An apostolic see is an episcopal see whose foundation is attributed to one or more of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus or to one of their close associates. In Catholicism, the phrase "The Apostolic See" when capitalized refers specifically to the Holy See.[ Merriam-Webster: definition of apostolic see][ Collins English Dictionary: Definition of 'apostolic see']
Tertullian (c. 155 − c. 240) gives examples of apostolic sees: he describes as churches "in which the very episcopal see of the apostles are still pre-eminent in their places, in which their own authentic writings are read, uttering the voice and representing the face of each of them severally" the following churches: Corinth, Philippi, Ephesus, and Rome.[ Tertullian, De praescriptione haereticorum, chapter 36; original Latin text]
Tertullian says that from these "all the other churches, one after another, derived the tradition of the faith, and the seeds of doctrine, and are every day deriving them, that they may become churches. Indeed, it is on this account only that they will be able to deem themselves apostolic, as being the offspring of apostolic churches".[ Tertullian, De praescriptionibus adversus haereticos, chapter XX]
Cited by early apologists for doctrinal authority
Tertullian himself and the slightly earlier
Irenaeus (c. 130 – c. 200) speak of the succession of bishops of sees founded directly by the apostles as sources for sure Christian doctrine.
Irenaeus argues that, to know what is true Christian doctrine, it is enough to learn the teaching of some of the oldest churches or at least one, in particular that of Rome:[ Honoré Coppieters, "Apostolic Churches" in The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907)] "If the apostles had known hidden mysteries, which they were in the habit of imparting to 'the perfect' apart and privily from the rest, they would have delivered them especially to those to whom they were also committing the Churches themselves.
Tertullian's arguing is similar: From the apostles the churches they founded received the doctrine that the apostles received directly from Christ, and from those churches the more recent churches received the same doctrine. Every heresy is more recent and, being different, is erroneous.[ Tertullian, De praescriptionibus adversus haereticos, chapter xxxii]
Distinct from jurisdictional authority
Jurisdictional authority of particular episcopal sees over others is not necessarily associated with the apostolic origin of the see. Thus, the fourth canon of the First Council of Nicaea of 325 attributed to the bishop of the capital (metropolis) of each
Roman province (the "metropolitan bishop") a position of authority among the bishops of the province, without reference to the founding figure of that bishop's see.
[ First Council of Nicaea: canons 4, 6, 7]
Its sixth canon the same council recognized the wider authority, extending beyond a single imperial province, traditionally held by Rome and Alexandria, and the prerogatives of the churches in Antioch and the other provinces.[ First Council of Nicaea: canon 6]
Of Aelia Capitolina, the Roman city built on the site of the destroyed city of Jerusalem, the council's seventh canon reads: "Since custom and ancient tradition have prevailed that the Bishop of Aelia should be honoured, let him, saving its due dignity to the Metropolis, have the next place of honour."[ First Council of Nicaea: canon 7] The metropolis in question is generally taken to be Caesarea Maritima,[ Brian E. Daley, "Position and Patronage in the Early Church" in Everett Ferguson, Norms of Faith and Life (Taylor & Francis 1999 ), p. 207][ Jonathan Z. Smith, To Take Place (University of Chicago Press 1992 ), p. 78][ Ian Gilman, Hans-Joachim Klimkeit, Christians in Asia before 1500 (Routledge 2013 ), p. 28][ Lucy Grig, Gavin Kelly, Two Romes (Oxford University Press 2012 ), p. 354] though in the late 19th century Philip Schaff also mentioned other views.[ Schaff's Seven Ecumenical Councils: First Nicaea: Canon VII: "It is very hard to determine just what was the 'precedence' granted to the Bishop of Ælia, nor is it clear which is the metropolis referred to in the last clause. Most writers, including Hefele, Balsamon, Aristenus and Beveridge consider it to be Cæsarea; while Zonaras thinks Jerusalem to be intended, a view recently adopted and defended by Fuchs; others again suppose it is Antioch that is referred to."]
The see of Constantinople was elevated to a position of jurisdictional prominence not on the grounds of apostolic origin but because of its political importance as the capital of the Roman Empire. The First Council of Constantinople (381), held in what by then had been the political capital for half a century, decreed in a canon of disputed validity: "The Bishop of Constantinople, however, shall have the prerogative of honour after the Bishop of Rome; because Constantinople is New Rome."[ Encyclopædia Britannica: Pentarchy]
For another pentarchic see, that of Alexandria, the reputed founder and close associate of the apostle Peter, Saint Mark, is not called an apostle in the New Testament.
Sees or Churches viewed as founded by apostles or their close associates
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Alexandria (Coptic, Coptic Catholic, Greek Orthodox): Saint Mark
[Saint Mark is not called an apostle in the New Testament, but he is said to have been one of the Seventy Apostles and to have been commissioned as an apostle when he accompanied Saint Paul and Saint Barnabas in their apostolic journeys.]
