The Holy Fathers for the primacy of the Roman throne
According to the Eastern Orthodox, until the "dropout" of the Roman Patriarchate from the united Church in 1054. their doctrine did not in principle deny the primacy of the Bishop of Rome as the first among equals. But it differed from the Roman Church's understanding of the special status of its superior as "bishop of bishops." The Eastern Orthodox cannot present any evidence for this claim. This statement is not true, and here we will prove it by the following quotations from the Holy Fathers of the church:
Saint Cyprian of Carthage - 246:
"The Lord said to Peter, 'I tell you, you are Peter, and on this stone I will build my Church.'" He built the Church on him and gave him the command to feed the sheep, and although he gave such authority to all the apostles, He still He established a single throne, and He established by His power a source and an inherent cause of this unity, and indeed the other apostles were what Peter was, but the primacy was given to Peter to make it clear that there was only one Church. and only one throne.Also all the apostles are shepherds and the flock is one, fed by all the apostles in unambiguous agreement.If someone does not hold fast to this unity of Peter, can he imagine that he still holds the faith? someone leaves the throne of Peter, on which the Church was built, can he still be sure that he stands in the Church? - "The Unity of the Universal Church", 1: 555-556
"God is one, and Christ is one, and the Church is one, and the throne (of Peter) is one, according to the Word of God, (placed) on a stone" - "Messages", XL
"After such things as these, they continue to dare — one appointed by them, the heretics, a false bishop — to sail ships and bring letters from schismatic and wicked people to Peter's throne in Rome, to the head of the church, whence the unity of the priesthood springs up, and let it not be thought that these were the Romans, whose faith was praised in the preaching of the apostle, to whom unbelief did not proceed. " - Letter 59:14
Saint Optat - 367:
You cannot deny that you know that in the city of Rome the episcopal throne was first given to Peter; the throne on which Peter sat, the one who was the head - hence he is also called Cephas ("Stone") - to all the apostles; the only throne in which unity is preserved by all. " - "The Schism of the Donatists", 2: 2
St. John Chrysostom - 387:
"For it is a great privilege for our city of Antioch, which received the leader of the Apostles, Peter, as its teacher from the beginning. And it is right that the city, which, before the whole world, was the first to adorn itself with the name of Christians , he had to accept the first of the Apostles as his pastor. Although we received him first as a teacher, we did not keep him until the end, but handed him over to royal Rome. " - "Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles", Prologue II, p.6
"And if anyone ever says, 'Then how did Jacob receive the throne of Jerusalem? I would answer him that He appointed Peter not a teacher of that throne, but a teacher of the whole world.' - Man. LXXXVIII, n. 1, Vol. VIII
Saint Jerome of Stridon - 393:
"I do not follow another leader but Christ, and I do not enter into communion with anyone but Your Beatitude (Pope Damasus I), that is, with the throne of Peter. I know that this is the stone on which the Church was built. He who eats the Lamb outside this house is an evil one. Anyone who is not in Noah's ark will perish when the flood comes. " - Letters 15: 2
Saint Augustine of Japan - 410:
"... But why does the stick cut from the vine retain its shape. But what is the use of this shape if it does not live (does not feed) from the root? Come, brother, if you want to be grafted to the vine. It is painful. let us see you lying, cut off. Count the bishops of Peter's diocese. And in this order of the fathers, look who inherits whom. This is the stone over which the proud gates of hell will not prevail. All who rejoice in peace judge true. " - Psalmus Contra Pertem Donati
"The throne of the Roman Church in which Peter sat and in which Anastasius (Holy Pope Anastasius I 399-401) sits today." - "Against the Letters of Petilian", 2:51
"I maintain communion with the Catholic (Ecumenical) Church through the episcopal succession from the very throne of Peter, to whom the Lord after His Resurrection commanded His flock to be fed to the present episcopate inclusive." - "Against Manny's letter", 5
"Carthage was also close to the countries around the sea and was famous, so he too had a bishop with more than usual influence, who could afford to ignore a number of conspiratorial enemies because he saw himself bound by decrees of communion with The Roman Church, in which the supremacy of the apostolic throne has always flourished. " - "Message to Glory", 43:
"To my venerable lord and pious brother and co-presbyter Sixtus, worthy to be received in the love of Christ, Augustine sends greetings to the Lord." - "Letter to Pope Sixtus III" 191 (1 Peter 5: 1)
Holy Pope Innocent I - 408:
