Know the Roman Catholic Truth Blog: The Pope

HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI
( Joseph Ratzinger)
(266th Pope of the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church)

Titles of the Pope:

Vicar of Christ Successor of Peter
Supreme Pontiff
Bishop of Rome
Primate of Italy
Sovereign of the State of Vatican
Archbishop of the Roman Province
Prince of Apostles
Servant of the Servants of God

Biblical Basis:

           "And I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loos on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:18-19)

   "But I prayed that your own faith may not fail;and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers." (Luke 22:32)

                "Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." (John 21:15)

Old Testament Prophecy:

"On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah; I will clothe him with your robe, gird him with your sash, confer on him your authority, He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one will shut, what he shuts, no one will open." (Isaiah 22:20-22)

Testimony by the early Fathers of the Church:

"But since it would be too long to enumerate in such 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, founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious Apostles, Peter and Paul, that Church which has the traditions and faith which come 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, that is , all the faithful in the whole world; and it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the Apostolic tradition." (3,3,2,Against Heresies, Saint Irenaeus of Lyons)

2 Popes being mentioned in the Scriptures as testified by the early church fathers:

Pope Linus

Scriptural basis:

   "Try to get here before winter. Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers send greetings. " (2 Timothy 4:21)

Pope Clement I

Scriptural basis:

          "And so, at the same time, were Clement and the others who worked with me. Their names are written in the book of life." ( Philippians 4:3, Jerusalem Bible)

Proven by the Early Church Fathers:

"The Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, having founded and built up the Church of Rome, they handed over the office of the episcopate to Linus. Paul makes mention of this Linus in the Epistle to Timothy. To him succeeded Anacletus; 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." (3,3,3, Against Heresies, St. Irenaeus of Lyons)

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

               "The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, " is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful." For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered." (882, Catechism of the Catholic Church)

The Early Church Fathers:

             "You cannot deny that you are aware that in the city of Rome the episcopal chair was given first to Peter; the chair which Peter sat, the same who was head- that is why he is also called Cephas-of all the Apostles; the one chair in which unity is maintained by all. Neither do other Apostles proceed individually on their own; and anyone who would set up another chair in opposition to that single chair would, by that very fact, be a schismatic and a sinner." (2,2, The Schism of the Donatists, St. Optatus of Milevis)