Is the Pope as he claims “God on Earth”.

[hobie]

In his encyclical, "The Reunion of Christendom" (1885), Pope Leo XIII stated that the pope holds "upon this earth the place of God Almighty."

In the Catechism, can be found the following: "The Pope takes the place of Jesus Christ on earth...by divine right the pope has supreme and full power in faith and morals over each and every pastor and his flock. He is the true Vicar of Christ, the head of the entire church, the father and teacher of all Christians He is the infallible ruler, the founder of dogmas, the author of and the judge of councils; the universal ruler of truth, the arbiter of the world, the supreme judge of heaven and earth, the judge of all, being judged by one, God himself on earth." and also "The Pope can make and unmake laws for the entire Church; his authority is supreme and unquestioned. Every bishop, every priest, every member of the Church is subject to him."

Here are some others…"The Pope is not simply the representative of Jesus Christ. On the contrary, he is Jesus Christ Himself, under the veil of the flesh." (Evangelical Christendom, January 1, 1895, pg. 15, published in London by J. S. Phillips)

"Against this background of love towards Holy Church, 'the pillar and bulwark of the truth' (1 Tim 3:15), we readily understand the devotion of Saint Francis of Assisi for 'THE LORD POPE', the daughterly outspokenness of Saint Catherine of Siena towards the one whom she called 'SWEET CHRIST ON EARTH'." (Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation on the Consecrated Life and Its Mission in the Church and in the World, to the bishops and clergy, religious orders and congregations, societies of apostolic life, secular institutes, and all the faithful, given in Rome, at Saint Peter's, March 25, 1996)

"The Pope is of so great dignity, and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God and the vicar of God." (Ferraris Ecclesiastical dictionary)

"All names which in the Scriptures are applied to Christ, by virtue of which it is established that He is over the church, all the same names are applied to the Pope." (On the Authority of the Councils, book 2, chapter 17)

"The Pope and God are the same, so he has all power in Heaven and earth." (Pope Pius V, quoted in Barclay, Chapter XXVII, p. 218, "Cities Petrus Bertanous)

"To believe that our Lord God the Pope has not the power to decree as he is decreed, is to be deemed heretical." (the Gloss "Extravagantes" o.f Pope John XXII *** inter, Tit. XIV, Cap. IV. Ad Callem Sexti Decretalium, Paris, 1685)

"Hence the Pope is crowned with a triple crown, as king of heaven and of earth and of the lower regions." (Ferraris, «Prompta Bibliotheca», 1763, Volume VI, 'Papa II', p.26)

"The Saviour Himself is the door of the sheepfold: 'I am the door of the sheep.' Into this fold of Jesus Christ, no man may enter unless he be led by the Sovereign Pontiff; and only if they be united to him can men be saved, for the Roman Pontiff is the Vicar of Christ and His personal representative on earth." (Pope John XXIII in his homily to the Bishops and faithful assisting at his coronation on November 4, 1958)

"This is our last lesson to you: receive it, engrave it in your minds, all of you: by God's commandment salvation is to be found nowhere but in the Church; the strong and effective instrument of salvation is none other than the Roman Pontificate." (Pope Leo XIII, Allocution for the 25th anniversary of his election, February 20, 1903; Papal Teachings: The Church, Benedictine Monks of Solesmes, St. Paul Editions, Boston, 1962, par. 653)

He calls himself the Supreme ruler of heaven and earth, the Supreme Pontiff, the Holy Father, which belong only to God and "God himself on earth". No such terms were given to a mere man anywhere in scripture and the term "Holy Father" is used only by Jesus in John 17:11 as He prayed to God the Father. For a sinful man to assume the authority and titles which belong only to God, seems the height of blasphemy.

