The Evolution Of Papal Authority

In light of the election of a new Pope, I thought it timely to examine one of the more controversial and misunderstood aspects of Catholicism: the existence and role of the Pope.  

Specifically, I want to examine the evolution of papal authority and its impact on the Catholic Church throughout history.

Why A Pope?

A succinct answer for why Catholicism has a Pope is that God decreed the papacy.

Two Bible verses can support the belief that God created the papacy. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus ordains Peter as the first Pope of the Catholic Church. “And so 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 loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:18-19).

This verse is self-explanatory, with the possible exception of the second part. To bind and loose refers to the apostolic power to forgive sins. Said differently, whoever the apostles excluded from communion was to be excluded from communion with God; whoever the apostles allowed into communion with them, God also allowed communion with. Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 1445).

The second significant passage related to the papacy occurs in John’s Gospel. “Simon, son of John [i.e., Peter], 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.” He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

In sticking with the metaphors frequently used by Christ, “sheep” refers to those who follow Jesus. Peter, as the first Pope, is being given the responsibility of caring for Christ’s followers (which is what the word Christian means).

The responsibility of caring for those “sheep” would become immense as Catholicism became the world’s largest religion and an influential power in both the spiritual and secular realms.

A Growing Force

In a sense, the Catholic Church is a kind of Jacob’s Ladder, partly in this world and partly in the next one. The Church in this world, referred to as the Church militant, would grow to become arguably the greatest force for good the world has seen.

To some extent, the growth of the papacy was tied to the emergence of the Roman Empire. As Rome became an increasingly important center of the faith, it gave the bishop of Rome (the Pope) more power over the entire Church, thereby ushering in the era of papal supremacy. The influence and power of the Pope grew even more so when Catholicism became the official religion of the Roman Empire in 380.

In the years following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Pope served as a source of authority and continuity. The Pope’s influence on Western Europe reached its pinnacle when Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as Roman Emperor in 800. This event established the precedent that no man would be emperor without being crowned by a Pope.

During the Middle Ages, Popes and monarchs wrestled for power. Through events such as the Investiture Controversy and the Crusades, the papacy increased its power in relation to the secular rulers of Europe.

In 1302, the papacy reached its peak in terms of claims to power with the issuing of Unam Sanctam (One Holy) by Pope Boniface VIII. Unam Sanctam declared that the Pope held supreme authority over both spiritual and temporal matters.

Nevertheless, various events would conspire to weaken the power of the Pope. Beginning in the fourteenth century, the Pope began residing in France instead of Rome. The move from Rome had the effect of diminishing the prestige of the papal office. Furthering the decline of papal power was the Great Western Schism, which saw as many as three men claiming to be the legitimate Pope.

In 1517, the Protestant Reformation challenged papal authority, with the likes of Martin Luther rejecting the Pope’s supremacy. As a response to the Reformation, the Council of Trent clarified Catholic doctrine and re-emphasized the role of the papacy in preserving unity and orthodoxy.

In 1870, the First Vatican Council declared a doctrine that would be a source of much controversy and confusion: papal infallibility.

A Perfect Pope?

Few, if any, of the Church’s doctrines are as controversial or misunderstood as papal infallibility.

The Church does not assert that the Pope is God or a perfect human being. Rather, beginning at the First Vatican Council, Catholicism declared that the Pope was infallible when, under certain conditions, he taught that a teaching was of divine and apostolic origin and, thus, an essential element in the deposit of faith. The particular and unique set of circumstances that render the Pope incapable of error is called ex-cathedra teachings.

Ex-cathedra is a Latin term translated as “from the chair.” The chair, in this case, is the chair of Peter. The term is commonly applied to the particular and explicit exercise of papal infallibility. For the teaching to be considered infallible, the Pope must speak on matters related only to faith and morality.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the Catholic Church simply takes Christ at His word. In giving Peter the “keys to Heaven,” He bequeathed to Peter and Peter’s successors the tremendous responsibility of leading God’s Church on earth. While controversial, it is not difficult to understand why Catholics believe that the Pope is God’s representative on earth.