Pope
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The history of the papacy, in regards to the head of the Roman Catholic Church, has an unclear history. However, the earliest record of a Church leader being established is found in the New Testament[1] in which Jesus tells Simon Peter "Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my church and I will give thee the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven."[2] Indeed, Peter had built a church in Rome in 42 A.D. while he was visiting Simon Magus. He served as the bishop for 25 years until 67 A.D. when he is martyred by Nero[3] (further information: Great Fire of Rome). Eamon Duffy points out in his book, Saints and Sinners: A History of the Popes, that Jesus had essentially appointed Peter as the first pope.[4]
Notes
- ↑ Specifically Matthew 16:18, 1 Corinthians 3:11, Ephesians 2:20, 1 Peter 2:5–6, and Revelations 21:14.
- ↑ Gospel of Matthew: Chapter 16, Verse 18.
- ↑ Pennington, p. 2
- ↑ Duffy p. 1
References
- Pennington, Arthur Robert (1882). Epochs of the Papacy: From Its Rise to the Death of Pope Pius IX. in 1878. G. Bell and Sons.
- Duffy, Eamon (2002). Saints and Sinners: A History of the Popes. Yale University Press.