So the Pope has laid claim to take the place of God with infallible authority and we find the Council of Trent declared: "Sitting in that chair in which Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, sat to the close of life, the Catholic Church recognizes in his person the most exalted degree of dignity, and the full jurisdiction not based on constitutions, but emanating from no less authority than from God Himself. As the Successor of St. Peter and the true and legitimate Vicar of Jesus Christ, he therefore, presides over the Universal Church, the Father and Governor of all the faithful, of Bishops, also and of all other prelates, be their station, rant, or power, what they may be."

So its not just the Pope, the councils have also laid claim that the Pope holds of himself what can only be termed as "God on Earth".

 

[hobie]

And does he have the authority to change times and laws of God? Lets see what is claimed:

"Not the Creator of Universe, in Genesis 2:1-3,-but the Catholic Church can claim the honor of having granted man a pause to his work every seven days." (S. C. Mosna, Storia della Domenica, 1969, pp. 366-367)

"The Pope is of great authority and power that he can modify, explain, or interpret even divine laws... The Pope can modify divine law, since his power is not of man, but of God, and he acts as vicegerent of God upon earth." (Lucius Ferraris, Prompta Ribliotheca, Papa, art. 2, translated)

"The Pope has the power to change times, to abrogate laws, and to dispense with all things, even the precepts of Christ. The Pope has the authority and often exercised it, to dispense with the command of Christ." (Decretal, de Tranlatic Episcop. Cap. (The Pope can modify divine law.) Ferraris' Ecclesiastical Dictionary)

"Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her; --she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority." (Rev. Stephan Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism, On the Obedience Due to the Church, chap. 2, p. 174. (Imprimatur, John Cardinal McCloskey, archbishop of New York)

"The authority of the church could therefore not be bound to the authority of the Scriptures, because the Church had changed...the Sabbath into Sunday, not by command of Christ, but by its own authority." (Canon and Tradition, p. 263)

"Is not yet too late for Protestants to redeem themselves. Will they do it?... will they indeed take the written word only, the Scripture alone, as their sole authority and their sole standard? Or will they still hold the indefensible, self contradictory, and suicidal doctrine and practice of following the authority of the Catholic church and wear the SIGN of her authority? Will they keep the Sabbath of the Lord, the seventh day, according to Scripture? Or will they keep the Sunday according to the tradition of the Catholic church." (Ibid, page 31)

Daniel 7:25
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Describing a “little horn power” Daniel says, "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws:" . Paul made a similar prediction:

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Paul warned that this blasphemy was already at work, and that it would come not from an outside influence, but from within the church:

2 Thessalonians 2:7
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

Acts 20:28-30
28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

And we clearly see it makes claims that is has the authority to say these things and to make these changes....

 

[Lamb]

This belongs in the Denominational & Faith Movement forum so I have moved it there since the Pope is a Catholic figure head.

 

[tango]

To borrow the second verse from a song called "A guy in a suit and the Pope" by a band called The Crucified:

His nothingness on a simple throne
Christ mediates for God and Christ alone
Just another man in a ridiculous hat
Held accountable for the seeds he's sown
Cancel the tours and the material things
The people bowing to you and kissing your rings
Guide them only to their knee
Seeking forgiveness today
Cast no doubt as to what they need

 

[hobie]

This belongs in the Denominational & Faith Movement forum so I have moved it there since the Pope is a Catholic figure head.

Thanks.

 

[Albion]

One wonders who was expected to take the affirmative side in this "debate?" onder:

Catholics will of course say that the Pope's words have been incorrectly paraphrased; and none of the rest of Christendom has such a figure as the Pope in the first place, so obviously those people won't be arguing for Leo XIII.

 

[psalms 91]

Yeah at least to me that is just more double speak

 

[hobie]

One wonders who was expected to take the affirmative side in this "debate?" onder:

Catholics will of course say that the Pope's words have been incorrectly paraphrased; and none of the rest of Christendom has such a figure as the Pope in the first place, so obviously those people won't be arguing for Leo XIII.

