Page:The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII.djvu/394



388 THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH

the power of binding and loosening was granted to the apostles and to Peter; but^ t h^re is^othin g toshojs-jthat the apostles received supreme power without Peter, and against Peter. Such power they certainly did not receive from Jesus Christ. Wherefore, in the decree of the Vati- can Council as to the nature and authority of the primacy of the Roman Pontiff, no newly conceived opinion is set forth, but the venerable and constant belief of every

age.*

Nor does it beget any confusion in the administration that Christians are bound to obey a twofold authority. We are prohibited in the first place by divine wisdom from entertaining any such thought, since this form of government was constituted by the counsel of God Him- self. In the second place we must note that the due order of things and their mutual relations are disturbed if there be a twofold magistracy of the same rank set over a people, neither of w^hich is amenable to the other. But the authority of the Roman Pontiff is supreme, universal, independent; that of the bishops limited, and^dependent. "It is not congruous that two superiors with equal au- thority should be placed over the same flock; but that two one of whom is higher than the other, should be placed over the same people is not incongruous. Thus the parish priest, the bishop, and the Pope, are placed immediately over the same people."^ So the Roman Pontiffs, mindful of their duty, wish above all things, that the divine constitution of the Church -should be preserved. Therefore, as they defend with all necessary care and vigilance their own authority, so they have always labored, and will continue to labor, that the au- thority of the bishops may be upheld. Yea, they look upon whatever honor or obedience is given to the bishops as paid to themselves. "My honor is the honor of the universal Church. My honor is the strength and stability

' Sess. iv., cap. 3.

' St. Thomas in iv. Sent. dist. xvii. a. 4, ad q. 4, ad 3.