Category: Apologetics

The new pastor at my parish has taken to regularly including quotations from the Early Church Fathers. Here are the quotations on the feast of St. Peter and Paul:

Accept our counsel and you will have nothing to regret. If anyone disobeys the things which have been said by [Jesus] though us, let them know that they will involve themselves in no small danger. We, however, shall be innocent of this sin and will pray with entreaty and supplication that the Creator of all may keep unharmed the number of his elect
– St. Clement of Rome, Letter to the Corinthians 58:2, 59 (AD 95)

The Lord says to Peter “I say to you that you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church” On him he builds the Church and to him he gives the command to feed the sheep (John 21:17), and although he assigns a like power to all the apostles, yet he founded a single chair [cathedra], and he established by his own authority a source and an intrinsic reason for that unity. Indeed the others were also that which Peter was [i.e. apostles], but primacy is given to Peter, whereby it is made clear that there is but one Church and one chair. So too all [the apostles] are shepherds, and the flock is shown to be one, fed by all the apostles in single-minded accord. If someone does not hold fast to this unity of Peter, can he imagine that he still holds the faith? If he should desert the chair of Peter upon whom the Church was built, can he still be confident that he is in the Church?
– St. Cyrpian of Carthage, The Unity of the Catholic Church (AD 252)

For the Father gave to Peter the revelation of the Son; but the Son gave him to sow that of the Father and that of Himself in every part of the world; and to a mortal man He entrusted the authority over all things in heaven, giving him the keys, who extended the Church to every part of the world, and declared it to be stronger than heaven
– St. John Chrysostom, Homily LIV on Matthew 16:2,3