How papal authority passes from a Pope to the following?

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voltape1

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A priest is ordained by a bishop. A bishop is ordained by three bishops. Now, wouldn’t it be logical that a Pope should be ordained/consecrated by three or more Popes?? But when a new Pope is elected, his predecessor or predecessors are dead. (except for the rare case of Benedict/Francis, yet Benedict didn’t participate in consecrating Francis). Let’s assume all bishops in the earth would disappear. No more priests could be ordained. How can I explain this to an unbeliever? around 1000 years ago cardinals began to meet in conclave and choose the new Pope. I assume the Holy Spirit would be behind the conclave inspiring the Cardinals. But some times it was the emperor who imposed his candidate. And in earlier times, election was by acclamation of the people. Being the Pope is a very serious matter - you are holding the Keys of the Kingdom. Did Peter consecrate Linus? Did Linus consecrate Cletus, etc? Nemo dat quae non habet -
 
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As the previous poster alluded to, the papacy is not another degree of holy orders. There are only three degrees to that sacrament: deacon, priest, bishop. The Pope is a bishop- specially the Bishop of Rome. As far as the sacrament of orders (ordination) goes, that it’s… full stop. This is a common misconception. Apostolic succession, which confers the power of orders (the office of priesthood and all it entails), flows from the apostles to the present day bishops bishop to bishop. As the pope is typically already a bishop when he is elected pope, he’s already received this office by the laying on of hands from three other bishops.
It is important to remember that the authority of the bishops comes from Christ via the apostles. Their authority is NOT delegated by the Pope. Many Catholics think of it this way but it’s wrong.
So what makes the Pope special? As Bishop of Rome, the city where St Peter died, he inherits St Peter’s special primacy among the bishops. It is a special power of governance (think jurisdiction), but not a new level of the sacrament of holy orders.
The Pope has been elected / appointed in different ways, but our faith tells us that whomever the Church recognizes as the lawful Bishop of Rome holds St Peter’s primacy.
 
First of all the Pope is the Bishop of Rome, The Pope is elected by his fellow Bishops. Although the Pope run the Vatican government since its a country, the Popes first and foremost is tending to his flock and to see that all follow the faith.
 
voltape1 said:
A priest is ordained by a bishop. A bishop is ordained by three bishops. Now, wouldn’t it be logical that a Pope should be ordained/consecrated by three or more Popes? …
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Bp Irenaeus, ~180 a.d., gives probably the first chronicle list of 12 bishops of Rome (popes) in order of succession from Peter down to his day. Obviously this was already a serious and important point to make.

[Bk 3, Chapter 3, v 3] http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103303.htm
  1. The blessed apostles, then, having founded and built up the Church, committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate. Of this Linus, Paul makes mention in the Epistles to Timothy. To him succeeded Anacletus; and after him, in the third place from the apostles, Clement was allotted the bishopric. This man, as he had seen the blessed apostles, and had been conversant with them, might be said to have the preaching of the apostles still echoing [in his ears], and their traditions before his eyes. Nor was he alone [in this], for there were many still remaining who had received instructions from the apostles. In the time of this Clement, no small dissension having occurred among the brethren at Corinth, the Church in Rome dispatched a most powerful letter to the Corinthians, exhorting them to peace, renewing their faith, and declaring the tradition which it had lately received from the apostles, proclaiming the one God, omnipotent, the Maker of heaven and earth, the Creator of man, who brought on the deluge, and called Abraham, who led the people from the land of Egypt, spoke with Moses, set forth the law, sent the prophets, and who has prepared fire for the devil and his angels. From this document, whosoever chooses to do so, may learn that He, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, was preached by the Churches, and may also understand the tradition of the Church, since this Epistle is of older date than these men who are now propagating falsehood, and who conjure into existence another god beyond the Creator and the Maker of all existing things. To this Clement there succeeded Evaristus. Alexander followed Evaristus; then, sixth from the apostles, Sixtus was appointed; after him, Telephorus, who was gloriously martyred; then Hyginus; after him, Pius; then after him, Anicetus. Soter having succeeded Anicetus, Eleutherius does now, in the twelfth place from the apostles, hold the inheritance of the episcopate. In this order, and by this succession, the ecclesiastical tradition from the apostles, and the preaching of the truth, have come down to us. And this is most abundant proof that there is one and the same vivifying faith, which has been preserved in the Church from the apostles until now, and handed down in truth.
This is what has been passed down from the apostles.
 
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