***Then that eliminates Peter from being the “rock” upon which the Church was built. If we agree that the rock was a person, then servants serve THAT person. The Pope serves Christ by serving the people who serve Christ, Who is the cornerstone upon which the Church of God was built.***
What it does is to emphasize that Peter is the vicar or the steward of the King. No Christian has ever claimed that the Pope is the Head of the Church (note that the monarch of England is the Head of the Church of England, though). The Pope is the servant, in succession, appointed to the stewardship of the Church until He comes again.
Mark: What it does is to emphasize that Peter is the vicar or the steward of the King. No Christian has ever claimed that the Pope is the Head of the Church (note that the monarch of England is the Head of the Church of England, though). The Pope is the servant, in succession, appointed to the stewardship of the Church until He comes again. (emphasis added)
While I am not a member of the Church of England and cannot speak for their beliefs :), I can say that many of the rest of us find it hard to accept your statement when we have things like this straight from the Catechism:
882 The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, "is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful."402 "For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered."403 (emphasis added)
895 "The power which they exercise personally in the name of Christ, is proper, ordinary, and immediate, although its exercise is ultimately controlled by the supreme authority of the Church."427 But the bishops should not be thought of as vicars of the Pope. His ordinary and immediate authority over the whole Church does not annul, but on the contrary confirms and defends that of the bishops. Their authority must be exercised in communion with the whole Church under the guidance of the Pope. (emphasis added)
What are us poor Protestants supposed to think? :) I know that the "official" Latin position is that Christ is the head of the Church, but why do your documents not make that clear to all?