edged by the Church as the Head of the Apostles, and the Pastor of the whole flock of Christ.
1. As often as something of importance was to be decided or executed, Peter arose first, and acted as the head of the rest; as, for instance, at the election of Matthias, on the Feast of Pentecost, at the contention about receiving the heathens into the Church, at the Council of the Apostles in Jerusalem, etc. (Acts i. 2, 11, 15). 2. Even the Evangelists, when enumerating the Apostles, always put St. Peter the first, although he was neither the oldest of them, nor had been called to the Apostleship before all the others. St. Matthew expressly says: 'The names of the twelve Apostles are these: The First Simon who is called Peter,' etc. (Matt. x. 2). The Fathers at the General Council of Ephesus (a.d. 431) considered it as 'a fact questioned by no one, and known in all ages, that St. Peter was the Prince and the Head of the Apostles, the Foundation stone of the Catholic Church,' etc.
16. Was the supremacy of a Head of the Church to cease after the death of St. Peter?
No; for, 1. If the Church was to continue as Christ had established it, the Rock also on which He had built it, and the Supremacy of a Head which He Himself had ordained to govern it, were to continue; and 2. If a visible Head was necessary when the Church was still small, and there were none, or but few heresies, it was much more necessary afterwards when the Church was spread, and heresies and schisms were multiplied.
17. Who has been the visible Head of the Church since the death of St. Peter?
The Bishop of Rome, commonly called the Pope, who is the lawful Successor of St. Peter in the Episcopal See of Rome, and who, in consequence, has always been acknowledged as the visible Head of the Church, and the Vicegerent of Christ on earth (Short Hist. of Revealed Rel., 31).
The Councils, as well as the Fathers of all ages individually have unanimously and most decidedly, by word and deed, acknowledged in the Roman Popes the Primacy and Supremacy of St. Peter. The Œcumenical Council of Florence (1438) referred to 'the Decrees of the General Councils, and the Eccle-
