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The History of the claim to be Vicar of Christ

This outlandish assertion came relatively late in the history of the Papacy. To begin with, the Bishop of Rome claimed to be the vicar of Caesar and his successors the rightful heirs to the Caesars. The city that had been the seat of power for the Roman Empire became the city for the Bishop of Rome to exercise his authority. Gradually other Bishops and national monarchs accepted him as vicar and successor to Caesar with the same supreme title of “Pontifex Maximus”. Next the Bishops of Rome claimed to be “The vicar of the prince of the apostles”[7], that is, the vicar of Peter.[8] Thus in the early fifth century Bishop Innocent I (401-417AD) insisted that Christ had delegated supreme power to Peter and made him the Bishop of Rome. Following this he held that the Bishop of Rome as Peter’s successor was entitled to exercise Peter’s power and prerogatives. Boniface III, who became Bishop of Rome in 607, established himself as “Universal Bishop”, thus claiming to be vicar and master of all other bishops. It was not until the eighth century, however, that the particular title “Vicar of the Son of God”[9] was found in the fraudulent document called “The Donation of Constantine”.[10] Although this notorious document was proven false in the early sixteenth century, the Bishops of Rome have used the title “Vicar of Christ” since the eighth century. This title has been the Pope’s supreme claim to spiritual and temporal supremacy. The taste of divine power, with which the title resonates, has proven to be addictive. The “Vicar of Christ” is able to recognize no authority other than his own. He looks upon himself as Master of all, and boldly proclaims, “The First See is judged by no one.”[11]

The Counterfeit Vicar of Christ

Rome’s alleged office of Christ’s Vicar on earth is so all embracing and complicated that one man cannot exercise “supreme, full, immediate, and universal power”. Thus the single man who purports to be invested with the office needs a vast hierarchy to command. The pyramid of power that constitutes his office of the “Vicar of Christ” consists of cardinals, patriarchs, major archbishops, metropolitans, coadjutor archbishops, diocesan bishops, coadjutor bishops, episcopal vicar, eparches, apostolic vicars, apostolic prefects, apostolic administrators and vicars general.[12] And when the king pin to all this hierarchical structure dies, the running of the office continues but on a different basis. Under the present law of the Vatican, on the death of the Pope the administration passes to “the Chamberlain”, that is a Cardinal appointed by the Pope during his lifetime to act as Papal administrator after his death. Canon Law specifically forbids this Chamberlain from introducing any innovation in the running of the Church while the office of Pope is vacant (Canon 335).

The counterfeit nature of the Pope’s claim to be “the Vicar of Christ” is shown by his doctrine and deeds. The key role of the True Vicar of Christ is to glorify Christ, “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”[13] The sending of the Spirit was the glorifying of Christ. God the Father glorifies Christ Jesus in heaven, and the Spirit glorifies Him on earth. All the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit are to glorify Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ promised the Apostles, “when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.”[14] God’s truth is an indissoluble, balanced and harmonious whole. In the Bible we have “all truth”, in this the Holy Spirit truly glorifies Jesus Christ. In stark contrast, the Pope claims to possess “infallible teaching authority”. This neither glorifies Christ nor honors the Spirit of truth.[15] Also the Pope, as “the Vicar of Christ” teaches “rebirth” by baptism, which demeans the glory of Christ. [16]

By crucifixes, rosaries, and scapulars, the earthly Vicar purports to fortify men and women against the assaults of Satan. He also maintains that indulgences can shorten the sufferings of souls in purgatory. While presiding over substantially the richest financial institution in the world, he maintains and advocates vows of poverty. Even as thousands of souls are corrupted by unbridled filthiness, he defends the vows of celibacy for his priests. By autonomous proclamations he releases men and women from their marriage vows in self-declared annulments.[17] None of these deeds glorify Christ Jesus the Lord. The major enemy of Christ and His Gospel, however, is not materialism nor is it lust, but rather the spiritual pride and the apostasy of the very one who pretends to be His “Vicar”. The first lie of Satan, “ye shall be as gods”[18] reaches its full fruition in the Papal claim to be “Vicar of Christ”. By this the words of the Apostle Paul are literally fulfilled, “who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God…showing himself that he is God.”[19]

A Successor to the Earthly “Vicar of Christ”

When one Pope dies another one is elected. For the election of a Pope a part of the Vatican palace is walled off. Access to the conclave, where the election is held, is through a door locked from the inside by the Cardinal Chamberlain and from the outside by the Marshall of the conclave. There are some openings provided for the passage of food, guarded from within and without. All communication with the outside world is strictly forbidden under pain of loss of office and ipso facto excommunication. Presented to the world is a gathering of walled-in Cardinals dressed in scarlet with the given purpose of electing a new “Vicar of Christ”. The whole scene gives a picture of smoke and mirrors. White smoke from the burning of ballots is the traditional way of informing the world that a new Pope has been elected. It comes out of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. This is just part of the ostentatious spectacle of the Roman Church in the traditional election of a new Pope.

The man in the street Catholic may deviate from his church on such issues as contraception, extramarital sex, homosexuality, abortion, confession and the obligation to attend Sunday Mass, but as a Catholic, he shelters serenely in his belief that he has the “Holy Father”. Removing any lingering doubt the Vatican Web page states, “‘THE HOLY FATHER’ The Roman Pontiff, as the successor of Peter, is the perpetual and visible principle and foundation of unity of both the bishops and of the faithful.”[20] The Catholic is thus enslaved to a system by the assurance that he has “The Holy Father” and the “Vicar of Christ” in the person of his Pope. Both assertions are utter blasphemy before the One Holy Father in heaven and the One Vicar Christ, the Holy Spirit.

Richard Bennett