So then lets go to the next question which is why does anyone follow its dictates on what it says it has the authority to change, and claims that this is what Christians have to follow. Here are some statements which show who churches are following and its not the Bible:

"Protestants ... accept Sunday rather than Saturday as the day for public worship after the Catholic Church made the change... But the Protestant mind does not seem to realize that ... in observing Sunday, they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the Church, the pope." Our Sunday Visitor, February 5th, 1950. This Rock

"Question: Which is the Sabbath day?
Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day.

Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday." -Rev. Peter Geiermann C.SS.R., The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, p. 50


"Q. Should not the Protestant doubt when he finds that he himself holds tradition as a guide?
A. Yes, if he would but reflect that he has nothing but Catholic Tradition for keeping the Sunday holy;" ... Controversial Catechism by Stephen Keenan, New Edition, revised by Rev. George Cormack, published in London by Burns & Oates, Limited - New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: Benzinger Brothers, 1896, pages 6, 7.

"The Church, on the other hand, after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath, or seventh day of the week, to the first, made the Third Commandment refer to Sunday as the day to be kept holy as the Lord's Day. The Council of Trent (Sess. VI, can. xix) condemns those who deny that the Ten Commandments are binding on Christians." The Catholic Encyclopedia, Commandments of God, Volume IV, © 1908 by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition © 1999 by Kevin Knight, Nihil Obstat - Remy Lafort, Censor Imprimatur - +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York, page 153.

''The [Roman Catholic] Church changed the observance of the Sabbath to Sunday by right of the divine, infallible authority given to her by her founder, Jesus Christ. The Protestant claiming the Bible to be the only guide of faith, has no warrant for observing Sunday. In this matter the Seventh-day Adventist is the only consistent Protestant.'' The Catholic Universe Bulletin, August 14, 1942, p. 4.

"All of us believe many things in regard to religion that we do not find in the Bible. For example, nowhere in the Bible do we find that Christ or the Apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses to keep holy the Sabbath Day, that is the 7th day of the week, Saturday. Today most Christians keep Sunday because it has been revealed to us by the Church outside the Bible." The Catholic Virginian, "To Tell You The Truth,” Vol. 22, No. 49 (Oct. 3, 1947).

"... you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify." The Faith of Our Fathers, by James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, 88th edition, page 89. Originally published in 1876, republished and Copyright 1980 by TAN Books and Publishers, Inc., pages 72-73.

'Deny the authority of the Church and you have no adequate or reasonable explanation or justification for the substitution of Sunday for Saturday in the Third - Protestant Fourth - Commandment of God... The Church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.'' Catholic Record, September 1, 1923.

"But since Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn't it curious that non-Catholics who profess to take their religion directly from the Bible and not the Church, observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes, of course, it is inconsistent; but this change was made about fifteen centuries before Protestantism was born, and by that time the custom was universally observed. They have continued the custom, even though it rests upon the authority of the Catholic Church and not upon an explicit text in the Bible. That observance remains as a reminder of the Mother Church from which the non-Catholic sects broke away - like a boy running away from home but still carrying in his pocket a picture of his mother or a lock of her hair." The Faith of Millions


"Perhaps the boldest thing, the most revolutionary change the Church ever did, happened in the first century. The holy day, the Sabbath, was changed from Saturday to Sunday. "The Day of the Lord" (dies Dominica) was chosen, not from any directions noted in the Scriptures, but from the Church's sense of its own power. The day of resurrection, the day of Pentecost, fifty days later, came on the first day of the week. So this would be the new Sabbath. People who think that the Scriptures should be the sole authority, should logically become 7th Day Adventists, and keep Saturday holy." Sentinel, Pastor's page, Saint Catherine Catholic Church, Algonac, Michigan, May 21, 1995

'If Protestants would follow the Bible, they would worship God on the Sabbath Day. In keeping the Sunday they are following a law of the Catholic Church.' Albert Smith, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, replying for the Cardinal, in a letter dated February 10, 1920.

