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Default Re: The Birth of the Papacy - 03-01-2013, 09:12 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Levi Jones View Post
Amen! I almost wrote my own thread about Damasus, but Brother Zeph put this so well.


"Saint" Damasus I was the first pope to declare that Rome was the seat of the "Apostolic See". He was the first to declare that the bishop of Rome was the final authority in all of Christendom. He was also the first to take the title pontiff.1

Damasus came to power among factional violence in which he oversaw the murder of 160 or 137 of his opponents supporters in the church of Sicin. During this reign of terror Damasus and his dog Maximin oversaw the torture of dozens of the poor Christians who has supported his opponent Ursinus. 2

Damasus loved opulence and wealth. According to one pagan historian Ammianus Marcellinus, "
"I do not deny, when I consider the ostentation that reigns at Rome, that those who desire such rank and power may be justified in laboring with all possible exertions and vehemence to obtain their wishes; since after they have succeeded, they will be secure for the future, being enriched by offerings from matrons, riding in carriages, dressing splendidly, and feasting luxuriously, so that their entertainment surpassed even royal banquets. Source "
The church having been finally tolerated in the Roman empire had grown quite rich. This naturally attracted the worst sorts of power hungry men who desire nothing but wealth and power. This is no different than the situation of today, however in Damasus' day it was much worse with corruption and nepotism running rampant. Yet this man is considered a saint.

Known as Auriscalpius Matronarum (The tickler of women's ears)3 Damasus I was known to visit consorts in the city of Rome. He was tried and convicted of adultery on the testimony of 44 bishops, but on the intervention of the Emperor Gratian, was acquitted.4


1. Source
2.Source
3. Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
4;
Source

This is all true, but I would like to add some historical background. After the initial spread of Christianity within the Roman Empire, there were five dioceses established: Jerusalem, Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, and Antioch. Ideally, the bishops of these dioceses were equals; in practice, bishops of Rome always believed to be something better than the others (since they resided in what was considered the capital of the civilized world).

After the Arab conquest of the Middle East (7th century AD), Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch lost their importance (they now had less people and less contact with the rest). Later, the theological schism between Rome and Constantinople divided Christianity between the east (Orthodox churches) and west (Catholic church) - that was more of a process than a single event, but it culminated in 1054 AD. Until today, the eastern churches (including the remnants of the dioceses of Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria, that survived both the Arab invasion and later western crusades) do not recognize Rome as having any superiority whatsoever.
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