Question:
Who was the first pope of Rome?
Answer:
If you were to ask the Roman Catholic, he would tell you at once, Simon Peter the apostle. But Peter did not so name himself. There is no evidence that he ever claimed to be a pope or that he was the bishop of Rome. In his “History of Romanism,” Dowling places Victor, the bishop of Rome, first. He became bishop about the year 192. His term of office was marked by the dispute with the Eastern Christians about the time of observing Easter. Victor excommunicated them from fellowship with the church of Rome. That is the first instance on record of Romish tyranny and assumption, but they regarded his excommunication of the Eastern Christians as of no authority whatever. See Dowling’s “History of Romanism.” We quote:
“It is true that so early as before the conclusion of the second century, Victor, bishop of Rome, had attempted to lord it over his brethren of the East, by forcing them, by his pretended laws and decrees, to follow the rule which was observed by the Western churches, in relation to the time of keeping the paschal feast, to which, in later times, the name of ‘Easter’ was applied. The Asiatics did not observe this festival on the same day as the Western churches; and in order to make them conform to his wishes, Victor wrote an imperious letter to the churches in Asia, commanding them to observe it on the same day as he did. The Asiatics answered this lordly summons by the pen of Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, who declared, in their name, and that with great spirit and resolution, that they would by no means depart, in this matter, from the custom handed down to them by their ancestors. Upon this, the thunder of excommunication began to roar. Victor, exasperated by this resolute answer of the Asiatic bishops, broke communion with them, pronounced them unworthy of the name of his brethren, and excluded them from all fellowship with the church of Rome. This excommunication, indeed, extended no further; nor could it cut off the Asiatic bishops from communion with the other churches, whose bishops were far from approving the conduct of Victor.”
History of Romanism, p. 32
The “Historians’ History of the World,” notes several of those who occupied the office of bishop of Rome down to Victor I, A.D. 193, and says:
“The bishop of Rome is beginning to assume supremacy over other bishops. This is resented in some quarters.”
“Historians’ History of the World,” volume 8, p. 503
In 325, it declares:
“The authority of the metropolitan is distinctly recognized. The idea has been developing since the primacy of Fabianus and Cornelius.”
Ibid.
That was when Constantine came in and had such a molding power upon the church. Fabianus’s date is 236; Cornelius’, 251. It may be stated that the assumption began with Victor but was considered of little account in the church until 325, when the apostasy was fully established.
