Tracing back the Church's Bishops to the Apostles?

[kepha1]

Malachi4U :

I do not know about priests and deacons but I was told by a bishop that when he became a bishop they gave him a list of all his predecessors back to Christ!I have heard the same thing, but I have not seen the documentation yet.

Would it be safe to say that Peter, the prince of the Apostles, was the authority of all the Churches back then (since he was given the keys), and after his death, these Churches ended up in a power struggle of who would have this supreme authority.

No power struggle when you are quite sure being elected pope was a death sentence. The first 30 popes were martyred, so think about it.

The Pope is not a dominating dictator. His job is to serve his bishops, wash their feet, and the more insignificant a person is that was received as Christ himself, the greater the receiving person would be, which had nothing to do with an office anyway. They understood this more than we do.

Matthew 18:1 At that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying: Who thinkest thou is the greater in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them, 3 And said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And he that shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me.

To “receive” a person does not just mean to shake hands. It means caring as if they were a family member, and Jesus explains at length what He is talking about. When we give dignity to any human being, we are doing this to Christ. It is in the placing of others ( an insignificant child for example) higher than our own status. Then what does He do? Read a bit further on. He makes Peter the first Pope. This teaching beforehand is not a coincidence.

Supreme authority has nothing to with power, but to rule on faith and morals. It is the authority of Christ who lives in the Church, and Christ gave HIS VERY SAME authority to men. Either Jesus promised to be with His Church until the end of time, (He said that to the Apostles) or He is a liar.

Catholics are submissive to HIS authority because either HE is alive in the Church, or we are a bunch of idiots.