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Temporal Rights of the Prince-Bishop of Rome-Ruthenia
and the Pontifical Imperial State
EN | IT | RU
from the Office of His Apostolic Highness the Prince-Bishop of Rome-Ruthenia
19 October 2024
Summary:
1. Apostolic and Temporal Succession of St. Peter: The United Roman-Ruthenian Church (URRC) holds apostolic succession from St. Peter,
St. Andrew, and other Apostles, integrating both Western and Eastern
heritage and traditions. The URRC also holds independent titular
temporal patrimony and asserts its position as the closest legitimate
claimant to the temporal authority of the Roman Church via succession
from Pope St. Leo X, establishing its authority as the temporal
successor to St. Peter.
2. The Temporal Heritage of the Roman Church: Historically,
the Roman Popes held both spiritual and temporal authority over the
Western Roman Empire. This duality was altered by Pope St. John Paul
II’s renunciation of temporal claims other than the Vatican City-State,
leading to the URRC inheriting this temporal patrimony through its
succession from Pope St. Leo X, thus formalising its status as the
temporal successor to St. Peter.
3. Passing of the Temporal Claims: Pope
St. John Paul II's renunciation of temporal claims was definitive.
Following the renunciation of the Patriarchal title by Pope St.
Benedict XVI, the URRC assumed these rights automatically through
historical and nobiliary succession, affirming its legitimate claim to
the temporal heritage of the Roman Empire.
4. The Legacy of the Kingdom of Ruthenia: The
Kingdom of Ruthenia was established by Pope Innocent IV. After its
dissolution, rights reverted to the Roman Papacy by nobiliary custom.
As temporal successor to St. Peter, the URRC likewise holds the
temporal patrimony of Ruthenia and its associated titles and rights.
5. Pontifical Imperial State of Rome-Ruthenia: The
Pontifical Imperial State of Rome-Ruthenia symbolizes the united
heritage of the Roman Empire and Ruthenia, acting as a titular
authority for the URRC. Although the Pontifical Imperial State neither
holds nor seeks territory, the Prince-Bishop represents this dual
heritage, embodying temporal sovereignty through an unbroken lineage of
succession.
Conclusion: The
URRC, as the direct successor of Pope St. Leo X and temporal successor
of St. Peter, holds the temporal authority of both the Roman Empire and
the Kingdom of Ruthenia. The Prince-Bishop of Rome-Ruthenia is
recognizsed as the legitimate heir, forming the basis of the modern
Pontifical Imperial State through nobiliary law.
See also the Canonical Status of the Church.
Read also the Statement of Mission and Service in the Church.
See also the Note on the Titles of the P.I. Houshold.
See also the title/style of Apostolic Highness.
Read also about the Use of Secular-Style Dress by Clergy of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church.
1. Apostolic and
Temporal Succession of St. Peter
See also this page to read more about the canonical status of the Church.
- Premise 1: In Christian
ecclesiology, apostolic succession refers to the continuous transmission
of spiritual authority from the
Apostles through successive bishops. The Bishop of Rome (the Roman
Pope, distinct from the Coptic Orthodox or other Popes) traditionally held
the patrimony of St. Peter the Apostle, encompassing both spiritual and
temporal authority (Vatican, 1973; McKitterick, 2016; Prodi, 2019).
- Premise 2: The United
Roman-Ruthenian Church (URRC) holds apostolic succession from St. Peter through
the Churches of Rome and Antioch, and from St. Andrew the First-Called and
other Apostles through various Eastern Apostolic Sees, integrating both
Western and Eastern traditions (Apostolic, 2024).
- Premise 3: The URRC, while not the
spiritual successor (which remains the Vatican/Roman Catholic Church), is
the closest recognised claimant to the temporal lineage of the Roman
Church as the direct successor of Pope St. Leo X in the Holy Roman Empire,
placing it in a position to inherit the temporal authority of the Roman
Empire by nobiliary succession, which is established through historical
legal principles of inheritance (Coulombe, 2020).
- Premise 4: The URRC independently
holds titular temporal patrimony in its own right, derived from its
historic claims and noble succession, further reinforcing its temporal
authority.
- Premise 5: No other church, state,
or entity holds valid claims to the temporal patrimony of the Roman
Church. The Vatican/Roman Catholic Church relinquished its temporal claims
under Pope St. John Paul II (except for those tied to Vatican City), and
Pope St. Benedict XVI renounced the Patriarchal title. The URRC, being the
direct successor of Pope St. Leo X and the closest recognised patriarchal
successor, is the only legitimate claimant to the broader temporal
authority of the Roman Empire through nobiliary law and historical
succession (Davis, 2018).
- Conclusion: As the temporal
successor of St. Peter and the direct successor of Pope St. Leo X, holding
autocephalous patriarchal authority and Apostolic Succession from St.
Peter and other Apostles, the Prince-Bishop of Rome-Ruthenia, recognised Papa-Catholicos
(patriarch) of Rome-Ruthenia, and Supreme Pontiff of the United
Roman-Ruthenian Church, possesses both legitimate ecclesiastical and
temporal authority, grounded in its Apostolic succession, its own temporal
patrimony, and the historical patrimony of the Roman Church (Ullmann, 1970;
Deffenbaugh, 2024).
