Quotes About Roman Catholicism

Powerful or fascinating Christian quotes about Roman Catholicism from throughout history, addressing the papacy, apostolic succession, tradition and any other uniquely Catholic doctrine.

See also apostolic succession quotes.

Clement of Rome, A.D. 96

It behooves us to do all things in order which the Lord has commanded us to perform at stated times. He has enjoined offerings and service to be performed, and that not thoughtlessly or irregularly, but at the appointed times and hours. Where and by whom he desires these things to be done, he himself has fixed by his own supreme will, in order that all things being piously done according to his good pleasure, may be acceptable to him.
     Those, therefore, who present their offerings at the appointed times, are accepted and blessed; for inasmuch as they follow the laws of the Lord, they do not sin. For his own peculiar services are assigned to the high priest; their own proper place is prescribed to the priests; their own special ministrations fall upon on the Levites; the layman is bound by the laws that pertain to laymen. Let every one of you, brothers, give thanks to God in his own order, living in all good conscience, with becoming gravity, and not going beyond the rule of the ministry prescribed to him. Not in every place, brothers, are the daily sacrifices offered, or the peace-offerings, or the sin-offerings and the trespass-offerings, but in Jerusalem only. And even there they are not offered in any place, but only at the altar before the temple, that which is offered being first carefully examined by the high priest and the ministers already mentioned. Those, therefore, who do anything beyond that which is agreeable to his will, are punished with death. You see, brothers, that the greater the knowledge that has been vouchsafed to us, the greater also is the danger to which we are exposed. (First Clement 40-41)

The quotes from First Clement 42 and 44, which is actually signed by the church in Rome and not Clement himself, are included to address the Protestant argument that Clement recognized two classes of church leadership, bishops/elders and deacons, the bishops and elders being the same, in Rome in A.D. 96. The rest are included for more obvious reasons and require no explanation.

[The apostles] appointed the firstfruits of their labors, after first proving them by the Spirit, to be bishops and deacons of those who would afterward believe. (First Clement 42)

Our apostles also knew, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that there would be strife on account of the title of bishop. For this reason, therefore, they appointed those already mentioned, then afterwards gave instructions that when these should fall asleep, other approved men should succeed them in their ministry. We are of the opinion, therefore, that those appointed by them—or afterwards by other eminent men—with the consent of the whole Church, and who have blamelessly served the flock of Christ in a humble, peaceable, and disinterested spirit, and have for a long time possessed the good opinion of all, cannot be justly dismissed from the ministry. For our sin will not be small, if we eject from the office of bishop those who have fulfilled its duties blamelessly and in holiness. Blessed are those elders who, having finished their course before now, have obtained a fruitful and perfect departure [from this world], for they have no fear that anyone might deprive them of the place now appointed them. But we see that you have removed some men of excellent behavior from the ministry, which they fulfilled blamelessly and with honor. (First Clement 44)

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)

Athanasius, A.D. 325 - 370

While [the Arians], like men sprung from a dunghill, truly "spoke from the earth" [Jn. 3:31], the bishops [of Nicea], not having invented their phrases for themselves, but having testimony from their fathers, wrote as they did. For ancient bishops, of the great Rome and our city [i.e., Alexandria, Egypt, where Athanasius was bishop], some 130 years ago, wrote and censured those who said that the Son was a creature and not consubstantial with the Father. (Synodal Letter to the Bishops of Africa 6)

Socrates Scholasticus, c. A.D. 450

The following is the earliest quote that I have found which gives indication of something resembling papal authority to the bishop of Rome. There is no record that such a canon existed in 341. It is more likely that this rule belongs to Socrates' era, the early to mid 4th century.

Note that this statement does not say that the bishop of Rome can issue his own decrees, but it does say that any general decree requires the agreement of the bishop of Rome.

Neither was Julius, bishop of the great Rome, there [a large synod at Antioch in 341], nor had he sent a substitute, although an ecclesiastical canon commands that the churches shall not make any ordinances against the opinion of the bishop of Rome. (Ecclesiastical History II:8)

The following quote, though written around A.D. 450, concerns an event that happened in 342.

