Quotes About Roman Catholicism

Leningrad Codex of the Hebrew Scriptures

Quotes about Roman Catholicism from throughout Christian History.

See also apostolic succession quotes.

Cyprian, c. A.D. 250

None of us set himself up as a bishop of bishops, nor by tyrannical terror does any compel his colleague to the necessity of obedience. Every bishop, according to the allowance of his liberty and power, has his own proper right of judgment, and can no more be judged by another than he himself can judge another. (Seventh Council of Carthage Under Cyprian, Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. V)

Martin Luther, 1538 – 1539

Some years ago many of the papists occupied themselves with the councils and the fathers and at last brought all the councils together in one book. This work gave me no small pleasure, because I had not previously seen the councils side by side. And there are now among them, I believe, some good, pious people who would like to see the Church reformed according to the standard of these councils and fathers. They are moved to this by the fact that the present state of the Church, under the papacy, disagrees shamefully with the ways of the councils and fathers. (On the Councils and the Church)

What is the use of talking or writing so much about councils or fathers? ... If the pope, with his imperishable lords, cardinals and bishops, is unwilling to go along into the reformation and be put, with us, under the councils and fathers, then a council is of no use and then no reformation is to be hoped from him; for he dashes it all to the ground and tells us to shut up. (On the Councils and the Church)

Yet one sees in the histories that the Roman bishops, even before that time, were always seeking after lordship over the other bishops, but could not get it because of the monarch. They wrote many letters, now to Africa, now to Asia, and so on, even before the Nicene Council, saying that nothing was to be ordered publicly without the Roman See. But no one paid any attention to it at the time, and the bishops in Asia, Africa, and Egypt acted as though they did not hear it. ... You will discover this if you read the histories and compare them carefully; but you must pay no attention to their cries and those of their hypocrites, but look the texts and histories in the face or see them as a mirror. (On the Councils and the Church)

A. Cleveland Coxe, 1886

The Epistle to the Romans [of Ignatius, not the one by Paul found in the Bible] is utterly inconsistent with any conception on [Ignatius'] part, that Rome was the see and residence of a bishop holding any other than fraternal relations with himself. It is very noteworthy that it is devoid of expressions, elsewhere made emphatic [Ignatius' other letters emphasize the bishop, while his letter to Rome never mentions a bishop], which would have been much insisted upon had they been found herein. ("Introductory Note to the Epistles of Ignatius," from Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. I)

In [Ignatius' Letter to the Romans] we first find the use of the phrase "Catholic Church" in patristic writings. He defines it as to be found "where Jesus Christ is," words which certainly do not limit it to communion with a professed successor of St. Peter. ("Introductory Note to the Epistles of Ignatius," from Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. I)

Philip Schaff, 1890

Such were the power and splendor of the court of the successor of the Galilean fisherman, even at that time [366], that the distinguished pagan senator, Prætextatus, said to Pope Damasus: "Make me a bishop of rome, and I will be a Christian to-morrow." (History of the Christian Church, vol. III, sec. 72)

[Martin Luther] was favorably struck, indeed, with the business administration and police regulations of the papal court, but shocked by the unbelief, levity and immorality of the clergy. Money and luxurious living seemed to have replaced apostolic poverty and self-denial. He saw nothing but worldly splendor at the court of Pope Julius II., who had just returned from the sanguinary siege of a town conducted by him in person. He afterward thundered against him as a man of blood. He heard of the fearful crimes of Pope Alexander VI. and his family, which were hardly known and believed in Germany, but freely spoken of as undoubted facts in the fresh remembrance of all Romans. While he was reading one mass, a Roman priest would finish seven. He was urged to hurry up (passa, passa!), and to "send her Son home to our Lady." He heard priests, when consecrating the elements, repeat in Latin the words: "Bread thou art, and bread thou shalt remain; wine thou art, and wine thou shalt remain." The term "a good Christian" (buon Christiano) meant "a fool." He was told that "if there was a hell, Rome was built on it," and that this state of things must soon end in a collapse. (History of the Christian Church, Vol. VII, ch. 2, sec. 25)

"We know," wrote the Pope [Adrian VI]in the instruction to his legate, Francesco Chieregati, "that for some time many abominations, abuses in ecclesiastical affairs, and violations of rights have taken place in the holy see; and that all things have been perverted into bad. From the head the corruption has passed to the limbs, from the Pope to the prelates: we have all departed; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." He regarded Protestantism as a just punishment for the sins of the prelates. (History of the Christian Church, Vol. VII, ch. 2, sec. 69)

Tom Lee, 2009

For my own part I've always been curious about how such a vast, complicated and sumptuous organization as the Roman Catholic Church came to supersede the original isolated groups of simple believers in Jesus (The Invention of Christianity and the Papacy, Introduction, from www.catholica.com.au)