'It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other Christians, that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who observe the day observe a commandment of the Catholic Church.' Priest Brady, in an address, reported in the Elizabeth, NJ on March 18, 1903. This Rock


'Of course these .. quotations are exactly correct. The Catholic Church designated Sunday as the day for corporate worship and gets full credit – or blame ' This Rock,The Magazine of Catholic Apologetics and Evangelization, p.8, June 1997


'The observance of Sunday by the Protestants is homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Catholic] Church.' Monsignor Louis Segur, 'Plain Talk about the Protestantism of Today';, p. 213.

 

[tango]

Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man, not the other way around. Does it really matter which day we use to come together in fellowship? Some churches meet on Wednesday evenings. Scipture doesn't tell us not to meet on Wednesday evenings, the whole point of the Sabbath was to take a day of rest rather than to unyieldingly demand that this particular day must be held as sacred.

For what it's worth most Christians I know don't regard Sunday as being inherently sacred, just the day that church happens. It's also not as if worship is something that happens on one and only one day of the week - we can worship God individually at any time and should do so regularly, whatever day it happens to be.

 

[Albion]

So then lets go to the next question which is why does anyone follow its dictates on what it says it has the authority to change, and claims that this is what Christians have to follow. Here are some statements which show who churches are following and its not the Bible:

Oh, let's not.

The thread was pointless from the start and isn't now going to be converted into a general lecture on Seventh-day Adventism.

 

[hobie]

Oh, let's not.

The thread was pointless from the start and isn't now going to be converted into a general lecture on Seventh-day Adventism.

No, its on who do we obey, God or man.

 

[tango]

Ooh! Ooh! Pick me! Can we talk about whether we should celebrate Christmas on December 25 when we're done with the whole Saturday/Sunday issue?

 

[Albion]

No, its on who do we obey, God or man.

Is anyone holding out for "man" instead of "God?" Probably as many as are going to argue that the Pope is "God on Earth." LOL

 

[hobie]

Is anyone holding out for "man" instead of "God?" Probably as many as are going to argue that the Pope is "God on Earth." LOL

Then why follow its changes to what God set forth, its plain to see what they did.

 

[tango]

Is anyone holding out for "man" instead of "God?" Probably as many as are going to argue that the Pope is "God on Earth." LOL

I guess I am following man. I attend church on Sundays because, well, that's when the service is held. I tried going on Saturday but there was nobody there and I figured if I'm going to sing and pray by myself I can do that at home. You know, like I did before I got the idea of going to church on a Saturday on my own. Although a couple of times I have gone to the church specifically to pray by myself, just because I felt that I wanted to be there rather than at home. Once I knew my prayers were about something very dear to me and I knew I was going to get emotional, so checked that nobody else was there before I started and chose a time when I knew the office administrator wouldn't be there. I don't know why it seemed like the right thing to do to go to church to pray, it just did so I went with the flow.

But then the verse in 1Th5 that says things like "pray without ceasing" and "rejoice always" kinda suggests I can pray at home, or at church, or in the car (as long as I remember not to bow my head and close my eyes), or when I'm out hiking in the woods, or, well, just about any time. Sometimes I sing when I'm out walking in the woods. It's a good place for me to sing because nobody else can hear. I don't want to get stuck with the bill for counselling that might follow if someone heard me singing, unmasked by the sound of other voices.

 

[MOJS4545]

In his encyclical, "The Reunion of Christendom" (1885), Pope Leo XIII stated that the pope holds "upon this earth the place of God Almighty."

In the Catechism, can be found the following: "The Pope takes the place of Jesus Christ on earth...by divine right the pope has supreme and full power in faith and morals over each and every pastor and his flock. He is the true Vicar of Christ, the head of the entire church, the father and teacher of all Christians He is the infallible ruler, the founder of dogmas, the author of and the judge of councils; the universal ruler of truth, the arbiter of the world, the supreme judge of heaven and earth, the judge of all, being judged by one, God himself on earth." and also "The Pope can make and unmake laws for the entire Church; his authority is supreme and unquestioned. Every bishop, every priest, every member of the Church is subject to him."

