CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: Gradual Emergence of the Papal Power

Augustine witnessed the beginning of the crumbling of imperial Rome, but his City of God concept was a foreshadowing of the churchly counterpart of old Rome, which was to rise into a vast spiritual empire in succeeding centuries. This is therefore a suitable place to trace the gradual growth of the once-humble bishop of Rome into the proud pontiff on the papal throne, ruling as head of the Catholic Church in the very seat of the old Roman Empire.PFF1 492.1

The transformation of the pagan capital of the world into the ecclesiastical capital of Christendom was a long process, but the cornerstone of the new structure—an empire based on religion—can be seen in the legal establishment of the pope as the “head of all the holy churches,” and the designated corrector of heretics. Future chapters will reveal further stages in the gradual growth of this mighty religio-political structure to its pinnacle in the height of the medieval Papacy. But here we shall trace briefly the outlines of the foundations and witness the laying of the cornerstone in the time of Justinian.PFF1 492.2