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Cory_G
Guest
I am a newbie so if the answer is simple please forgive me.
Why do we refer to the Apostle Peter as Saint Peter and not Pope Peter?
Why do we refer to the Apostle Peter as Saint Peter and not Pope Peter?
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Genesis315
Guest
We can call other Popes who were saints just Saint too (St. Leo the Great, St. Gregory VII, etc.) Plus, the title of “Pope” was not used at that time. Peter was called an Apostle. In fact, he was the head Apostle. The bishops succeed the apostles, and the Bishop of Rome (the Pope’s most basic title) succeeds Peter as the head of the bishops just as Peter was head Apostle.
I hope that helps!
I hope that helps!
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Cory_G
Guest
Thank you very much for responding.
In our society we refer to people with the title of the highest position held, even after they have left office. For example, we would refer to a former governor as Gov. So-so. But if that governor eared the title of President, then we would refer to the person as Pres. So-so.
So to clarify, Saint is a higher “office” than Pope?
In our society we refer to people with the title of the highest position held, even after they have left office. For example, we would refer to a former governor as Gov. So-so. But if that governor eared the title of President, then we would refer to the person as Pres. So-so.
So to clarify, Saint is a higher “office” than Pope?
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tee_eff_em
Guest
In her liturgies, the Church refers to canonized popes by name, without title, or as Saint Name.
Outside that context, however, it is not uncommon to hear people refer to, eg, Pope St Pius X or Pope St Gregory the Great, or whomever. But I have never heard anyone refer to “St Pope Pius X” or similar.
tee
Outside that context, however, it is not uncommon to hear people refer to, eg, Pope St Pius X or Pope St Gregory the Great, or whomever. But I have never heard anyone refer to “St Pope Pius X” or similar.
tee
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CSJ
Guest
Sainthood is not an “office”, it is a state of being. As a Saint in Heaven, you’ve already finished the Earthly race, as a Pope on Earth, you’re still running it. The two are not really comparable, but I will attempt to further indulge your question.
Hypothetically, if both were “offices”, one is an office in Heaven, the other on Earth. One is an eternal state, the other is temporary. One is part of the Church Triumphant, the other is part of the Church Militant. Personally, I’d pick the triumphant eternal state in Heaven.
Hope this helps.
CSJ
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notsmart
Guest
Did you forget the church suffering? 
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LilyM
Guest
Point being when they are referred to by both titles, the title of ‘Pope’ comes before the title of ‘Saint’. It could be just for reasons that ‘Pope Saint’ rolls off the tongue better than ‘Saint Pope’
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tee_eff_em
Guest
Could be. I’d never considered the question before.It could be just for reasons that ‘Pope Saint’ rolls off the tongue better than ‘Saint Pope’
Speculation: It might be an artifact from Latin noun-adjective word order? *Papa Sanctus *=> “Holy Pope”, but which English renders as “Pope Saint”?
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Cory_G
Guest
Thank you for all your posts. I am learning a lot here. I appreciate all of your time.
Another question that I thought of while reading your replies, are all Pope’s saints?
Another question that I thought of while reading your replies, are all Pope’s saints?
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notsmart
Guest
Not all popes are cannonized saints. But, the bible does refer to all christians as saints, so I suppose its all how you look at it.
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Gottle_of_Geer
Guest
Because the Papacy is a development of the position held by the Bishop of Rome; & the bishops of Rome hold a position which is a version of that held by Peter the Apostle. The Petrine office is permanent in the Church - its manifestations are subject to change.
Bishops are not Apostles: the Apostles knew & saw & lived with Christ - their successors didn’t, & don’t. But the commission He gave His Apostles, & the means of fulfilling it, are, essentially, the same. A bishop today is very like his predecessors of the 19th or 13th or 7th centuries in many ways - all would have been familiar with some sort of partition of the Church into dioceses; dioceses were not always part of the Church’s life: originally, a dioicesis was an administrative division of the Roman Empire, which was adopted into Church life. We are familiar with one bishop for one diocese, perhaps with an assistant bishop - some of the churches in the first century (Antioch ?) may have had a single bishop from the beginning. Peter calls himself “a fellow-elder” - which suggests that he was one of a body of elders; perhaps one of them may have had the duty of oversight or episcopé over the church where they were elders: IOW, Rome may have been at one & the same time “Presbyterian” & “E/episcopal” in the way it was ruled.
So in several churches, the bishop may have been a sort of elder-in-chief; the other presbyteroi AKA elders being the priests. A lot depends on what the NT texts mean by- presbuteros
- episkopos
- one may be the office-holder, & the other, the name given to his office from what he does.
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Cory_G
Guest
Blessed must be pretty high up in honor since it is the Blessed Virgin Mary. Higher than sainthood?A lot of the people here are very knowledgeable
IIRC:
- 83 are recognised as Saints
- 9 have been recognised as Blessed
- A few others are Venerable
That leaves 170 or so who aren’t “up for canonisation”- good, bad, ugly
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blessed_Virgin_Mary
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notsmart
Guest
Blessed is not higher. Its one step on the way to cannonization.
The BVM is another topic all together!
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wisdomseeker
Guest
Pope means father, papa. that is all.
just like the Hebrew people called Abraham and others father. so we do the same.
God bless.
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eva6206213
Guest
really very confused about this ~
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CSJ
Guest
No…didn’t forget them…in fact, I pray for them. I am aspiring, through the abundant Grace of Christ, to attain Sainthood prior to my “departure”. It’s going to take A LOT of work though.Did you forget the church suffering?
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