John Nichiporuk
The Holy Church of Rome, founded by Holy
Apostles Peter and Paul, was exceedingly ardent and faithful to the
tenets of the apostolic faith for one thousand years. “How happy this
Church is!” Tertullian († 220/240) exclaims. “This Church is the Church
upon which the apostles poured all doctrine with their blood.” (De
Prescr.) We Orthodox Christians tend to forget that Popes of Rome did a
lot to promote Orthodoxy both in the West and the East, especially in
the periods when the East was beleaguered by numerous heresies and
schisms. This post will remind you of the most notable Popes of Rome and
their contributions to the Church.
Linus (†76). According
to Irenaeus, it was Linus who was put in charge of the Church of Rome
by the apostles not long before their martyrdom. He was Apostle Paul’s
co-worker and the first bishop of Rome.
Holy Martyr Clement, Pope of Rome (†97). He
was Greek. St. Clement is said to have been made bishop by
Apostle Peter. He is mentioned by Apostle Paul. He wrote a well-known
Epistle to Corinthians, encouraging peace and harmony in the Church. His
epistle was read in churches along with epistles of holy apostles. He
was exiled to Crimean quarries and then tied to an anchor and drowned in
the sea.
Telesphorus (†136). He
had been a hermit in Palestine before becoming the bishop of Rome. He
fought Gnosticism as the pope. It was him who first started celebrating
Liturgy at night. His martyrdom occurred during the reign of
Emperor Antoninus Pius.
St. Hippolytus of Rome (†235). He
was a strong opponent of antitrinitarian heresies and a very
conservative thinker. He suspected that Pope Zephyrinus was a heretic
and seceded into a schism. He was in a schism for a long time. He
reconciled with Pope Pontian when both of them were exiled to Sardinia.
Pope Hippolytus was quartered and washed the sin of schism away with his
own blood. An important source about the life of the Roman Church in
the 3rd century titled Apostolic Tradition is attributed to him.
Liberius the Confessor (†366). A
staunch champion of Orthodoxy in the wake of the Arian heresy. He was
deposed by the emperor for his refusal to condemn Athanasius the Great
and exiled to Thrace. Under threat of death, it seems he may have
temporarily relented, or been set up to appear to have relented and
signed a semi-Arian dogmatic formula, which could still be interpreted
in an Orthodox way. As soon as he returned from the exile, he continued
to fight Arianism. He built the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore after
the Mother of God appeared to him in a dream and ordered him to build a
church in the place covered with snow on a summer morning.
Leo the Great (†461). He
was one of the most prominent popes. His everlasting importance is due
to the fact that it was his dogmatic definition that became the official
formula adopted by the Chalcedon Council, which promulgated the
Orthodox teaching on the two natures in Christ. Leo is also known for
rescuing the Empire by persuading Attila the Hun to turn back from his
invasion of Italy.
Gregory the Great, or the Dialogist (†604). He
was a Roman senator’s son. He was very fond of Saint Benedict of Nursia
so he decided to turn his manors into monasteries and became a monk.
Later, he had to perform duties of the papal nuncio to Constantinople
for a number of years. He was elected the new successor to the See of
Peter at a difficult time. He helped the poor, often inviting them to
his meals. It was thanks to his missionary outreach that pagan
Anglo-Saxons began converting to Christianity. It was him who started
referring to himself and the servant of servants of God. The famous
Gregorian chant was his contribution to the worship of the Roman Church.
There is a long list of other Orthodox
Popes of Rome, whose names all Christians should know. Although the East
has objected to abuse of papal power, it has always acknowledged and
respected the special place of the See of Rome in the Catholic Church.
As Saint Symeon of Thessalonica (15th century) aptly puts it,
“When the Latins say that the bishop of Rome is first, there is no need
to contradict them, since this can do no harm to the Church. They must
only show that he has the same faith as Peter and his successors… and that he possesses all that came from Peter, then
he will be the first, the chief and head of all, the supreme high
priest… That the Bishop of Rome profess only the faith of Silvester,
Agatho, Leo, Liberius, Martin, and Gregory, we would proclaim him first
among all other high priests, and we will submit to him not simply as to
Peter but as to the Savior Himself.” (Dial. contra haereses, 23 // PG
155,120AC).
Let us honor the memory of holy Popes of
Rome who remained faithful to the Orthodox Church, against which the
gates of hell will never prevail.
See also
Basic Points of Difference between the Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church
The Road to Rome? Why Orthodoxy Deserves a Look
Roman Catholics met Orthodoxy
The Road to Rome? Why Orthodoxy Deserves a Look
Roman Catholics met Orthodoxy
During the time that Luther and Calvin were formulating the Reformation...
The ancient Christian Church - About Orthodox Church in the West World
Travelers on the way to light
The ancient Christian Church - About Orthodox Church in the West World
Travelers on the way to light
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