Summa de Ecclesia

FURTHERMORE, with the amplitude of the principate to which the Roman pontiff is assumed well considered, and the multitude and variety of matters in which it befalls him to provide for the whole body of the faithful, we must confess that the Roman pontiff, to whom the care of the universal Church is committed, is called by Christ into the fullness of power. For in every rightly ordered community full power of extending itself to all things necessary and evidently expedient for the good of the republic of that community must reside with the supreme head. Since therefore the Pope is supreme in the community of the whole of Christendom, as head and ruler of all the faithful, it follows that with him resides the fullness of power extending itself to all things necessary and expedient for the salvation of the Christian republic. Which is also most clearly shown by testimonies of the holy fathers. For blessed Cyril the Patriarch of Alexandria says in the book of treasures: As Christ received from the Father as leader the sceptre of the Church of the Gentiles, going forth from Israel over every principate and power and over whatsoever is, that to him every knee should bow, so also to Peter and his successors he committed most fully. Likewise blessed Chrysologus, in reply to the inquiries of the publishers, speaking in the person of Christ, says thus: Thrice I ask whether thou lovest me, because thrice, trembling and fearful, thou deniedst me. But now, restored, lest the brethren believe thee to have lost grace and the authority of the keys, since thou lovest me, before them I now confirm to thee what is mine in full. Likewise Innocent the third, presiding in the general council, as in ch. Cum ex eo, Extra, on penances and remissions, says: Since the Roman pontiff, who obtains the fullness of power, etc. Here it is to be considered that this fullness of power which we say to be in the Roman pontiff is not to be understood simply as is that of supreme authority attributed to omnipotent God, with whom no word shall be impossible, Luke 1, as is clear, nor is it that fullness of power of excellence which we proclaim in Christ, as is also clear. For which it is to be noted that, as holy Thomas says in the 4th book of sentences, dist. 15, q. 3, arg. 1, that the ministers of the Church are instituted in the divinely founded Church, and therefore the institution of the Church is presupposed to the operation of ministers, as the work of creation to the work of nature. Which institution of the Church consists in faith and the sacraments, and therefore to the ministers of the Church it does not pertain to publish new articles of faith, nor to remove published ones, nor to institute new sacraments nor to remove instituted ones, but this is of the power of excellence which is owed to Christ alone, who is the foundation of the Church. And therefore just as the Pope cannot dispense that anyone be saved without baptism, so neither that he be saved without confession according as he is bound by force of the sacrament. Thus far holy Thomas. But the fullness of power placed in the Pope is the fullness of ministerial power, namely as much as is necessary for the regime of the universal Church for procuring the salvation of the faithful, as we say that the fullness of knowledge, or all notice of truth, is promised by Christ to the Church, John 16, where it is said: When the spirit of truth shall come he will teach you all truth, which is not to be taken so universally that whatever could be known by man was to be revealed to the apostles, but all that which was necessary to us for salvation. Hence the Gloss on the word, All truth, says: necessary for salvation.

Further it is to be considered that the fullness of power in the Roman pontiff is shown in many things, of which we shall adduce 15 only at present. First indeed the fullness of power of the Roman pontiff is shown from those things by which the excellence of the papal dignity or principate is figuratively described to us. But blessed Bernard, describing to us the excellence of the papal dignity in book 2 on consideration, to Eugenius, says thus: Who art thou; thou art a great priest, a supreme pontiff, prince of bishops, heir of the apostles, in primacy Abel, in governorship Noah, in patriarchate Abraham, in order Melchizedek, in dignity Aaron, in authority Moses, in judgeship Samuel, in power Peter, in unction Christ. Thus far he. From this admirable description it is clearer than light that the Roman pontiff is called into the fullness of power of which we have spoken.

Secondly the fullness of power in the Roman pontiff is shown in the extension of his principate. For it extends into the whole orb of lands; for no faithful man in the whole Christian orb is exempted from his principate. Which is manifest from what was said above, chiefly from that passage in the last chapter of John: Simon son of John, feed my sheep, distinguishing not between these sheep and those, but commending to him all the sheep universally, as Chrysologus expounds. Concerning this universality of the principate blessed Chrysologus on the Acts of the apostles says thus: Peter received from the Son power over all that is the Son's, not as Moses in one nation, but in the whole world. Thirdly the fullness of power in the Roman pontiff is shown in the power of the keys in the forum of conscience. The power of the keys in him extends also to all places, to all persons, to all cases. Hence the Gloss on that passage Matt. 16, To thee I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, etc., says: Because Peter confessed Christ with greater devotion than the rest, deservedly above the rest he was endowed with the conferred keys. It follows below in the Gloss: Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, that is, whomsoever unworthy of remission thou shalt judge while he lives, he shall be judged unworthy with God; and whatsoever thou shalt loose, that is, whomsoever thou shalt judge to be loosed, while he lives he obtains remission of sins from God. Thus far the Gloss, which is said to be of Rabanus or of Bede.

