Posted on 09/02/2013 9:07:37 AM PDT by bkaycee
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What we now call popes were originally bishops of Rome (one bishop among brother bishops from other cities). Then they became popes, with power over the entire Church. Then they became so powerful that they were able to depose kings and emperors. They became so powerful that they were able to force kings to use their secular might to enforce the Inquisition, which was conducted by Catholic priests and monks. In 1870, the Pope was declared to be infallible. The process of increasing papal power was influenced by forged documents which changed people’s perception of the history of the papacy and of the Church.
I’m just going to briefly summarize some information about these forgeries. At the end of this paper is a link to an on-line article which gives detailed historical information.
One of the most famous forgeries is the “Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals,” which were written around 845 A.D. (They are also known as the “False Decretals”.) They consist of 115 documents which were supposedly written by early popes. [Note 1]
The “Catholic Encyclopedia” admits that these are forgeries. It says that the purpose of these forged documents was to enable the Church to be independent of secular power, and to prevent the laity from ruling the Church. [Note 2 gives the address of an on-line article.] In other words, their purpose was to increase the power of the Pope and the Catholic Church.
In addition to documents which were total forgeries, genuine documents were altered. One hundred twenty-five genuine documents had forged material added to them, which increased the power of the Pope. Many early documents were changed to say the opposite of what they had originally said. [Note 3]
One of the forgeries is a letter which was falsely attributed to Saint Ambrose. It said that if a person does not agree with the Holy See, then he or she is a heretic. [Note 4] This is an example of how papal power was promoted by fraudulently claiming the authority of highly respected Early Fathers.
Another famous forgery from the ninth century was “The Donation of Constantine”. It claimed that Emperor Constantine gave the western provinces of the Roman Empire to the Bishop of Rome. The Pope used it to claim authority in secular matters. [Note 5]
When Greek Christians tried to discuss issues with the Church in Rome, the popes often used forged documents to back their claims. This happened so frequently that for 700 years the Greeks referred to Rome as “the home of forgeries”. [Note 6]
For three hundred years, the “Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals” and other forgeries were used by Roman Popes to claim authority over the Church in the East. The Patriarch of Constantinople rejected these false claims of primacy. This resulted in the separation of the Orthodox Church from the Roman Catholic Church. [Note 7 gives addresses of on-line articles.]
In the middle of the twelfth century, a monk named Gratian wrote the “Decretum,” which became the basis for Canon Law (the legal system for running the Roman Catholic Church). It contained numerous quotations from forged documents. Gratian drew many of his conclusions from those quotations. Gratian quoted 324 passages which were supposedly written by popes of the first four centuries. Of those passages, only eleven are genuine. The other 313 quotations are forgeries. [Note 8]
In the thirteenth century, Thomas Aquinas wrote the “Summa Theologica” and numerous other works. His writings are the foundation for scholastic theology. Aquinas used Gratian’s “Decretum” for quotations from church fathers and early popes. [Note 9] Aquinas also used forged documents which he thought were genuine. [Note 10]
The importance of Thomas Aquinas’ theology can be seen in the encyclical of Pope Pius X on the priesthood. In 1906, Pius said that in their study of philosophy, theology, and Scripture, men studying for the priesthood should follow the directions given by the popes and the teaching of Thomas Aquinas. [This papal encyclical is available on-line. Note 11 gives addresses.]
William Webster is the author of “The Church of Rome at the Bar of History”. (I recommend this book.) His web site has an article entitled “Forgeries and the Papacy: The Historical Influence and Use of Forgeries in Promotion of the Doctrine of the Papacy”. The article gives detailed information about the “Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals” and other forged documents, showing their influence on the papacy and on the Catholic Church. Four quotations from his article are below. (They are used by permission.)
“In the middle of the ninth century, a radical change began in the Western Church, which dramatically altered the Constitution of the Church, and laid the ground work for the full development of the papacy. The papacy could never have emerged without a fundamental restructuring of the Constitution of the Church and of men’s perceptions of the history of that Constitution. As long as the true facts of Church history were well known, it would serve as a buffer against any unlawful ambitions. However, in the 9th century, a literary forgery occurred which completely revolutionized the ancient government of the Church in the West. This forgery is known as the “Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals,” written around 845 A.D. The “Decretals” are a complete fabrication of Church history. They set forth precedents for the exercise of sovereign authority of the popes over the universal Church prior to the fourth century and make it appear that the popes had always exercised sovereign dominion and had ultimate authority even over Church Councils.”
