the Church of Constantinople in her office honours St. Peter as "The foundation of the Church and Rock of the faith,"[1] and "Immovable basis of dogmas," "throne of the faith," "sitting on the first throne of the Apostles."[2]
These same Fathers knew that St. Peter had been the first Bishop of Rome, and that the Pope is his successor. Eusebius writes of "the first succession of the Apostles," and says: "Linus received the Bishopric of the Roman Church first after Peter,"[3] Pope Victor "was the thirteenth bishop of the Roman Church since Peter."[4] Epiphanius: "the succession of the Roman Bishops is thus: Peter and Paul, Linus and Cletus, Clement," &c.[5] The Fathers of Chalcedon cry out, when St. Leo's letter has been read to them: "Peter has spoken by Leo," the Fathers of the sixth general council (Constantinople III, in 680) repeat their words: "Peter has been spoken by Agatho."[6] Eulogius of Alexandria († 608) "said of the chair of St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, that he himself sits therein to this day in his successors."[7] On the feast of SS. Peter and Paul the Church of Constantinople still sings: "Let the Protector of Rome, the Steward of the kingdom, Rock of the faith, firm foundation stone of the Catholic Church, be celebrated in sacred hymns."[8] And on the commemoration of all the Apostles (June 30th) the Menaion contains the hymn: "Summit and foundation of the Apostles, you left all things and followed your Master, saying: May I die with you, so as to live the life of the Blessed. You became the first Bishop of Rome; you were the glory and honour of the greatest of all cities and fulcrum of the Church, oh Peter, against which the gates of hell shall never prevail."[9]
From these premisses the Eastern Church drew the same conclusion as the Latins. The foundation stone must last as long as the building that rests on it, and therefore it could not
- ↑ Menaion, Jan. 16th (St. Peter's Chains) in the Hesperinon.
- ↑ Cf. Nilles: Kalendarium manuale, i. 72, 193, 194. For further examples see Échos d'Orient, i. 307–309: Les titres glorieux de l'Apôtre Saint Pierre dans l'hymnographie grecque.
- ↑ H.E. iii. 4.
- ↑ Ibid. v. 28.
- ↑ Hær. 27, n. 6.
- ↑ Hardouin, iii. 1422.
- ↑ So St. Gregory the Great, L. 7, Ep. 40, M.P.L. lxxvii. 898.
- ↑ Card. Pitra: Hymnographie de l'Église grecque, Rome, 1867, p. cxx.
- ↑ Menaion for June (Venice, 1895), Sticharon for June 30th, p. 119.