Athanasius [deposed bishop of Alexandria] ... at last reached Italy. ... At the same time, Paul, bishop of Constantinople, Asclepas of Gaza, Marcellus of Ancyra, a city of the Lesser Galatia, and Lucius of Adrianople, having been accused on various charges, and expelled from their several churches arrived at the imperial city. There each laid his case before Julius, bishop of Rome.
     He on his part, by virtue of the Church of Rome’s peculiar privilege, sent them back again into the East, fortifying them with commendatory letters. At the same time he restored to each his own place and sharply rebuked those by whom they had been deposed.
     Relying on the signature of the bishop Julius, the bishops departed from Rome, and again took possession of their own churches, forwarding the letters to the parties to whom they were addressed. These persons considered themselves treated with indignity by the reproaches of Julius and called a council at Antioch. They ... dictated a reply to his letters as the expression of the unanimous feeling of the whole synod. It was not his province, they said, to pay attention to their decisions concerning any whom they might wish to expel from their churches; seeing that they had not opposed themselves to him, when Novatian was ejected from the church [c. 251]. (Ecclesiastical History II:15)

The following quote requires some explanation. After the events described in the quote above, Arian bishops held a council in Antioch declaring that the bishop of Rome had no authority to override their ecclesiastical decisions, then sent a letter to Julius stating their position.

Julius' letter, given in Athanasius' Apology Against Arius, does not mention an "ecclesiastical law" as this quote by Socrates does. Instead, it complains that they did not come to a synod at Rome at Julius' request.

Julius' letter is from A.D. 342 or shortly thereafter, and Socrates' history was written around A.D. 450 or slightly before. It is likely there was such a law in 450 and very unlikely that such a law existed in 342.

Julius first replied to the bishops who had written to him from Antioch , complaining of the acrimonious feeling they had evinced in their letter, and charging them with a violation of the canons, because they had not requested his attendance at the council, seeing that the ecclesiastical law required that the churches should pass no decisions contrary to the views of the bishop of Rome: he then censured them with great severity for clandestinely attempting to pervert the faith. (Ecclesiastical History II:17)

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)

I am persuaded that if at this time, St. Peter, in person, should preach all the articles of Holy Scripture, and only deny the pope’s authority, power, and primacy, and say that the pope is not the head of all Christendom, they would cause him to be hanged. Yea, if Christ himself were again on earth, and should preach, without all doubt the pope would crucify him again. Therefore let us expect the same treatment; but better is it to build upon Christ, than upon the pope. If, from my heart, I did not believe that after this life there were another, then I would sing another song, and lay the burthen on another’s neck. (unknown)

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, 1882

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)

OrthodoxAnswers.org, 2008 - 2011

Question Number 710: Can you please explain how the writing by St. Cyprian of Carthage, On the Unity of the Catholic Church, works with the Orthodox idea of how the church is structured? ...
     Sadly, this particular treatise "De unitate (On the unity of the catholic church)" is often misunderstood.
     The "catholic church" is obviously (in context, but not so obviously to the modern reader) the local church (diocese). The unity of the catholic church is anchored in the office of the bishop who holds the chair of Peter and who is "Peter's successor" in the church. ...
     This treatise does not deal with the unity of the "Catholic Church" in the modern sense (a worldwide organism) but of the catholic church as then understood, the local church. For Cyprian, the churches are held together in communion by the unity of their bishops (called sacerdos or priests in context) who each hold in fullness the Chair of Peter. (http://www.orthodoxanswers.org/answer/710/)

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)

"Ken," 2010

Clement [of Rome, A.D. 96] puts the word of God, the Scriptures as the ultimately authority and does not say, "obey me, as a bishop of bishops or pope"; no, he says "look to the Scriptures and repent of sins of arrogance and jealousy, because the Scriptures say." ("An Evangelical Introduction to Church History (Part 2)" on Beggars All: Reformation and Apologetics blog; I didn't correct any typos except adding the missing quotation mark at the end)