"The Papacy" by John Chuchman, History Most Catholics Don't Know

The Papacy

with its claim that

the Pope is the vicar of Christ

was not original to

the early Jesus movement

that was morphed into church.

The belief that

Peter the Apostle

was the first Pope

is wrong.

The Papacy

took form

in the fifth century

under Leo I,

Bishop of Rome,

trained in Roman Law,

who simply took

the titles and majestic claims

developed by Emperor Augustus

and applied them

to himself in Peter’s name.

Peter had nothing to do with it.

Leo

and others

simply transferred Roman ideas

of imperial power

to the function of Pope.

Popes still claim the title

Supreme Pontiff.

The monarchical papacy

that resulted from the expropriation of

Roman Imperial pomp

is heretical

to the Jesus story.