“The historical facts reveal that the papacy was never a reality as far as the universal Church is concerned. There are many eminent Roman Catholic historians who have testified to that fact as well as to the importance of the forgeries, especially those of “Pseudo-Isidore”. One such historian is Johann Joseph Ignaz von Dollinger. He was the most renowned Roman Catholic historian of the last century, who taught Church history for 47 years as a Roman Catholic.” [Webster quotes extensitely from Dollinger.]
“In addition to the “Pseudo Isidorian Decretals” there were other forgeries which were successfully used for the promotion of the doctrine of papal primacy. One famous instance is that of Thomas Aquinas. In 1264 A.D. Thomas authored a work entitled ‘Against the Errors of the Greeks’. This work deals with the issues of theological debate between the Greek and Roman Churches in that day on such subjects as the Trinity, the Procession of the Holy Spirit, Purgatory and the Papacy. In his defense of the papacy Thomas bases practically his entire argument on forged quotations of Church fathers…. These spurious quotations had enormous influence on many Western theologians in succeeding centuries.”
“The authority claims of Roman Catholicism ultimately devolve upon the institution of the papacy. The papacy is the center and source from which all authority flows for Roman Catholicism. Rome has long claimed that this institution was established by Christ and has been in force in the Church from the very beginning. But the historical record gives a very different picture. This institution was promoted primarily through the falsification of historical fact through the extensive use of forgeries as Thomas Aquinas’ apologetic for the papacy demonstrates. Forgery is its foundation.”
I strongly encourage you to read William Webster’s article. It has an abundance of valuable historical information. The address of the article is:
http://www.christiantruth.com/forgeries.html
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NOTES
[1] William Webster, “The Church of Rome at the Bar of History” (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1995), pages 62-63. Webster is a former Catholic.
Peter de Rosa, “Vicars of Christ” (Dublin, Ireland: Poolbeg Press, 1988, 2000), pages 58-61, 174, 208. De Rosa is a Catholic, and a former Catholic priest. He was able to do historical research in the Vatican Archives.
Paul Johnson, “A History of Christianity” (New York: A Touchstone Book, Simon & Schuster, 1976, 1995), page 195. Johnson is a Catholic and a prominent historian.
[2] “Benedict Levita” in the “Catholic Encyclopedia”. [Benedict Levita is the pseudonym of the author of the “Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals”.]
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02466a.htm
[3] De Rosa, page 59.
[4] De Rosa, page 166.
[5] Johnson, pages 170-172.
[6] De Rosa, page 59.
[7] Orthodox Christian Information Center, “The False Decretals of Isidore”. An excerpt from “The Papacy” by Abbee Guette. The author was a devout Catholic and a historian. As a result of his historical research about the papacy, he eventually joined the Orthodox Church.
http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/decretals.htm
“The Great Schism of 1054”. This is a sermon given at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. John the Baptist,in Washington, D.C.
http://www.stjohndc.org/Homilies/9606a.htm
[8] Webster, pages 62-63. De Rosa, page 60.
[9] Webster, page 63. De Rosa, page 60.
[10] William Webster, “Forgeries and the papacy: The Historical Influence and Use of Forgeries in Promotion of the Doctrine of the Papacy”. This gives detailed accounts of Aquinas’ use of forged documents which he wrongly believed to be genuine.
http://www.christiantruth.com/forgeries.html
[11] Pius X, “Pieni l’animo” (“On the Clergy in Italy”), July 28, 1906. (See paragraph 6.)
http://www.ewtn.com/library/ENCYC/P10CLR.HTM
Pope refers to the Latin title “Pontifex Maxiumus” or great bridge builder, an ancient title of the head of the college of priests of Ancient Rome.
Pontifex Maximus is thus a pagan position, dependent on pagan authority for its precedents, and prerogatives.
Would that be like the Catholic FReepers who are claiming that she's wrong without offering any proof?
Yes, .45LG; that is funny. I will pray for you, too. :)
Yes, Correct!
When Constantine the Great convoked the famous Council of Nicaea early in the FOURTH CENTURY there was no pope and no papacy. Constantine, who is not listed as a pope in Rome’s papal lineage, himself assumed the leadership of the churches and took the title Pontifex Maximus – highest priest. Inasmuch as the Pontifex Maximus title is one of the many applied to Roman Catholic popes, Sylvester, bishop of Rome at the time, should have had that title if he was the reigning pope. He was not the pope or a pope, and he was not even in attendance at the AD 325 Council of Nicaea
LOL
Who cares who this Collins is? Is the article factual or not? If not then in what statement? If so it doesn’t matter who said it.
