The Whore of Babylon-II

Gabriel Biel. A defense of apostolic obedience.

Christ, the Lord, before he ascended into heaven, appointed St. Peter, the Apostle, the general pastor, head, ruler, and prelate of his Church. The gospel account reveals this truth: Peter was asked three times (John 21): Peter, do you love me more than these? And each time, he responded: You know, Lord, that I love you. To each response of Peter, the Lord replied: Feed my sheep. In these words, my sheep, the Lord commended his flock undivided to Peter alone as a universal pastor. Instead of designating some portion of the flock, he rather assigns the whole, declares St. Bernard to Pope Eugenius. It is clearly manifest that the Lord addressed these words to Peter only and addressed him personally and not the other disciples…

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All Christians collectively and individually must obey apostolic mandates of this sort that are sufficiently made known to them, and are bound under the threat of eternal damnation to obey these mandates in those matters which concern them.

For in all matters which are not contrary to Holy Writ, divine law, or natural law, the Supreme Pontiff, as the voice of St. Peter, must be obeyed from divine precept and for salvation…

Divine law commands that he who disdains to obey the rulers of the Church be driven out and barred from the sacraments of the faithful. For Christ says “If he will not listen to the church, you must then treat him as you would a pagan or a taxgatherer” (Mt. 18).

Accordingly natural reason dictates that he ought not to possess an office which stands vacant who neglects those things required for the fulfillment of that office. For the welfare of an individual must not be placed above and preferred over the common welfare, as Aristotle teaches (Ethics, Book II).