The Hyperinflation of the Papacy, by Eric Sammons

By Eric Sammons, Editor, Crisis Magazine, Nov. 8, 2023

Eric Sammons is the editor-in-chief of Crisis Magazine.

The role of the papacy in the minds of too many Catholics has morphed from being the center of Church unity to the source of Church teaching.

If you read the Catechism of the Catholic Church from front to back, you’ll note that at least 98% of the content has nothing to do with the papacy. Creation, Original Sin, the Incarnation, hypostatic union, the Resurrection, moral commands against killing and lying, the inspiration of Scripture, sacramental grace, the all-male priesthood: none reference the pope. In fact, the subject “pope” doesn’t even get its own entry in the subject index; instead, it reads, “Pope: see Apostolic Succession; Church: structure: hierarchical constitution.”

The absence of extensive references to the pope is also the case when you peruse Catholic liturgical texts and the myriad Catholic devotions: very few even mention the pope, and none are intrinsically connected to the papacy. …

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