What the Early Church Believed: Peter's Successors
The Fathers recognized Peter as the rock, gave him a special primacy, and recorded that he went to Rome and was martyred there. They also recognized that the bishop of Rome, the pope, continued to serve in Peter's role in later generations.
In three points
- The Fathers list the bishops of Rome in succession from Peter
- Popes and councils exercised and recognized Rome's authority as Peter's see
- Jerome, Ambrose and Augustine tie communion with the Church to the chair of Peter
- Chalcedon acclaimed: "Peter has spoken thus through Leo!"
The witness of the early Church
- Irenaeus (189): Peter and Paul, having founded the church of Rome, handed the episcopate to Linus.
- The Little Labyrinth (211): Victor was the thirteenth bishop of Rome from Peter.
- Cyprian (251): Christ built the Church on Peter (Matthew 16:18), told him to feed the sheep (John 21:17), and founded a single chair; whoever deserts Peter's chair cannot be confident he is in the Church.
- Eusebius (312): Linus, Paul's companion in Rome (2 Timothy 4:21; see 4:10), succeeded Peter; Clement, Paul's co-worker (Philippians 4:3), was third bishop of Rome.
- Pope Julius I (341) rebuked those who judged Athanasius without first writing to Rome, as custom and the tradition from Peter required.
- The Council of Sardica (342): a bishop may appeal to Julius, bishop of Rome, "to honor the memory of the apostle Peter."
- Optatus (367): the episcopal chair in Rome was given first to Peter, head of the apostles; in that one chair unity is kept by all.
- Epiphanius of Salamis (375): at Rome came Peter and Paul, then Linus, Cletus and Clement.
- Pope Damasus I (382): Rome received the primacy from Christ's words to Peter (Matthew 16:18-19); the first see is Peter's.
- Jerome (383–396): Stephen was Peter's twenty-second successor and Clement the fourth bishop after Peter. Jerome consults the chair of Peter, whose faith Paul praised (Romans 1:8): "I know that this is the rock on which the Church has been built," and whoever is joined to the chair of Peter is accepted by him.
- Ambrose (388): the Novatians do not have Peter's succession because they rend his chair by schism (Matthew 16:19).
- Augustine (412) numbers the bishops from Peter: Linus, Clement, Anacletus, Evaristus.
- The Council of Ephesus (431): Peter lives and judges in his successors, and Pope Celestine is his successor.
- Pope Leo I (445) annulled a bishops' resolution contrary to the Nicene decree by Peter's authority.
- Peter Chrysologus (449): Peter lives and presides in his see; cases of faith cannot be tried without the bishop of Rome's consent.
- The Council of Chalcedon (451), hearing Leo's Tome, cried out: "Peter has spoken thus through Leo!"
Key Scripture
Read online with linked Scripture: catholic.id/tracts/peters-successors/