In seeking God’s things, you knew that the decision of judgment would be referred to us (the pope), and you showed that you knew that this was due to the Apostolic See (Rome), since all of us placed in this position wish to we follow the Apostle (Peter), from whose name springs the episcopate itself and all authority. " - Letters, 29: 1
Saint John Cassian - 430:
"This great man, the disciple of the disciples, the teacher among the teachers, who, in ruling the government of the Roman Church, has the initial authority of faith and the priesthood. Tell us, therefore, we beseech you, Peter, Prince of the Apostles, how the Churches should believe in God. ? " - "Letter to Pope Innocent v. Nestorius"
Saint Cyril of Alexandria - 431:
"There is no doubt, and in fact it has been known throughout the ages, that Saint and Most Blessed Peter, Prince and Head of the Apostles, Pillar of Faith, Foundation of the Ecumenical Church, received the keys of the Kingdom from our Lord Jesus Christ, Savior and Redeemer. the human race, and the power given to it to bind and untie sins, which from then until today, and forever, lives and judges through its successors.The Holy and Most Blessed Pope Celestine, according to this commandment, is his successor and occupies his office. " - Ecumenical Council of Ephesus, session III
St. Peter the Chrysologist - 449:
"We encourage you, honorable brother, to surrender to all that has been written by the Blessed Bishop of Rome, because the Holy Apostle Peter, who lives and presides on his throne, transmits the true faith to which he seeks it. For our part, for the sake of peace. and the good of faith, we cannot judge matters of doctrine without the consent of the Bishop of Rome. " - "Letter to the heresiarch Eutychius", 25: 2
Saint Eusebius of Doril - 450:
"The Apostolic See has been established from the very beginning to protect those who suffer unjustly. I beg you, Your Beatitude, to restore the dignity of my episcopate and communion with you by letters from you to my mercy, handing me my rank and communion for free. . " - "Letter to Pope Leo"
Saint Maximus the Confessor - ca. 650:
"How much more in the case of the priesthood and the church of Rome, which from antiquity to the present day presides over all the churches under the sun? Being certainly received this canonically, and from the councils and apostles, and from the princes of the latter (Peter and Paul) , and belonging to them, she (the Roman Church) is not subject to any writings or decrees in the conciliar documents, due to the position of her Pontiff ... although all these (writings and decrees of the councils) are equally subordinate to her (the Roman Church ) so according to the sacred law. And so, without fear, but with full sanctity and due confidence, these priests (the Popes of Rome) are part of the truly strong and permanent stone, that is, of the greatest and apostolic church of Rome. " - JB Mansi, ed. Amplissima Collectio Conciliorum, vol. 10
Saint Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople - 806-815:
"Without whom (the Pope or his representatives to preside over the Seventh Ecumenical Council) a doctrine presented by the church, although confirmed by canonical rules and in ecclesiastical use, can never receive full approval or validity. Because they ( Popes) are those who have been entrusted with the administration of the sacred affairs, and who have received in their hands the honor of primacy among the apostles. " - Niceph. Cpl. pro. s. imag. c 25 [Mai N. Bibl. pp. ii. 30]
Saint Theodore the Studite - 759-826
"Since the great Peter Christ, our Lord, entrusted the ministry of chief pastor, after entrusting him with the keys of the kingdom of heaven, every innovation in the Catholic (Ecumenical) Church must be sent (for confirmation) to Peter or his successor." - Book 1, last. 23
"Let him (Patriarch Nicephorus of Constantinople) convene a council with whom he has disagreements; if it is not possible for representatives of the other patriarchs to be present, which may happen, the emperor should ask the Western patriarch (the Pope) to attend. authority over the ecumenical council, but let there be peace and unity, as he sent the letters from the council to the First Throne. " - Patr. Graec. 99, 1420
Saint Methodius, Slavic Primate - ca. 865:
"Because of his primacy, the Roman Pontiff is not required to attend the Ecumenical Councils, but without his participation, expressed by sending his envoys, every Ecumenical Council is invalid because he (or his envoys) is the one who presides over the council. " - N. Bryanchaninov, The Russian Church, 46
"It is not true, as this canon confirms, that the Holy Fathers gave primacy to ancient Rome, as it was the capital of the empire; this primacy comes from above, by the grace of God. Because of the power of his faith, our Lord Jesus Christ himself turns to Peter, the first of the apostles, with the words, "Peter, do you love me? Feed my sheep" (John 21:16). Therefore, in hierarchical terms, Rome holds the highest place and is the First Throne. That is why the law of ancient Rome is permanent forever and this is the opinion of all the churches. "(Ibid.)
