Apostolic see
An apostolic see is an
Tertullian says that from these "all the other churches, one after another, derived the tradition of the faith, and the seeds of doctrine, and are every day deriving them, that they may become churches. Indeed, it is on this account only that they will be able to deem themselves apostolic, as being the offspring of apostolic churches".[4]
Cited by early apologists for doctrinal authority
Tertullian himself and the slightly earlier Irenaeus (c. 130 – c. 200) speak of the succession of bishops of sees founded directly by the apostles as sources for sure Christian doctrine.
Irenaeus argues that, to know what is true Christian doctrine, it is enough to learn the teaching of some of the oldest churches or at least one, in particular that of Rome:[5] "If the apostles had known hidden mysteries, which they were in the habit of imparting to 'the perfect' apart and privily from the rest, they would have delivered them especially to those to whom they were also committing the Churches themselves.[6] [...] Suppose there arise a dispute relative to some important question among us, should we not have recourse to the most ancient Churches with which the apostles held constant intercourse, and learn from them what is certain and clear in regard to the present question?"[7]
Tertullian's arguing is similar: From the apostles the churches they founded received the doctrine that the apostles received directly from Christ, and from those churches the more recent churches received the same doctrine. Every heresy is more recent and, being different, is erroneous.[5][8]
Distinct from jurisdictional authority
Jurisdictional authority of particular episcopal sees over others is not necessarily associated with the apostolic origin of the see. Thus, the fourth canon of the First Council of Nicaea of 325 attributed to the bishop of the capital (metropolis) of each Roman province (the "metropolitan bishop") a position of authority among the bishops of the province, without reference to the founding figure of that bishop's see.[9]
Its sixth canon the same council recognized the wider authority, extending beyond a single imperial province, traditionally held by
Of
The see of
For another pentarchic see, that of
Sees or Churches viewed as founded by apostles or their close associates
- Seventy Apostles
- Saint Paul
- Saint Andrew
- Saint Andrew
- Saint Paul[26]
- Saint Barnabas
- Ephesus: John the Apostle
- Saint Philip the Evangelist[27]
- Saint Andrew and Simon the Canaanite
- Goa and Maharashtra: Bartholomew the Apostle[28][29] – Roman Martyrology of the Catholic Church mentions a tradition that Bartholomew the Apostle preached in India.[30][31] The studies of Fr A.C. Perumalil SJ and Moraes hold that the Bombay region on the Konkan coast, a region which may have been known as the ancient city Kalyan, was the field of Saint Bartholomew's missionary activities. Another unofficial book entitled ‘Martyrdom of Bartholomew’ says that, though he is generally said to have been martyred in Armenia,[32] he was martyred in India. In these texts, two kings named Polyamus and Astriyagis have been described. Circa AD 55 the king named Pulaimi ruled near Kalyan, who in Latin language is called as Polyamus and King Aristakarman, who succeeded Pulaimi, might have a Latin name of Astriyais [33][34][35] and it is in Goan tradition that the Apostle preached in Goa and Maharashtra.[36]
- Saint Paul
- Saint Barnabas
- Saint Andrew[38]
- Saint Paul
- Scythia Minor, Dobruja, and the Metropolitan of Tomis).
- Saint Paul
- The
- Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Syro-Malankara Catholic Church)
- Santiago de Compostela: James the Great
- Thaddeus of Edessa
- Syracuse: Saint Peter
- Saint Paul[40]
Apostles or their close associates claimed as founders of sees
- Milan
- Babylon
- Greek Orthodox, Latin)
- James the Great: Santiago de Compostela
- Ephesus
- Greek Orthodox), Aquileia
- Thessalonica, Illyria (Albanian Orthodox Church)
- Syracuse
- Philip the Evangelist: Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
- Simon the Canaanite: Georgian Orthodox Church
- Babylon)
- Babylon)
- Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Syro-Malankara Catholic Church)
Rome as the Apostolic See
By a long-standing usage, evidenced already in 431, when the Council of Ephesus, the third ecumenical council, employed the phrase "our most holy and blessed pope Cœlestine, bishop of the Apostolic See",[41] the expression, "the Apostolic See", is used in the singular and capitalized to mean specifically the see of Rome in reference to the Pope's status as successor of the Apostle Peter.[42][43]
In
See also
- Apostolic History Network
- Apostolic succession
- Dispersion of the apostles
- Early centers of Christianity
References
- ^ Merriam-Webster: definition of apostolic see
- ^ Collins English Dictionary: Definition of 'apostolic see'
- ^ Tertullian, De praescriptione haereticorum, chapter 36; original Latin text
- ^ Tertullian, De praescriptionibus adversus haereticos, chapter XX
- ^ a b Honoré Coppieters, "Apostolic Churches" in The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907)
- ^ Irenaeus, Adversus haereses, III
- ^ Irenaeus, Adversus haereses, III, iv, 1
- ^ Tertullian, De praescriptionibus adversus haereticos, chapter xxxii
- ^ First Council of Nicaea: canons 4, 6, 7
- ^ First Council of Nicaea: canon 6
- ^ First Council of Nicaea: canon 7
- ISBN 978-0-81533070-7), p. 207
- ISBN 978-0-22676361-3), p. 78
- ISBN 978-1-13610978-2), p. 28
- ISBN 978-0-19973940-0), p. 354
- ^ Schaff's Seven Ecumenical Councils: First Nicaea: Canon VII: "It is very hard to determine just what was the 'precedence' granted to the Bishop of Ælia, nor is it clear which is the metropolis referred to in the last clause. Most writers, including Hefele, Balsamon, Aristenus and Beveridge consider it to be Cæsarea; while Zonaras thinks Jerusalem to be intended, a view recently adopted and defended by Fuchs; others again suppose it is Antioch that is referred to."
