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Catholic traition says that the popes are the direct successors of the apostle Peter, who supposedly went to Rome to lead the church there. This appears to have begun when the second-century Pope Anicetus, wishing to demonstrate that he spoke with the authority of Peter, reported that Peter had been beheaded in Rome and that he was therefore the successor of St Peter.The Catholic Church has adopted this succession as doctrine, although it is possible that Peter never visited Rome.
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Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoCatholic Answer
St. Peter, formerly known as Simon, was the apostle whom Our Blessed Lord appointed as His first "pope" although the word was not used until much later. See Matthew 16:17-19 where Our Blessed Lord, following Isaiah 22:15-25, appoints St. Peter as His Vicar, thus establishing an office, which continues to this day, currently with Pope Francis. To quote from the Catholic Encyclopedia. Many facts about St. Peter later life are unclear, the only thing that is not unclear is that he was buried in Rome, his tome is right there under St. Peter's Basilica to this day. Every Pope, starting with St. Linus (elected in 67 A.D.) are successors to St. Peter. See attached links below:
Catholic Answers: Peter's Successors: www.catholic.com/tracts/peters-successors
Did Jesus make Peter pope?www.catholic-pages.com/pope/peter.asp
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Why is Rome considered a holy city?
Because it is where St. Peter and his successors the Popes set up the headquarters of the Catholic Church.
What was the connection between the Apostle Peter and the papacy?
The connection between the Apostle Peter and the papacy is based on the belief that Peter was appointed by Jesus as the leader of the apostles, making him the first pope. The Catholic Church sees Peter as the foundation of the papal office, with subsequent popes considered his successors in leading the Church.
Why did the bishop of Rome claim to have authority over all bishops?
The popes are the successors of Saint Peter, who was given special authority by Jesus to lead the Church.
Why did Bishops of Rome claim to have authority over all other bishops?
The popes are the successors of Saint Peter, who was given special authority by Jesus to lead the Church.
Why did the bishops of Rome claimed to have authority over all other bishops?
The popes are the successors of Saint Peter, who was given special authority by Jesus to lead the Church.
Was St. Boniface a pope?
There have been a number of popes named Boniface. However, the Boniface known as the 'Apostle of Germany' was never a pope.
What is the relevance of Saint Peter's Basilica?
It is the headquarters of the Catholic Church. It is named after St. Peter, the apostle and first pope. He and many other popes are buried under it.
Why is Rome the place for the Vatican?
The Apostle Peter was martyred in Rome, and his successors in Rome remained there to continue his leadership of the Church. Geography is unimportant, history happens to place him in Rome.
How many popes have been married?
None of them have been married while they were Pope, we know that St. Peter the Apostle had been married, as his mother-in-law is mentioned in the Scriptures, but he was probably a widower by the time he met Our Blessed Lord. Since then all Popes have been celibate as well.
What is the necropolis of St. Peter?
St. Peter the Apostle is buried in a tomb under the main altar of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican along with a number of other popes and saints.
He made the Catholic Church the authoritarian church of the bishops instead of church of the martyrs?
Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, established His Church on St. Peter and his successors, the popes. See. Matthew 16:17-19.
Who are the modern-day successors of the Apostles?
A:The Church considers its bishops to be the successors of the apostles. At first, there was no particular bishop designated as the specific successor to Peter. Pope Anicetus (156-166), during the course of a theological argument with the venerable Polycarp of Smyrna, claimed that Peter had travelled to Rome to lead the Christians there and had been beheaded in Rome, meaning that he (Anicetus) spoke with the authority of Peter. From this time forward, the bishops of Rome increasingly insisted that they were the successors of St Peter, until it is now an article of faith that they are.
