[soc.religion.christian] a comment on the Apostles

jhpb@garage.att.com (01/27/91)

Just a comment prompted by the recent articles on the Papacy.

Common Catholic teaching on the Apostles is that they were not simply
Catholic bishops.  They were much more.  They had special prerogatives
as Apostles that their (non-papal) successors don't have.  For example:

- Infallibility in teaching matters of faith and morals.
- Jurisdiction in every part of the Church.

Nowadays only the Papacy has these prerogatives, but in the beginning it
was all the Apostles, to get the Church going.