ABSTRACT
Roman Catholicism came to centre on Rome for several reasons. e Bible records Paul’s final years as a prisoner in Rome, where, according to tradition, he was martyred. Legend has it that the apostle Peter was also martyred in Rome, and on the same calendar date. (Saint Peter and Saint Paul typically share a festival in the liturgical year.) Peter’s particular significance lies in his confession of faith that Jesus is the Messiah, thus eliciting Jesus’ response, ‘You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church’ (Mt. 16:18). Traditionally it has been taught that in this incident Jesus ordained Peter as the first head of the Church, and he became the first in an unbroken line of popes in apostolic succession to the present day. Pope Benedict XVI is believed to be the 264th in this lineage. Many present-day Roman Catholics, however, are not so inclined to attach importance to a one-to-one line of succession, but rather to believe that Jesus was succeeded by a number of apostles who collectively were succeeded by other leaders whose line of succession leads up to the entire present-day Church. e Pope represents the whole Church, rather than acts as an autocratic individual who dictates its doctrines and practices. As the succession of early Christian leaders developed, the See of Rome tended to gain importance, since Rome was the centre of the empire that penetrated much of Europe, taking Christianity with it. It was the Roman emperor who presided over the early ecumenical Councils. e Bishop of Rome thus gained increasing authority, extending beyond his own geographical province.