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Antioch (Greek Orthodox, Maronite, Melkite, Syriac Catholic, Syriac Orthodox): Saint Peter
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Aquileia: Mark the Evangelist as one of the Seventy Apostles
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Armenia (Armenian Apostolic Church,
[ Apostolic Succession of the Catholicos-Patriarch of Cilicia for Armenian Catholics]): Thaddaeus (Jude the Apostle) and Bartholomew the Apostle
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Athens: Saint Paul
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Bulgarian Orthodox Church: Saint Andrew
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Constantinople: Saint Andrew
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Corinth: Saint Paul
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Cyprus, based at New Justiniana (Erdek): Saint Paul and Saint Barnabas
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Ephesus: John the Apostle
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Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church maintains that Christianity was originally introduced to Ethiopia through Saint Philip the Evangelist
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Georgian Orthodox Church: Saint Andrew and Simon the Canaanite
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Goa and Maharashtra: Bartholomew the Apostle
[ Encyclopaedia Britannica: "Saint Bartholomew"] he was martyred in India. In these texts, two kings named Polyamus and Astriyagis have been described. Circa AD 55 the king named Pulaimi ruled near Kalyan, who in Latin language is called as Polyamus and King Aristakarman, who succeeded Pulaimi, might have a Latin name of Astriyais [ ] and it is in Goan tradition that the Apostle preached in Goa and Maharashtra.
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Jerusalem (Greek Orthodox, Latin): Saint Peter and Saint James
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Malta: Saint Paul
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Milan: Saint Barnabas
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Patras: Saint Andrew
[ Acts and Martyrdom of the Holy Apostle Andrew (ad finem)]
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Philippi: Saint Paul
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Romania: Saint Andrew, who is said to have preached in Scythia (identified with Scythia Minor, Dobruja, and the Metropolitan of Tomis).
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Holy See: Saint Peter and Saint Paul
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The Russian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine claim a connection with Saint Andrew, who is said to have visited the area where the city of Kyiv later arose.
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Saint Thomas Christians of Kerala claim a connection with Thomas the Apostle; they are now divided between (in alphabetic order): Chaldean Syrian Church, Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, Malabar Independent Syrian Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Mar Thoma Syrian Church, St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India, Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Syro-Malankara Catholic Church)
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Santiago de Compostela: James the Great
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Seleucia-Ctesiphon or Babylon (claimed by, in alphabetical order, Ancient Church of the East, Assyrian Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church): Thomas the Apostle, Bartholomew the Apostle, and Thaddeus of Edessa
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Syracuse: Saint Peter
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Thessalonica: Saint Paul
[ Craig A. Evans, The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Acts-Philemon (David C. Cook, 2004), p. 610)]
Apostles or their close associates claimed as founders of sees
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Saint Andrew: Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Constantinople, Corinth, Georgian Orthodox Church, Patras, Romanian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Church, Orthodox Church of Ukraine
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Saint Barnabas: Cyprus, Milan
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Bartholomew: Armenian Apostolic Church, Armenian Catholic Church, Babylon
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James, brother of Jesus: Jerusalem (Greek Orthodox, Latin)
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James the Great: Santiago de Compostela
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John: Ephesus
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Saint Mark: Alexandria (Coptic, Coptic Catholic, Greek Orthodox), Aquileia
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Saint Paul: Athens, Cyprus, Malta, Philippi, Holy See, Thessalonica, Illyria (Albanian Orthodox Church)
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Saint Peter: Antioch (Greek Orthodox, Maronite, Melkite, Syriac Catholic, Syriac Orthodox), Jerusalem (Greek Orthodox, Latin), Holy See, Syracuse
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Philip the Evangelist: Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
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Simon the Canaanite: Georgian Orthodox Church
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Thaddaeus/Jude the Apostle: Armenian Apostolic Church, Armenian Catholic Church, Ancient Church of the East, Assyrian Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church (Babylon)
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Thaddeus of Edessa: Ancient Church of the East, Assyrian Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church (Babylon)
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Thomas: Ancient Church of the East, Assyrian Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church (Babylon); Saint Thomas Christians. The latter are now divided between (in alphabetical order): Chaldean Syrian Church, Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, Malabar Independent Syrian Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Mar Thoma Syrian Church, St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India, Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Syro-Malankara Catholic Church)
Rome as the Apostolic See
By a long-standing usage, evidenced already in 431, when the Council of Ephesus, the third ecumenical council, employed the phrase "our most holy and blessed pope Cœlestine, bishop of the Apostolic See",
the expression, "
the Apostolic See", is used in the singular and capitalized to mean specifically the
Holy See and represent the
Pope as head of the worldwide
Catholic Church and successor of
Saint Peter.
["In the east there were many Churches whose foundation went back to the Apostles; there was a strong sense of the equality of all bishops, of the collegial and conciliar nature of the Church. The east acknowledged the Pope as the first bishop in the Church, but saw him as the first among equals. In the west, on the other hand, there was only one great see claiming Apostolic foundation — Rome — so that Rome came to be regarded as the Apostolic see" ( Bishop Kallistos Ware, Orthodox Church).]["An Apostolic see is any see founded by an Apostle and having the authority of its founder; the Apostolic See is the seat of authority in the Roman Church, continuing the Apostolic functions of Peter, the chief of the Apostles. Heresy and barbarian violence swept away all the particular Churches which could lay claim to an Apostolic see, until Rome alone remained; to Rome, therefore, the term applies as a proper name" ( Catholic Encyclopedia, article The Apostolic See).]
In Catholic canon law, the term is applied also to the various departments of the Roman Curia. The Code of Canon Law states: "In this Code the terms Apostolic See or Holy See mean not only the Roman Pontiff, but also, unless the contrary is clear from the nature of things or from the context, the Secretariat of State, the Council for the public affairs of the Church, and the other Institutes of the Roman Curia."
See also
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Apostolic History Network
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Apostolic succession
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Dispersion of the apostles
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Early centers of Christianity
Sources
