the Apostles,
Christ indicated by offering a special
prayer for Peters faith to confirm
the brethren, and whose care He gave
to Peter in charging him to strengthen
them. "But / have prayed for thee
that thy faith fail not and when thou
art converted, confirm thy brethren"
Luke %, 33. Peter, indeed, always
acted as presiding teacher among the
Apostles in his supreme capacity as
head and chief pastor of the Church
under Christ st. Ambrose, who lived
in the fourth century, writes: TT
was not st. Andrew, but st. Peter
that was appointed head"
st. Peters Prerogatives Descend to
His Legitimate Successors in Office.
AS the powers Christ gave to Peter
are certainly essential for the con-
tinued existence of His Church, they
most necessarily came down in all
their fulness to Peters rightful sue.
cessors, the Bishops of Rome who
are heirs to the promises Christ
made to Peter. The Vatican Council
teaches: If anyone should deny that
it is by the institution of Christ, the
Lord, or by divine right that Blessed
CtSA oIlOulu nave pC1 pCtutl llNC vi
successors in the Primacy over the
Universal Church, or that the Roman
Pontiff is the successor of Blessed
Peter in the Primacy, let him be
anaJhema." AS st. Peter was evil
IDENTIFY not to live forever on earth,
Christ, therefore, undoubtedly in
| tended that the prerogatives He COM
municated to him should not cease
with his death. The paramount gifts
| to Peter were not personal, but were
| to remain permanently in the Church,
| for which Christ instituted them
| Only the advocates Of disintegrating
and contradictory sects, by making a
| mockery of Holy Scripture, maintain
that the Papacy terminated with the
death of st. Peter. But the Infallible
God affirms: Behold l am with you
all days to the consummation of the
world Matt. %, 1920. Again: "The
Spirit of truth will abide with you
forever" John IA, II. The supremacy
of Peter, established by Christ, for
the better government of His Church
and the mainstay of unity was not to
end with Peter, no less than the
Church itself, which the All truthful
God promised would endure forever
"The gates of hell shall not prevail
against it" Matt. 10, 1S, hereby prom
| ising perpetual continuance and vic
tory. What Christ ordained for the
ruling of His Church and maintaining
of unity during the Apostles times
was certainly more necessary in the
succeeding ages. All generations be-
lieved that the Roman Pontiffs were
heirs to the Divine promises made tc
Peter The unanimous consent of the
Fathers and the constant tradition o
the Church hold that the ministry Of
Peter is perpetuated in his legitimate
successors in the Petrine See o.
Rome.
The Pope's Primacy.
st. Peters Primacy in the Apostoli.
: College, therefore, abides in the Pope
of Rome, in the person of Benedic
the Fifteenth, who inherited as hi
lawful successor Peters pre-eminenct
of place, honor, rank and position
Down the centuries the Bishop o
Rome has ever been recognized a.
/, the first Bishop of Christendom. Th,
Roman Pontiffs themselves were al
ways convinced that they occupies
the highest position in the Church o
the living God, which they receive,
from Christ through st. Peter. TIL
visible headship consequently reside
! in the person of Benedict the FIJI
! teenth, the prominence Of the Bisho
. of Rome over the other Bishops of tn
entire world. Il:
An evident impossibility would it
to sustain the government of tn
Church and preserve unity among it
ever multiplying membership, shoul
e no chief visible authority exist to e1
y force laws, suppress errors, remov
l. abuses, and quel1 dissensions. A vi:
r ible body, as is the Church of Coz
Y must be presided over by a visibl
: head. Every organization must po!
/. sess a superior authority, the found;
/ ton of law and order A crowd will
f out a leader is but a simple mob. N
: discipline, no order, no stability ca
!, possibly reign without visible chic
:, No living body can exist without
r head. God, Who ordains so admirabl
llf Ian order in the works of natur