FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115  
116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   >>   >|  
Second--That one of them assembled in the East, viz: in Constantinople; and, Third--That in every one of them the Oriental and the Western Bishops met for the purpose of reunion. The Eighth General Council, held in Constantinople in 869, contains the following solemn profession of faith: "Salvation primarily depends upon guarding the rule of right faith. And since we cannot pass over the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, who says, 'Thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church,' what was said is confirmed by facts, because in the Apostolic See the Catholic religion has always been preserved immaculate, and holy doctrine has been proclaimed. Not wishing, then, to be separated from this faith and doctrine, we hope to merit to be in the one communion which the Apostolic See preaches, in which See is the full and true solidity of the Christian religion." This Council clearly declares that _immaculate doctrine_ has always _been preserved and preached in the Roman See_. But how could this be said of her, if the Roman See ever fell into error, and how could that See be preserved from error, if the Roman Pontiffs presiding over it ever erred in faith? In the Second General Council of Lyons (1274), the Greek Bishops made the following profession of faith: "The holy Roman Church possesses full primacy and principality over the universal Catholic Church, which primacy, with the plenitude of power, she truly and humbly acknowledges to have received from our Lord Himself, in the person of Blessed Peter, Prince or Head of the Apostles, whose successor the Roman Pontiff is; and as the Roman See, above all others, is bound to defend the truth of faith, so, also, _if any questions on faith arise, they ought to be defined by her judgment_." Here the Council of Lyons avows that the Roman Pontiffs have the power to determine definitely, and without appeal, any questions of faith which may arise in the Church; in other words, the Council acknowledges them to be the supreme and infallible arbiters of faith. "We define," says the Council of Florence (1439), at which also were present the Bishops of the Greek and the Latin Church, "we define that the Roman Pontiff is the successor of the Blessed Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and _the true Vicar of Christ, the Head_ of the whole Church, the Father and Doctor of all Christians, and we declare that to him, in the person of Blessed Peter, was given, by Jesus Christ our Savior, fu
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115  
116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Council
 

Church

 

Blessed

 
doctrine
 

preserved

 
Bishops
 

Christ

 

Catholic

 

Apostolic

 

religion


immaculate

 
Pontiffs
 

acknowledges

 

primacy

 

successor

 

Pontiff

 

Apostles

 

person

 

Prince

 
questions

define

 

General

 
Second
 

Constantinople

 

profession

 

Father

 

Doctor

 
received
 

Christians

 
present

defined

 

declare

 

Himself

 

plenitude

 
Savior
 

humbly

 

defend

 
appeal
 

determine

 

supreme


infallible

 
Florence
 

judgment

 

universal

 

arbiters

 

preaches

 

guarding

 

depends

 

Salvation

 

primarily