Jerry’s answer to Question #4:

In my answer to my opponent’s earlier question I should have brought up the collections of Canons.

The Hispana is a Spanish collection of canons which covers seven centuries. Some attribute the main part of this work to St. Isidore of Seville. This is a genuine collection and not the "Pseudo-Isidorian decretals". The genuine collection has over a hundred decretals from Pope Damasus[366-384] to Pope Gregory the Great[590-604].

The Hispana collection includes ecumenical councils, Eastern and Western councils, and:

decrees of the Roman bishops, which because of the height of the Apostolic See have an authority not inferior to that of councils." [PL 84: 91]

The Hispana contains the canons of the Ecumenical Councils and Papal decretals. In the decretals themselves the Popes often refer to their authority over the whole Church. There are several decretals which have to do with the East including the Formula of Pope Hormisdas.

Canon 1 of the Third Council of Toledo[589] says:

... that the statutes of the councils and decrees of the Roman bishops are to be observed... Let the constitutions of all the councils, and at the same time, the synodical letters of the holy bishops of Rome, remain in force. [PL 84: 351]

There are many other canons which call for the Primacy of Rome to be respected.

Dionysius Exiguus[c.500], who was from the Balkans where the East meets the West, made a collection of canons and decretals of the Popes, which contains decrees from the time of Pope Siricius [384-399] to the fifth century. [PL 67: 231 sq.]

There is also a collection of canons called the Quesneliana. As in the other collections the Papal decrees are basically included and put on the same level with the canons of the councils. [PL 56: 359 sq.]

This is what I meant when I said that the councils did not create canons on Papal Primacy, they presupposed it.

As far as catechetical works there is the Treatise on Orthodoxy by Theodore Abuqurra[c. 750-825], Melkite bishop of Haran, who has been considered a disciple of St. John Damascene. After pointing out that, "the apostles had for their leader St. Peter..." he wrote:

The words of the Lord, "I have prayed for thee that thou mayest not lose thy faith, but turn then towards thy brethren and strengthen them," do not designate the person of Peter or the apostles themselves. Christ wanted to designate by these words those who shall take the place of St. Peter at Rome, and the places of the apostles... To say that Christ wanted to designate St. Peter and the apostles in person would be to deprive the Church of what must strengthen her after the death of St. Peter... It is clear, then, that these words designate the successors of St. Peter, who in fact never cease to strengthen their brethren, and never shall, until the end of the ages. [C. Bacha. Un traite des Oeuvres Arabes de Theodore Abou-Kurra. Paris, 1905, 34 sq.]


Jerry’s Question #4:

At the third Ecumenical Council of Ephesus[431] the Papal legate Philip stated:

It is doubtful to no one, indeed it is known to all ages that the holy and most blessed Peter, prince and head of the apostles, pillar of the faith and foundation of the Catholic Church received the keys of the kingdom from our Lord Jesus Christ, Savior and Redeemer of the human race, and that to him was given the power of binding and loosing sins, who up to this very age ever lives and judges in his successors. Accordingly our holy and most blessed father, Bishop Celestine, his successor in order who also holds his place, has sent us to this holy synod, supplying for his own presence... [Mansi 4: 1295-8; ACO I: 1: 3: 60-61]

The Papal legate Arcadius stated:

... pursuant to the decree of the most holy Celestine, pope of the Apostolic See, who has deigned to send us as executors in this matter, and the decrees of the holy synod, let Nestorius know that he has been stripped of the episcopal dignity... [Mansi 4: 1298; ACO I: 1: 3: 61-2]

The Papal legate Projectus stated:

Wherefore I, by authority of the delegation of the Apostolic See, as executor of the sentence together with the brethren define that Nestorius... has been removed from the rank of episcopal office... [Mansi 4: 1299. ACO I: Vol. 1: Pt. 3: 62]

Where does the Council of Ephesus show disagreement with, or point out the error in these statements of the Papal legates?