There is no other church or Christian Religion today where one can find Peter the "rock" but in the Catholic Church. The words of Jesus literally came true because his church was built on top of St. Peter. Indeed it was as he said "Simon thou art Peter (rock) and on this rock I will build my church". Aside from that, the leadership of the Church continued with the successors of Peter the first Pope and that the church has an unbroken lines of Popes after Peter throughout the centuries or nearly 2,000 years. In spite of all the persecutions, wars, upheavals, heresies, divisions, schisms, wrongdoings and errors of the bishops and priests that governed the Catholic Church, lo', it remains standing. Again where can one find today a church that stands for thousands years and remain strong and organized? None but the Catholic Church. This is to again fulfill the words of Jesus, "even the gates of hell shall not prevail" against his church.
Therefore those who spread the lies that the true church was long gone and that they have resurrected it with their own brand new church are nothing but false preachers.
The Popes who succeeded St. Peter from the time of his death and the succeeding Church Fathers who continued with the building of the Catholic Church have each their story to tell. Their heroism, perseverance, and fidelity to the Catholic Faith helped sustained the church through all the persecutions and hardships it had experienced. Without a doubt that if the Apostles did not witness and experience for the 3 years all the miracles and wonders of the Lord and the truth of the gospel, they could have just went back to their hometowns and families than risk their lives doing the missionary works and establishing churches wherever they went.
We already know who St. Peter is now let's learn who followed after him as Bishop of Rome and Pope of the Catholic Church. After the Death of St. Peter and Paul who both suffered Martydom in the hands of Nero who accused the Christians as having been responsible for the grate fire in Rome. Thus sometime in the year 64-67 AD, both Apostles Peter and Paul were killed and martyred.
LIST OF POPES THAT FOLLOWED AFTER ST. PETER
2nd Pope was St. Linus year AD 67-76
3rd Pope St. Anacletus year AD 76-91
4th Pope was St. Cement year AD 91-97
5th Pope was St. Evaristus year AD 97-107
6th Pope was Alexander 1 year AD 107-17
7th Pope was Sixtus 1 year AD 117-27
8th Pope was St. Telesphorus AD 127-38
9th Pope was Hyginus AD 138-42
10th Pope was Pius AD 142-57
11th Pope was Anicetus AD 157-67
12th Pope was Soter AD 167-74
13th Pope was Eliutherius AD 174-86
14th Pope was Victor AD186-98
15th Pope was Zephyrinus AD 198-217
16th Pope was St. Callistus AD 217-22
17th Pope was St. Urban AD 222-30
18th Pope was St. Pontian AD 230-35
19th Pope was St. Anterus AD 235-36
20th Pope was St. Fabian AD 236-50
21st Pope was St. Cornelius AD 251-53
22nd Pope was St. Lucius AD 253-54
23rd Pope was St. Stephen 1 AD 254-57
24th Pope was St. Sixtus 11 AD 257-58
25th Pope was St. Dionysius AD 260-68
26th Pope was St. Felix 1 AD 269-74
27th Pope was St. Eutychian AD 275-83
28th Pope was St. Caius AD 283-96
29th Pope was St. Marcellinus 296-304
30th Pope was St. Marcellus 1 AD 308-09
31st Pope was St. Eusebius AD 309/10
32nd Pope was St. Miltiades AD 311-14
33rd Pope was St. Silverster I AD 314-35
34th Pope was St. Marcus AD 336-
35th Pope was St. Julius 1 AD 337-52
36th Pope was Liberius AD 352-66
37th Pope was St. Damasus I AD 366-83
38th Pope was St. Siricius AD 384-99
39th Pope was St. Anastasius I 399-401
40th Pope was St. Innocent I 401-17
These are the lines succession of Popes in the Catholic Church from 67 AD after the death of St. Peter to 417 the death of St. Innocent I who was a very energetic Pope and one of the most revered in his time as Pope. He has exercised full control of the entire Catholic Church both West and East.
We will have more listing of the Popes and the Church Fathers in succeeding parts of this Post. You may just click on the Popes to know more about them and how they led the Catholic Church in those critical period in the life and building of the church worldwide.
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