5. THE QUESTION WAS…..According to St.
Irenaeus, why should everybody agree with the Church in Rome?
ANSWER…..A….it preserves the
tradition of the apostles, which came from Christ
In the late 2nd
century, St. Irenaeus of Lyons wrote:
“With this Church [of Rome] it is
necessary that each church agree, on account of its superior origin . . . in
which has been preserved the tradition which is from the apostles . . . it is not necessary to seek the
truth among others which it is easy to obtain from the Church; since the
apostles, like a rich man depositing his money in a bank, lodged in her hands
most copiously all things pertaining to the truth: so that every man, whosoever
will, can draw from her the water of life. For she is the entrance to life; all
others are thieves and robbers. On this account we are bound to avoid them [the
heretics], but to love the things pertaining to the Church with the utmost
care, and to lay hold of truth's tradition. For how stands the case? Suppose
there arise a dispute relative to some important question among us, should we
not have recourse to the most ancient churches with which the apostles held
constant intercourse, and learn from them what is certain and clear in regard
to the present question? For how would it be if the apostles themselves had not
left us writings? Would it not be necessary in that case to follow the course
of the tradition which they handed down to those to whom they did commit the
churches?" (Against Heresies, 3:3-4, A.D.180).
Sola Scriptura, which conflicted with Early Church
teaching, would not be the theme of any religion until the 16th
century.
From the beginning of Christianity, the way one could tell
if one’s church had true Christian teaching,
was if it was under a bishop who was a direct successor of one of the 12
Apostles, and if the head bishop was a direct successor of St. Peter.
Today, there is only one Church that meets both criteria …
The Catholic Church. All its bishops
around the world are direct successors of one of the Apostles. It’s head bishop (Pope John Paul II) is a direct successor of
St. Peter.
Another large chunk of Christianity, the Orthodox Church,
meets one of these conditions: its bishops are direct successors of the
Apostles. Unfortunately, when it broke off the Catholic Church in the 11th
century, it also lost its earthly head (the direct successor of St. Peter, who
is the Vicar of Christ. Jesus said he’d
build his church on Peter the Rock. Hopefully, the Orthodox Church will again
be joined to the unity of Peter.
How reliable is St. Irenaeus, anyway?
This Church Father was mentored by a disciple of the
Apostle John!!!
(the disciple of John being Polycarp)
http://www.envoymagazine.com/backissues/1.6-2.1/faithoffathers.html (The Bishop of Rome)
http://www.catholic.com/library/Peter_Successors.asp
(Peter’s successors)
http://www.catholic.com/library/Peter_Primacy.asp
(Peter’s primacy)
http://www.catholic.com/library/Apostolic_Succession.asp
(Apostolic Succession)
http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/PETPOPE.HTM
(Peter - the First Pope)
http://www.canapologetics.net/html/origin_of_the_church.html
(Origin of the Church)
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13529a.htm
(Why is Schism Wrong?)
http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/IRENAEUS.htm
(St. Irenaeus, Church Father)
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