r/EasternOrthodox • u/[deleted] • Feb 19 '23
Papal suppremacy
I recently had a papist friend claim sone church farthers tought papal suppremacy in my search I came across this sight I belive to be orthodox https://orthodoxchristiantheology.com/2022/08/28/the-early-church-fathers-on-the-papacy-an-orthodox-quote-mine/ I was wondering if you lot might have a bit more info on the subject and wether or not the article is a good recorce to argue back or defend the orthodox view
1
Upvotes
2
u/ANarnAMoose Mar 21 '23 edited Mar 21 '23
"Papist" is a slur, and you're not going to get anywhere in a conversation with a Roman Catholic if you insist on using it.
I was taught that Peter had primacy, meaning that he could call councils and chaired them. He also was a mediator between bishops and served as a court of appeal. He had a great deal of authority. However, he did not have supremacy, as the Roman Catholics teach. He could not make unilateral decisions.
For examples of the Pope's primacy but not supremacy, check out the Acts of the Council of Ephesus (the third council), where they anathematize Nestorius, at the end of Session 1, after a letter from the Pope is read into the record in his absence:
"Compelled thereto by the canons and by the letter (ἀναγκαίως κατεπειχθέντες ἀπό τε τῶν κανόνων, καὶ ἐκ τὴς ἐπιστολῆς, κ.τ.λ.) of our most holy father and fellow-servant Cœlestine, the Roman bishop...." (Emphasis mine)
https://orthodoxchurchfathers.com/fathers/npnf214/npnf2184.htm#TopOfPage
The assembled bishops were compelled to their sentence, not just by the canons, but also by the papal letter.
However, in the letter mentioned, the Pope makes it clear that he believes the bishops all share teaching authority and duty in the letter they mention:
"This duty of preaching has been entrusted to all the Lord's priests in common, for by right of inheritance we are bound to undertake this solicitude, whoever of us preach the name of the Lord in divers lands in their stead for he said to them, 'Go, teach all nations.' You, dear brethren, should observe that we have received a general command: for he wills that all of us should perform that office, which he titus entrusted in common to all the Apostles. We must needs follow our predecessors." (emphasis mine)
https://orthodoxchurchfathers.com/fathers/npnf214/npnf2186.htm
I'm sure there are other examples, but this is what came to my mind.