Mondays are for Church History
9/2/24
Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter V. The Hierarchy and Polity of the Church." In History of the Christian Church. (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Volume 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D. 311-600, from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great. (pp. 1993-2106). (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library). (sections 48-67).
"§58. The Latin Patriarch." (pp.2042-2046).
Schaff treats the rise of the papacy as a gradual development, motivated to some extent by a desire for power and honor (Schaff 2014, p. 2043). At the same time, he sees the development to be a matter of divine providence, as the foundation was being laid for the preservation of Western civilization during the Middle Ages, as well as its re-growth afterward.
The bishop of Rome made a claim to "the four dignities of bishop, metropolitan, patriarch, and pope or primate of the whole church" (Schaff 2014, p. 2044). All but the last claim are granted. The history of Christianity was already well established in Rome by the fourth century. And the bishop of Rome and his churches were established by imperial approval. Schaff further notes that the bishop of Rome held sway over a larger district than did any of the Eastern bishops (Schaff 2014, p. 2045). The bishop of Rome was also the only Latin patriarch, and cared for "the only sedes apostolica in the West" (Schaff 2014, p. 2045). The centralized authority of the West was protective against doctrinal and political confusion, which had regularly afflicted the East (Schaff 2014, p. 2046).
"§59. Conflicts and Conquests of the Latin Patriarchate." (pp. 2046-2053).
Though Schaff described a monarchical authority vested in the bishop of Rome, he does observe that the authority was not thoroughly consolidated until the second half of the sixth century (Schaff 2014, p. 2046). In Schaff's estimation, this was because the matters of organization would not be seen as unchanging doctrinal issues. The churches of major cities in the West operated rather independently of Rome. They did not always consider Rome's directives to apply to them. This resulted in clashes of authority and jurisdiction, a number of which are described by Schaff (Schaff 2014, pp. 2047-2048). Areas in which there was substantial instability or conflict tended to turn to Rome for help, thus allowing power to be consolidated.
9/2/24
Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter V. The Hierarchy and Polity of the Church." In History of the Christian Church. (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Volume 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D. 311-600, from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great. (pp. 1993-2106). (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library). (sections 48-67).
"§58. The Latin Patriarch." (pp.2042-2046).
Schaff treats the rise of the papacy as a gradual development, motivated to some extent by a desire for power and honor (Schaff 2014, p. 2043). At the same time, he sees the development to be a matter of divine providence, as the foundation was being laid for the preservation of Western civilization during the Middle Ages, as well as its re-growth afterward.
The bishop of Rome made a claim to "the four dignities of bishop, metropolitan, patriarch, and pope or primate of the whole church" (Schaff 2014, p. 2044). All but the last claim are granted. The history of Christianity was already well established in Rome by the fourth century. And the bishop of Rome and his churches were established by imperial approval. Schaff further notes that the bishop of Rome held sway over a larger district than did any of the Eastern bishops (Schaff 2014, p. 2045). The bishop of Rome was also the only Latin patriarch, and cared for "the only sedes apostolica in the West" (Schaff 2014, p. 2045). The centralized authority of the West was protective against doctrinal and political confusion, which had regularly afflicted the East (Schaff 2014, p. 2046).
"§59. Conflicts and Conquests of the Latin Patriarchate." (pp. 2046-2053).
Though Schaff described a monarchical authority vested in the bishop of Rome, he does observe that the authority was not thoroughly consolidated until the second half of the sixth century (Schaff 2014, p. 2046). In Schaff's estimation, this was because the matters of organization would not be seen as unchanging doctrinal issues. The churches of major cities in the West operated rather independently of Rome. They did not always consider Rome's directives to apply to them. This resulted in clashes of authority and jurisdiction, a number of which are described by Schaff (Schaff 2014, pp. 2047-2048). Areas in which there was substantial instability or conflict tended to turn to Rome for help, thus allowing power to be consolidated.
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