Page 15 - Read and Recognize
P. 15
Read and Recognize
Peter wore a white robe on ceremonial occasions, a kind of cope, and
had a staff.
He never had himself crowned, as he would never have presented
himself as king and ruler; because JESUS was and remained his King.
Peter considered and showed himself a servant of his King JESUS
CHRIST and a servant of his brothers and sisters entrusted to him. He
did not even want to die on the cross with head erect as his supremely
beloved Master did, but desired to be crucified upside down. Who
dares suspect that Peter would have himself crowned!
Emperor Constantine achieved by pressure that the Pope was to wear a
sort of mark of distinction on the head, although the then Pope tried to
decline several times. But then the popes began to assign such marks of
distinction likewise to various bishops. Increasingly, ornamentation
and visible marks of power developed from it! Nevertheless, one man-
aged, as usual, to make religious signs and symbols of it.
In the Church of CHRIST only one is king:
JESUS CHRIST!
Therefore, His servants wear neither crown nor any ruler insignia
whatsoever!
Would you claim that the past as well as present papacy, according to
Matth. 20,27f: „And he that will be first among you shall be your
servant …“, corresponds to the teaching of CHRIST? In the past you
had to go down on your knees three times before the Pope and kiss his
feet, and you were not allowed to speak to him, you had only to
answer, if he deigned to ask questions and so on. That does not corre-
spond to the above teaching of CHRIST, neither to that of St Peter!
Look, even today no bishop is entitled, on appearing unannounced or
without a ticket at an audience with the Pope, to proceed to the front by
his side, although he, too, like the Pope, possesses the high-priestly
power of JESUS CHRIST, except that the Pope is the first as the one who
unites. Is that the idea of a fellow brother?
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