1,260 years of popery

1. Justinian

Constantinople: 533 AD | The emperor of the Byzantine Empire (and who has been the emperor since 527 [The BC/AD year count was selected at 525 by a monk who mistakenly set the birth of Jesus a couple of years after the year of his actual birth. In modern days, the terms BCE/CE are often used to evade applying to Jesus as "Christ" (Before Christ) and "Lord" (Anno Domini: In the Year of our Lord). BCE/CE is supposed to mean Before the Common Era and The Common Era.]), is making a commission.

This will change things for the Roman bishop, it seems.

It looks like no big deal for Justinian I—his full name is Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Justinianus—to make this command about the bishop of Rome. Two last emperors of Rome, the Empire that had declined the last century, had blazoned that the bishop of Rome is "Head of the whole Church". Justinian is going to make a similar proclamation.

Before this century is over, the bishop of Rome will proceed with the name: Pappas. This is Greek for Father. Yes, even though the Founder of Christianity, Jesus of Nazareth, had said that "ye may not call [any] your father on the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens".[Matthew 23:9 (see also Malachi 1:6). All quotations from the Bible are from Young's Literal Translation. The words in italics are for emphasis.]

But, the name will stick. Pappas. Pope. This name had been referred to all bishops before, but soon it will be restricted to Rome's bishop.

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The history of the Papacy has been confusing this far. There were disputes between the Bishop of Rome and the other bishops of other cities like Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Constantinople. Especially he had trouble with the bishop of Constantinople. The Roman bishop claims his office originated from the apostle Peter. But Roman bishop Clement I (91-100) wrote to the Corinthian church in the name of the Roman Church, not his own name. He did not claim romish authority as the current Pappas, John II, does.

Constantinople's bishop has a mind of his own. He doesn't believe in the superiority of the Pappas. Why, in the Ecumenical Nicea council, which ended with the condemning of Arianism (plus an odd moment when a bishop from Myra[It is under dispute whether this bishop, Nicolas, actually acted thus, or even if he attended the council. Apparently, he did. Legends about (Saint) Nicolas evolved to the point that he became a patron of children and gifts—and is now referred to as Father Christmas or Grandfather Frost or Santa Claus, etc.] was striking Arius for his heresy of saying Jesus was not eternal), it was not sustained by the Roman bishop but by the Roman emperor—Constantine I, a convert. No hint at all that the other bishops were subject to the Roman one (who didn't even attend but had delegates)!

It seems that the bishop of Rome had made mistakes early on—to assume too much for himself! There were debates over the date for the observance of Páscha. Should it follow with the 14th of Nisan—the date for the Jews to keep Páscha? Pope Anicetus (154-168) tried to get Smyrna's bishop to change the date for Páscha. He wants to associate Páscha with Day-Of-The-Sun.

Who was Smyrna's bishop? Polycarp, a disciple of the great apostle John. He refused to change the date for the Roman bishop. Neither changed their minds about the matter. Eventually, the Roman Empire flared Polycarp on a stake—and for being a Christian leader, not for crossing the Roman bishop.

The African Victor I (190-202) was upset because the Eastern churches celebrated Páscha on the 14th of Nisan! Wanting to part all Christianity from the Jews and their way of life won't work if these Eastern churches insist on serving the Jews' calendar. So he, Roman bishop, threatened to anathematize the bishops of such churches.