Fourthly the fullness of power is shown in the keys of judiciary power in the exterior forum; for he avails to judge concerning all persons of the Christian world of whatsoever state or condition they be: for he is judge of the whole Church. Hence in ch. episcopo, 9, q. 3, it is said: The Roman Church avails by its authority to judge concerning all. Likewise Pelagius in ch. cuncta says: The apostolic see has the right of judging concerning every church, and consequently it is hers to take away and eradicate by the discipline of correction the evils by which men are turned away from God. Hence in figure of the Roman pontiff seems to have been said that word of Jerome, as Innocent the third has it in ch. Solite, Extra, on majority and obedience, who since he was of the priests of Anathoth, and is interpreted the exalted of the Lord, signifies the supreme pontiff who in the Church of God is higher than the rest, as general vicar of Christ: Behold thou art set over nations and kingdoms, to root up — the Gloss: namely evils — and to destroy and scatter — the interlinear Gloss: the kingdoms of the devil — to build up — Gloss: namely the Church — and to plant — namely good things. For since the Roman pontiff is head of the whole Christian community and prince, his is not only to promote and ordain the things that conduce to the good of the republic and the attainment of supernal beatitude, which is the ultimate end of Christians, but to take away and remove, by forbidding and correcting, the things that impede the faithful from movement toward such an end. Hence Alexander the third in ch. Cum planta, Extra, on privileges, says thus: Since we ought by all means to plant holy religion and to foster it once planted, never do we execute this better than if with the authority committed to us we take care to nourish the things that are right and to correct the things that impede the perfection of virtue. Thus far he. Wherefore Innocent the third in ch. Novit, Extra, on judgments, says: None who is of sound mind is ignorant that it pertains to our office to rebuke any Christian for any mortal crime whatsoever, and if he shall have despised correction to coerce him by ecclesiastical constraint. Thus far he.

Fifthly the fullness of power of the Roman pontiff is shown in the deposition of bishops; hence blessed Bernard in a certain letter to Pope Eugenius concerning the intruded bishop of York, says: To give peremptory sentence for the deposition of bishops is known to be of the Roman pontiff alone. For the very reason that although the others are called into a share of solicitude, he alone has the fullness of power. Of this also Bernard himself in the book on consideration says what we said above in ch. 17.

Sixthly the fullness of power of the Roman pontiff is shown in this, that his power is exceeded or surpassed by no human power, but itself exceeds and surpasses every other. Of ecclesiastical power it is clear: since as Julius the Pope says in ch. Nolite errare, dist. 11: In the see of Peter the Lord placed the principate of the whole Church. Of earthly or secular power it is also clear, and at length from what was said in the first book, ch. 92.

For Gregory Nazianzen says to the point, writing to the Emperors of Constantinople, as is had in ch. Suscipitis, dist. 10: The law of Christ subjected you to the sacerdotal power and submitted you to those tribunals. For he gave us power and gave a principate far more perfect than your principates. Can it seem just to you that the spirit should yield to flesh, that heavenly things should be surpassed by earthly and human things preferred to divine — as much as to say, not.

Seventhly the fullness of power is shown in this, that it does not restrict his power to this, that he always operate with the order of inferior powers preserved, but he can, with them mediating or with them set aside, operate immediately upon any Christian whatsoever, as immediate ordinary shepherd and prelate when he sees it expedient, as is openly gathered from that last ch., Extra, on competent forum. Hence holy Thomas in the tract against those impugning religion says: The Pope has immediate jurisdiction over all Christians, since the Roman Church is set over by no synodal institutions, but obtained primacy by the evangelical voice of our Lord and Saviour, in ch. Quamvis, dist. 21. In this part however he has a certain likeness of omnipotent God, who through mediating second causes operates many things which he can do by himself, and sometimes operates with the order of second causes set aside. On account of which Innocent the third in ch. Antiqua, Extra, on privileges, says: The Roman Church, with the Lord disposing, obtains over all other churches the principate of ordinary power, as mother and teacher of all the faithful.

Eighthly the fullness of power of the Roman pontiff is shown in the exemption of inferior prelates from a superior, as of abbots from a bishop, or of bishops from an archbishop, or of subjects from their superior, as monasteries and chapters from bishops, which exemption is made by the Roman pontiff. Of which Bernard in book 3 on consideration: Abbots are subtracted from bishops, bishops from archbishops, archbishops from patriarchs, and so from primates. Is this a goodly show? Doubtless, if it can be excused or there be need of doing, you prove that you have the fullness of power, but of justice perhaps you do not so; these things because you can, but whether you ought is the question.

Ninthly the fullness of power of the Roman pontiff is shown in this, that he is not bound by the laws made by himself, or even by the canons of sacred councils, but can from the fullness of power act above the posited law and rights, and dispense in the canons of councils according to the opportuneness of times or the conditions of places and persons. Hence also it is said in § Is autem, 24, q. 5: The Roman Church imparts right and authority to the sacred canons, but is not bound by them. The same in ch. Significasti, Extra, on election. On account of which Innocent III, Extra, on granted prebends, in ch. Proposuit, says: We according to the fullness of power can by right dispense above the law. Alluding to which sentence blessed Thomas in the quodlibet, arg. 13, says thus: The Pope has the fullness of power in the Church, and so whatever things are constituted through the Church or the prelates of the Church are dispensable by the Pope; for these are the things said to be of human or positive law. But concerning those things that are of divine or natural law he cannot dispense, since those have efficacy from divine institution.