Here are some others…"The Pope is not simply the representative of Jesus Christ. On the contrary, he is Jesus Christ Himself, under the veil of the flesh." (Evangelical Christendom, January 1, 1895, pg. 15, published in London by J. S. Phillips)

"Against this background of love towards Holy Church, 'the pillar and bulwark of the truth' (1 Tim 3:15), we readily understand the devotion of Saint Francis of Assisi for 'THE LORD POPE', the daughterly outspokenness of Saint Catherine of Siena towards the one whom she called 'SWEET CHRIST ON EARTH'." (Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation on the Consecrated Life and Its Mission in the Church and in the World, to the bishops and clergy, religious orders and congregations, societies of apostolic life, secular institutes, and all the faithful, given in Rome, at Saint Peter's, March 25, 1996)

"The Pope is of so great dignity, and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God and the vicar of God." (Ferraris Ecclesiastical dictionary)

"All names which in the Scriptures are applied to Christ, by virtue of which it is established that He is over the church, all the same names are applied to the Pope." (On the Authority of the Councils, book 2, chapter 17)

"The Pope and God are the same, so he has all power in Heaven and earth." (Pope Pius V, quoted in Barclay, Chapter XXVII, p. 218, "Cities Petrus Bertanous)

"To believe that our Lord God the Pope has not the power to decree as he is decreed, is to be deemed heretical." (the Gloss "Extravagantes" o.f Pope John XXII *** inter, Tit. XIV, Cap. IV. Ad Callem Sexti Decretalium, Paris, 1685)

"Hence the Pope is crowned with a triple crown, as king of heaven and of earth and of the lower regions." (Ferraris, «Prompta Bibliotheca», 1763, Volume VI, 'Papa II', p.26)

"The Saviour Himself is the door of the sheepfold: 'I am the door of the sheep.' Into this fold of Jesus Christ, no man may enter unless he be led by the Sovereign Pontiff; and only if they be united to him can men be saved, for the Roman Pontiff is the Vicar of Christ and His personal representative on earth." (Pope John XXIII in his homily to the Bishops and faithful assisting at his coronation on November 4, 1958)

"This is our last lesson to you: receive it, engrave it in your minds, all of you: by God's commandment salvation is to be found nowhere but in the Church; the strong and effective instrument of salvation is none other than the Roman Pontificate." (Pope Leo XIII, Allocution for the 25th anniversary of his election, February 20, 1903; Papal Teachings: The Church, Benedictine Monks of Solesmes, St. Paul Editions, Boston, 1962, par. 653)

He calls himself the Supreme ruler of heaven and earth, the Supreme Pontiff, the Holy Father, which belong only to God and "God himself on earth". No such terms were given to a mere man anywhere in scripture and the term "Holy Father" is used only by Jesus in John 17:11 as He prayed to God the Father. For a sinful man to assume the authority and titles which belong only to God, seems the height of blasphemy.

So the Pope has laid claim to take the place of God with infallible authority and we find the Council of Trent declared: "Sitting in that chair in which Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, sat to the close of life, the Catholic Church recognizes in his person the most exalted degree of dignity, and the full jurisdiction not based on constitutions, but emanating from no less authority than from God Himself. As the Successor of St. Peter and the true and legitimate Vicar of Jesus Christ, he therefore, presides over the Universal Church, the Father and Governor of all the faithful, of Bishops, also and of all other prelates, be their station, rant, or power, what they may be."

So its not just the Pope, the councils have also laid claim that the Pope holds of himself what can only be termed as "God on Earth".

Maybe you should try posting this on a forum where there are more Catholics and see what kind of response you get? i don't see many of this site that are Catholic or are experts on the Catholic faith

 

[hobie]

Maybe you should try posting this on a forum where there are more Catholics and see what kind of response you get? i don't see many of this site that are Catholic or are experts on the Catholic faith

The Admin moved it here just for that purpose...

