Question posed for me

[Jaguar]

How to answer?

Which of the most ancient Christian religions is the original Church founded by Jesus Christ?

Coptic (Egyptian) Christian Church
The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East
Orthodox Catholic Church
Syriac Orthodox Church (Antioch)
Roman Catholic Church
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
Church of the East
St Thomas Christians

All were founded by early apostles. All of them can trace their presumed supreme authority directly back to Christ. So which one is right? Assuming that your answer is “The Roman Catholic Church,” can you prove it? For the RCC to be the exclusive and only “True Church of God,” obviously one must prove that these other claimants are not true. So what made the Bishop of Rome bigger, better or more authoritative than anyone else? Surely there must be something unique to Rome and its bishop that no other line of bishops can claim, right? So what is it?

 

[JediSisko]

Peter is the Rock of the Church. He went to Rome in which his seat was passed down in that line of bishops that currently is occupied by Francis.

 

[NFrancis]

How to answer?

Which of the most ancient Christian religions is the original Church founded by Jesus Christ?

Coptic (Egyptian) Christian Church
The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East
Orthodox Catholic Church
Syriac Orthodox Church (Antioch)
Roman Catholic Church
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
Church of the East
St Thomas Christians

All were founded by early apostles. All of them can trace their presumed supreme authority directly back to Christ. So which one is right? Assuming that your answer is “The Roman Catholic Church,” can you prove it? For the RCC to be the exclusive and only “True Church of God,” obviously one must prove that these other claimants are not true. So what made the Bishop of Rome bigger, better or more authoritative than anyone else? Surely there must be something unique to Rome and its bishop that no other line of bishops can claim, right? So what is it?

All of the churches that you mention are part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ. They differ on authority though and there are slight theological differences as well.

As for the Primacy of Peter, I suggest the following links: catholic.com/blog/tim-staples/peter-the-rock catholic.com/speakers/talks/first-rock-from-the-son-peter-and-the-papacy catholic.com/magazine/articles/peter%E2%80%99s-authority catholic.com/search/content/peter?page=1

 

[MorEphrem]

Peter is the Rock of the Church. He went to Rome in which his seat was passed down in that line of bishops that currently is occupied by Francis.

Petrine claim is nothing exclusive to Rome; Peter is first bishop of Antioch. What makes Rome qualitatively different? (I, of course, have an answer that I believe resolves the issue but if one’s sole claim is Petrine then anyone with Petrine claim can just mirror it). Even amongst Catholics, Maronite patriarchs assume the name Peter upon election because of the Petrine nature of Antioch - similarly the Syrian Catholics assume Ignatius, the name of Peter’s successor (as do the Syriac Orthodox).

But I think, overall, NFrancis is correct. The Roman Catholic Church is no more Apostolic than the Syriac Orthodox Church - both were founded by Christ, hence why both have a real priesthood and actually mediate the graces of God through the sacraments (as opposed to the Protestant groups that do not).

 

[MichaelinMD]

Petrine claim is nothing exclusive to Rome; Peter is first bishop of Antioch. What makes Rome qualitatively different? (I, of course, have an answer that I believe resolves the issue but if one’s sole claim is Petrine then anyone with Petrine claim can just mirror it). Even amongst Catholics, Maronite patriarchs assume the name Peter upon election because of the Petrine nature of Antioch - similarly the Syrian Catholics assume Ignatius, the name of Peter’s successor (as do the Syriac Orthodox).

But I think, overall, NFrancis is correct. The Roman Catholic Church is no more Apostolic than the Syriac Orthodox Church - both were founded by Christ, hence why both have a real priesthood and actually mediate the graces of God through the sacraments (as opposed to the Protestant groups that do not).

I would agree with you and would only add that Christ founded ONE Church. It wasn’t Roman, or Syriac, or Maronite, or Ethiopian, or whatever. WE did all that.