Tenthly the fullness of power of the Roman pontiff is shown in the dispensation of human actions, of vows and oaths. Hence holy Thomas in book 4, dist. 38, q. 4, asking whether any prelate can dispense in vows, says thus: The fullness of power in dispensing resides with the supreme pontiff; but others receive of this power as much as is conceded to them; and in 2-II, q. 83, last arg., he says that since the supreme pontiff bears fully the place of Christ in the whole Church, he himself has the fullness of power of dispensing in all dispensable vows.

Eleventhly the fullness of power in the Roman pontiff is shown in the administration and dispensation of ecclesiastical things, but other prelates and colleges have a restricted power in administering, and in dispensing their goods and transferring the ownership of them, in binding and in alienating: since not except from certain causes and with certain solemnities can they by law alienate the things of the Church, as is clear from on things of the Church not to be alienated. But the Pope in those things alone, without the consent even of anyone and without solemnities, can alienate whatsoever goods of any church, and by alienating transfer lordship, provided yet he do this from a just cause. Hence Adrian the Pope submitted all churches, even the Roman, to Charles and his successors as to temporals, concerning which they ought to be invested through the emperor. And Leo the Pope confirms this to Otto and his successors, as is had in ch. Adrianus, dist. 63, where the lord Archdeacon, narrating the diverse manners of saying, says thus: Others say that the apostolic men did this from the fullness of power, as they conceded tithes to certain kings, which another could not concede. Thus far he.

Twelfthly the fullness of power of the Roman pontiff is shown in this, that as holy Thomas says in the third part, q. 6, arg. 11, there are certain things of superior orders which the Pope can commit to certain inferiors as priests, as when he concedes to them the conferring of minor orders, which pertains to episcopal power. From which fullness of power also, as the same holy Thomas says in the same place, blessed Gregory conceded that simple priests confer the sacrament of confirmation, as is had in ch. Pervenit, dist. 95.

Thirteenthly the fullness of power of the Roman pontiff is shown in the dispensation of the treasure of the Church: since he alone, as the principal vicar and dispenser of Christ, grants a plenary indulgence to every faithful man of the whole world. Hence holy Thomas in the fourth book, dist. 20, says thus: The Pope has the fullness of pontifical power as a king in a kingdom, but bishops are assumed into part of solicitude as judges set over single cities. And therefore he can make indulgences as he will, with legitimate cause existing, but in bishops it is limited according to the pope’s ordination.

Fourteenthly the fullness of power of the Roman pontiff is shown in this, that the disposition of the whole ecclesiastical order as to ecclesiastical dignities, as to the principal architect in the temple of the Lord, and the disposition of benefices, as to the servant whom the lord set over the household to give them their measure of wheat, pertains to the Roman pontiff. For in Extra, on prebends, book 6, ch. Licet, it is said that the disposition of churches and of all benefices of the world is known to pertain to the apostolic see. And in ch. Si duobus, Extra, as litigation pending, in the Clementines, it is said, and it is the definition of the Council of Vienne, that to the power of the Roman pontiff pertains the full and free disposition of churches, persons, dignities and other benefices from the fullness of his power.

Fifteenthly the fullness of the Roman pontiff is shown in the canonization of saints, which pertains to the Roman pontiff alone, as to the judge and prince of the universal Church and presiding with fullness of power, as the doctors say, and is gathered Extra, on religious and venerated holy things, ch. 1 and 2; and let it suffice to have said these things at present concerning those in which the amplitude of the principate of the supreme pontiff and the fullness of power of the apostolic see is discerned. But of what things the Roman pontiff is debtor from so great amplitude of dignity and power devout Bernard declares in book 4 on consideration, to Eugenius, saying thus: It befits thee to be the form of justice, the mirror of holiness, the exemplar of piety, the asserter of truth, the defender of the faith, the teacher of nations, the leader of Christians, the friend of the bridegroom, the bridesman of the bride, the ordainer of the clergy, the shepherd of peoples, the teacher of the unwise, the refuge of the oppressed, the advocate of the poor, the hope of ministers, the guardian of wards, the judge of widows, the eye of the blind, the tongue of the dumb, the staff of the old, the avenger of crimes, the fear of the evil, the glory of the good, the rod of the powers, the hammer of tyrants, the father of kings, the moderator of laws, the dispenser of canons, the salt of the earth, the light of the world, the priest of the Most High, the vicar of Christ, the Christ of the Lord, lastly the God of Pharaoh. Thus far he. All which things indeed insinuate the fullest and amplest power in the Roman pontiff. From these is most clearly refuted the error of those saying the Roman pontiff has not in the Church the fullness of power, who, as holy Thomas places in the tract against the Greeks, err against the unity of the Church.