- ^ "NPNF2-14. The Seven Ecumenical Councils - Christian Classics Ethereal Library". www.ccel.org.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica: Pentarchy
- Saint Barnabasin their apostolic journeys.
- ^ "Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria Official Website". Greekorthodox-alexandria.org. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ^ "website of the Coptic Orthodox Church Network". Copticchurch.net. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ^ "Syriac Orthodox Resources". sor.cua.edu. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
- ^ "Official Website of the Armenian Church". 66.208.37.78. Archived from the original on 5 July 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ^ Apostolic Succession of the Catholicos-Patriarch of Cilicia for Armenian Catholics
- ISBN 9798868951473.
- ^ "Word Pictures in the New Testament - 2 Corinthians - Christian Classics Ethereal Library". www.ccel.org.
- ^ Professor Sergew Hable Sellassie & Professor Tadesse Tamerat (December 1970), "The Establishment of the Ethiopian Church", The Church of Ethiopia: A Panorama Of History and Spiritual Life, archived from the original on 11 June 2011, retrieved 2 December 2015 – via Ethiopianorthodox.org
- ^ "Mission of Saint Bartholomew, the Apostle in India". 13 February 2007.
- ^ "Philip Schaff: NPNF2-01. Eusebius Pamphilius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine - Christian Classics Ethereal Library".
- ^ "St. Bartholomew - Saints & Angels".
- ^ "Saints & Blessed – CCBI".
- ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica: "Saint Bartholomew"
- ^ Paniker 1997, p. 263
- ISBN 9789004419384.
- ^ "Today, the Church remembers St. Bartholomew. | by Father Troy Beecham | Medium". Archived from the original on 2020-09-16.
- ^ "St bartholomew: Tracing St Bartholomew's footsteps to Betalbatim | Goa News - Times of India". The Times of India. 10 September 2017.
- ^ ""Eusebius Pamphilius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine" at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library". Ccel.org. 13 July 2005. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ^ Acts and Martyrdom of the Holy Apostle Andrew (ad finem)
- ^ "History of the Russian Church". Russian-crafts.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ^ Craig A. Evans, The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Acts-Philemon (David C. Cook, 2004), p. 610)
- ^ "NPNF2-14. The Seven Ecumenical Councils - Christian Classics Ethereal Library". www.ccel.org.
- ^ "In the east there were many Churches whose foundation went back to the Apostles; there was a strong sense of the equality of all bishops, of the collegial and conciliar nature of the Church. The east acknowledged the Pope as the first bishop in the Church, but saw him as the first among equals. In the west, on the other hand, there was only one great see claiming Apostolic foundation — Rome — so that Rome came to be regarded as the Apostolic see" (Bishop Kallistos Ware, Orthodox Church).
- ^ "An Apostolic see is any see founded by an Apostle and having the authority of its founder; the Apostolic See is the seat of authority in the Roman Church, continuing the Apostolic functions of Peter, the chief of the Apostles. Heresy and barbarian violence swept away all the particular Churches which could lay claim to an Apostolic see, until Rome alone remained; to Rome, therefore, the term applies as a proper name" (Catholic Encyclopedia, article The Apostolic See).
- ^ "Code of Canon Law: text - IntraText CT". www.intratext.com.
Sources
- Paniker, K. Ayyappa (1997). Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and selections. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 978-81-260-0365-5.