Is the article factual?
Well, it’s sleazy if the “former Catholic nun” angle is a ruse, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the article’s claims about forged documents being used to support the doctrine of the papacy aren’t true. The emphasis on the status of the messenger, the classic “ad hominum” argument, is a way of avoiding the message. Maybe there are solid counter arguments to the claims made in this story, but few - if any - of the critics are telling us what they are.
As for the Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals and the Donation of Constantine, both were indeed forgeries or --- what's worse --- mixed collections of forged and genuine manuscripts. Most of what Pseudo-Mary-Ann-Collins has to say about them is false or --- what's worse --- a mixture of tendentious and genuine interpretation.
(Pause here for all characters to change their names and reappear different costumes like a fast-paced Shakespearean farce.)
The False Decretals were evidently concocted by some Frankish monks in the 800's as an attempt to get the Carolingian Empire to back off on trying to dominate the bishops, either directly as the Empire bossing around the Church, or indirectly as imperial allies (archbishops and so forth) trying to boss around little local bishops and abbots.
In many ways an admirable project --- monks trying to defend the liberty of their local abbot --- though not, of course, by forgery.
The people through the centuries who quoted from these False Decretals (including Aquinas) were emphatically not frauds: they were just people who thought them to be genuine manuscripts, as did everybody at the time (i.e. everybody on both sides of many a disputed question.)
The person who finally did do the necessary, painstaking detective work was none other than a fifteenth century Latin scholar, Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa. A Catholic, you'll note. It's been a long time since anybody seriously argued that the Decretals and the Donation were genuine.
So the Pseudo-Mary-Ann runs up now to the train station, red-faced but triumphant, proclaiming that she has discovered these forged Frankish manuscripts?
That train left a couple centuries ago, Pseudo-Sister. Nice try.
I cannot speak to the nun, but you will find no one who will stand to defend these documents, and the gist of the story, the impact of these documents, is certainly true. Ergo, I doubt you will find any serious discussion on this thread, as all they will have left is poo-throwing.
This was first shown to be a forgery in the 15th century, by a "Roman" Cardinal/literary detective.
It's not something "Rome" had to be forced to "admit" by an American gal with a fake name skidding into a website almost 600 years too late.
A former nun is.....someone who quit being a nun and is no longer a nun. A nun is just a Catholic promised to virginity, wed to Christ, not a scholar. So she divorced him.
Pope is human, so not infallible - the church’s teachings are infallible and so when the pope speaks on those, there is infallibility - which is why Catholics are taught not to contracept, kill their babies or elderly, nor death penalty in 1st world countries, nor engage in sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman. Infallible.
“nor death penalty in 1st world countries”
Catholics are not taught the above to be infallible. Secondly, is the death penalty OK for you in 3rd world countries?
What the lead article says about the Roman church and forged documents and Papal Power is spot on. I have taken notice how everyone of the FR Catholics have responded.
Now, I know what I am going to say here is not true of all Catholics, the ones I’ve known personally, but the ones who post on the RF, not so, they appear a very dishonest lot. Which is why nothing meaningful ever comes out of any discussion with them.
Generally speaking, I don’t find this among Protestants (using the term to mean non-Catholic Christians), but then they don’t have primacy claims over the whole of Christianity to defend.
I guess, when you think about it, we shouldn’t be shocked at the dishonesty, my goodness, everything hangs on the Roman church’s claim that the Popes reign over Christianity is historically valid (the rest of Christianity - yea, the entire world - must be in subservience to the Pope). As the lead article brings out, they have used dishonest means to establish the primacy.
The institution of the Papacy is simply a lie, the fact that they use lying forged documents to establish it, proves it. And the lying tradition continues on.
FORMER Catholic nun?
LOL...
Honesty is a matter of honor which I take seriously, and, as a Catholic, personally.
All you can do is be faithful and keep on posting these excellent and informative articles. :O)
This offcourse is old news. She just happen to put a short readable article on it. That’s all.
I have the same attitude on this as i do the anti Mormon threads, that is the thread itself is not what i object to but rather some of the sleazy comments it brings from the anti Mormons.
Almost every one agrees with an anti Mormon thread and some of it gets carried away but i do not see it to that extent on an anti Catholic thread.
So i will just say i base my belief of the Gospel on what i understand of the Bible.
I do not have to take the word of some professor who has never walked the walk but only talked the talk.
The ordinary people like the fishermen brought the Gospel straight from Jesus to us, they walked the walk.
And that is good enough for me, No Mormonism, no Catholicism, no religionism period.
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