Chapter 76 — Of the episcopal dignity, and that one bishop is over all

It has been stated (Ch. 74.) that all these orders are conferred by a certain sacrament, and that the sacraments of the Church have to be dispensed by certain ministers. Consequently, there must be in the Church a still higher power of some higher ministry to confer the sacrament of order. This is the episcopal power, which, while it does not surpass the priestly power in the consecration of Christ’s body, nevertheless does surpass it in things concerning the faithful, for the priest himself derives his power from the bishop, while all difficult matters regarding the faithful are reserved to bishops, by whose authority even the priests are able to do what they are appointed to do. Thus the priest uses things consecrated by a bishop for his priestly actions: for instance, in the celebration of the Eucharist, he uses a chalice, altar, and pall consecrated by the bishop. Hence it is evident that the supreme power in the direction of the faithful belongs to the episcopal dignity.

Now, although the people are distributed among various dioceses and cities, nevertheless there is but one Church, and therefore only one Christian people. Consequently, just as a bishop is appointed as the head of a certain people and a particular church, so must the whole Christian people be subject to one who is the head of the whole Church.

Again. The unity of the Church requires that all the faithful be of one faith. Now, questions tend to arise about matters of faith, and the Church would be divided by differences of opinion unless its unity were safeguarded by the pronouncement of one. Therefore, in order to safeguard the unity of the Church, it is necessary that there be one who presides over the whole Church. Now Christ loved the Church and shed his blood for her; therefore, he did not fail her in her needs, seeing that it is said even of the Synagogue: What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? (Isa 5:4) There can be no doubt, therefore, that Christ provided his Church with a head.

Further. We cannot doubt that the government of the Church was perfectly provided for, since it was devised by one through whom kings reign and rulers decree what is just (Prov 8:15). Now the best form of government is when a people is governed by one: for it is clear that government’s end is peace, for peace and unity of the subjects is the end of the governing authority, and unity is more fittingly ensured by one than by many. Therefore, the government of the Church is so arranged that one presides over the whole.

Moreover. The Church Militant originates from the Church Triumphant by its likeness to it: hence in the Apocalypse, John saw . . . Jerusalem coming down out of heaven (Rev 21:2); and Moses was bidden to make all things after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain (Exod 25:40). Now there is one who presides over the Church Triumphant, namely God, who also presides over the whole universe, for it is said: They shall be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God (Rev 21:3). Therefore, in the Church Militant, there is one who presides over all.

Hence it is said: The people of Judah and the people of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head (Hos 1:11). And our Lord said: There shall be one flock, one shepherd (John 10:16).

Someone, however, may say that the one head and the one shepherd is Christ, who is the one bridegroom of the one Church, but this reply is not sufficient. It is evident that Christ himself accomplishes all the Church’s sacraments: it is he who baptizes; it is he who forgives sins; he is the true priest, who offered himself on the altar of the cross, and by whose power his own body is consecrated daily on the altar. And yet, because he was not to remain bodily present to all the faithful, he chose ministers, that through them he might give that same body to the faithful, as we have shown above. (Ch. 74.) For the very reason, then, that he was about to withdraw his bodily presence from the Church, he needed to appoint one to take his place in governing the whole Church. Therefore, before his Ascension, he said to Peter: Feed my sheep (John 21:17); and before his Passion: When you have converted again, confirm your brothers (Luke 22:32); and to him alone he made the promise: I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matt 16:19), in order to show that the power of the keys was to be received from him by others, so as to safeguard the unity of the Church.

It cannot be said that, although he conferred this dignity on Peter, it does not pass from him to others. For it is evident that Christ so instituted his Church that it would endure to the end of the world: Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore (Isa 9:6). Hence it is evident that those he appointed to the ministry then and there were to communicate their powers to their successors until the end of time for the good of the Church; especially since he says: Behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age (Matt 28:20).

This suffices to refute the presumptuous error of those who dare to withdraw from obedience and submission to Peter by refusing to acknowledge his successor, the Roman pontiff, as the shepherd of the universal Church.