Papal Primacy

[John Charmley]

I guess this is one for Kirk, but it may be that others here have some information. One of my Catholic friends has written to me on the subject of Papal primacy as follows:

Quote:There is an ancient Syriac collection of canons attributed to St. Maruthas of Maipherqat that contains two canons about papal primacy.

This is one translation of the canons:



On the Patriarchs. Let there be four patriarchs in the whole world as there are four evangelists, and four rivers, and four elements of the world, and four corners, and four winds, and four elements of man, for of these four elements the whole world is composed. And let their Prince and governor be the lord of the see of Blessed Peter at Rome, as the apostles commanded...

The Patriarch Must Oversee Whatever His Metropolitans and Bishops Do. Let the patriarch oversee whatever is done by any of his metropolitans or bishops in the provinces over which they preside, and if he find any of these things to be unfitting, let him change it, and lay down whatever seems good to himself about that matter, for he is the father of them all, and they are his sons. Now metropolitans must acknowledge this authority over themselves, and revere him as an older brother, whom brethren set over themselves, and obey him because of his optimal regime, and superior years. For a patriarch within his jurisdiction is in the image of a father over his sons. And as the Patriarch has authority over his subjects, even so does the bishop of Rome have authority over all the patriarchs, as Peter had it over all the rulers of Christianity, and their Councils: for he is the vicar of Christ over his redemption, his churches, and the people in his care. Whoever contradicts this sanction, the fathers of the Council punish him with anathema.



Several canonical collections of the Copts, Jacobites and Assyrians contain one or both of these canons, including Ibn 'Assal and Bar Hebraeus.

I'd be interested to know if these are genuine or interpolations.

In Christ,

John