In the Communicantes of the First Eucharistic Prayer (Roman Canon), the names of some popes are mentioned: Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus and Cornelius. Linus, Cletus and Clement are the immediate successors of Saint Peter and were ordained bishops by Peter himself. Some scholars suggest that ‘Sixtus’ refers to Sixtus II (257-258) and Cornelius was pope from 251 to 253.
We have seen previously (Keeper, 4) that through the centuries, some Fathers of the Church have provided us with a record of the list of the Popes until their times. But we have not only the list of names, but also the biographies of the Popes through the centuries. The recognized source of these biographies, especially of the first 15 centuries of Christianity, is the Liber Pontificalis.
In the Basilica of Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome, one can find a series of mosaic portraits of the popes from Saint Peter all the way to Pope Francis. The project began with Pope Leo the Great (440-461) but a fire destroyed the Basilica in 1823. Only 40 portraits were saved. In 1847, Pope Pius IX (1846-76) revived the project which, of course, is ongoing.
The New Testament shows us how Jesus gave special treatment to Peter, how he chose him from among the twelve. Does the New Testament also tell us about how Peter played his role? Yes, it does.
Jewish tradition prepared the first Christians of Jewish background to understand the “new” teachings of Jesus such as the Eucharist, the priesthood, the papacy, and the role of the Blessed Virgin. Last time we studied the meaning of the terms ‘rock’ and ‘keys’ in the Old Testament and other Jewish writings.