 

[Josiah]

hobie,


Only Catholics hold to this position regarding the human leader of their denomination (and as a former Catholic myself, it is obvious to me that few Catholics believe it, either). SADLY, we have no active Catholics at CH (a few that rarely post but no active ones). So there's no one to really discuss this from a Catholic position.


I suspect most non-Catholics (and maybe most Catholics!) hold that the Pope is the highest human authority in their denomination... as one Catholic teacher put it, "The buck stops with him." That denominaiton is a carbon copy of Roman structures (government, military, business) - VERY "top down." The Pope is simply the Caesar, the Emperor of that denomination. IMO, it's okay to accept that rubric and for the denomination, consider the Pope kind of like the Supreme Court. As long as the denomination accepts that, it's fine with me. Nearly all denominations have some form of authority for the denomination; that's theirs.


What is silly is the claims that the RCC began making about this, perhaps to try to impose itself on OTHERS. In truth, the East-West divide began almost immediately and only widened with time. With the Fall of the City of Rome (and the western part of the Empire), the Western myths concerning the Bishop of ROME began.... In 311, the center of EVERYTHING was the City of Rome... and this made THAT bishop more influential if for no other reason because he lived down the street from the Emperor and the two had each other's "ear." But soon, things moved to the East and Rome became just a regional capitol largely stripped of it's power. This began the struggle between Rome and the East as the Bishop of Rome TRIED to regain dominance. But the City of Rome itself "fell" about a century later and became almost a ghost town; the Bishop of Rome needed to come up with some historic/spiritual reason for the dominance of this Bishop of a has-been ghost town.... It didn't work. But this didn't keep the myth from getting more and more absurd. It reaches its peak in 1870 when the Pope declared it de fide dogma that he was conditionally infallible. No one cared....





.

 

[tango]

The Admin moved it here just for that purpose...

Moving it to a different section of the board doesn't generate more Catholics to present their views on it, it just means it's in the appropriate section of this board for anyone who wants to discuss it.

 

[hobie]

hobie,


Only Catholics hold to this position regarding the human leader of their denomination (and as a former Catholic myself, it is obvious to me that few Catholics believe it, either). SADLY, we have no active Catholics at CH (a few that rarely post but no active ones). So there's no one to really discuss this from a Catholic position.


I suspect most non-Catholics (and maybe most Catholics!) hold that the Pope is the highest human authority in their denomination... as one Catholic teacher put it, "The buck stops with him." That denominaiton is a carbon copy of Roman structures (government, military, business) - VERY "top down." The Pope is simply the Caesar, the Emperor of that denomination. IMO, it's okay to accept that rubric and for the denomination, consider the Pope kind of like the Supreme Court. As long as the denomination accepts that, it's fine with me. Nearly all denominations have some form of authority for the denomination; that's theirs.


What is silly is the claims that the RCC began making about this, perhaps to try to impose itself on OTHERS. In truth, the East-West divide began almost immediately and only widened with time. With the Fall of the City of Rome (and the western part of the Empire), the Western myths concerning the Bishop of ROME began.... In 311, the center of EVERYTHING was the City of Rome... and this made THAT bishop more influential if for no other reason because he lived down the street from the Emperor and the two had each other's "ear." But soon, things moved to the East and Rome became just a regional capitol largely stripped of it's power. This began the struggle between Rome and the East as the Bishop of Rome TRIED to regain dominance. But the City of Rome itself "fell" about a century later and became almost a ghost town; the Bishop of Rome needed to come up with some historic/spiritual reason for the dominance of this Bishop of a has-been ghost town.... It didn't work. But this didn't keep the myth from getting more and more absurd. It reaches its peak in 1870 when the Pope declared it de fide dogma that he was conditionally infallible. No one cared....





.

So what happened to the other Christian centers and leadership.......seems like they all got left behind and none have been able to match the rise and influence of the 'bishop of Rome'.