2. The Temporal
Heritage of the Roman Church
- Premise 1: Historically, the Popes
of Rome held both spiritual and temporal authority over the remnants of
the Western Roman Empire, with no distinction between spiritual and
temporal power at that time (Geertman, 2016).
- Premise 2: The distinction between
the spiritual and temporal patrimony of St. Peter emerged only following
the renunciation of temporal claims of the Roman Catholic Church by Pope St.
John Paul II, except for those pertaining to Vatican City.
- Premise 3: The URRC, through its
direct succession from Pope St. Leo X, not only holds Apostolic authority
but also inherited the temporal patrimony tied to the Roman Empire and Roman
Church.
- Conclusion: The Prince-Bishop of
Rome-Ruthenia holds significant temporal patrimony as an heir to the Roman
Empire and Church, as well as segments of the Holy Roman Empire, which
follows as temporal successor to St. Peter.
3. Passing of the
Temporal Claims
- Premise 1: As stated, Pope St. John Paul
II renounced the temporal claims of the Roman Papacy, except for those tied to
Vatican City. In ecclesiastical and legal contexts, renunciation refers to the
formal act of voluntarily giving up claims, rights, or authority. Once
renounced, these claims or rights no longer belong to the individual or office
that relinquished them and may pass to another party by succession. The
renunciation by Pope St. John Paul II, therefore, was legally and symbolically
final, and thus irreversible without a new formal claim or authority.
- Premise 2: In Christian tradition and
ecclesiology, the Patriarchal title represents the highest ecclesiastical
office. For the Roman Pope, all of his authority—whether spiritual or
temporal—was rooted in his role as the Patriarch of the Western Church. This
included not only spiritual supremacy over the Roman Communion, but also
temporal authority over the historic patrimony of the Roman Empire. Thus, the
Roman Pope's authority ultimately derived from his position as Patriarch (Blaudeau,
2015).
- Premise 3: In 2011, Pope St. Benedict XVI
formally renounced the Patriarchal title, marking a significant shift in the
governance of the Roman Church’s temporal heritage. In early Christianity and
Orthodox tradition, the Patriarchal title is the highest ecclesiastical
authority, and it is from this title that all spiritual and temporal authority
is derived. By renouncing the title of Patriarch, Pope St. Benedict effectively
severed the Roman Catholic Church’s claim to both spiritual and temporal
authority beyond Vatican City. This renunciation, therefore, removed the Roman
Church’s ability to hold even symbolic or titular claims to the previously
renounced temporal patrimony of the Roman Empire.
- Premise 4: Following nobiliary law and
historical succession principles, the temporal claims tied to the broader
patrimony of the Roman Empire passed automatically to the Prince-Bishop of
Rome-Ruthenia, the next-closest patriarchal successor as the direct successor
of Pope St. Leo X (Guerios, 2015).
- Premise 5: The URRC, as the direct
successor to Pope St. Leo X, assumed these patrimonial rights without the need
for formal transfer, since the claims passed through hereditary and
ecclesiastical succession, consistent with nobiliary law (Neil and Allen, 2014;
Gavaldá y Castro and Arnaldo, 2015).
- Conclusion: The temporal patrimony of the
Roman Church, specifically tied to the Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire,
passed by nobiliary law to the Prince-Bishop of Rome-Ruthenia, affirming his
legitimate claim to the temporal heritage of the Roman Empire and associated
states.
4. The Legacy of the
Kingdom of Ruthenia
- Premise 1: The Kingdom of Ruthenia
(Rus' or Russia) was a medieval political entity established by Pope Innocent
IV when Danilo Romanovich was crowned king (Fennell, 1983). While the Kingdom
remained in the Eastern Orthodox rite, it maintained a significant political
alliance with the Roman Papacy (Bougard and Sot, 2020).
- Premise 2: The Romanovich dynasty,
ruling Ruthenia, itself part of the Rurikovich (Rurikid) dynasty, is historically
part of the Old Russian State and the Byzantine tradition (Franklin and Shepard,
1996).
- Premise 3: After the dissolution
of the Kingdom of Russia (Ruthenia), its lands were divided among other
states, but the rights to the Kingdom legitimately reverted to its
originator—the Roman Papacy—by nobiliary law and custom, thus making Rome
the ecclesiastical successor to Ruthenia's temporal heritage (Heritage,
2023).
- Conclusion: The United
Roman-Ruthenian Church, as the temporal successor of St. Peter, rightfully
claims the temporal patrimony of Ruthenia, with the Prince-Bishop of
Rome-Ruthenia inheriting the titles and rights associated with the Kingdom
of Ruthenia.
5. Pontifical
Imperial State of Rome-Ruthenia
- Premise 1: The Pontifical Imperial
State of Rome-Ruthenia is the modern combination of the historic
Pontifical Roman State and the Pontifical Kingdom of Ruthenia,
representing the temporal patrimony of both the Roman Empire and Ruthenia
(Old Russian State).
- Premise 2: While it neither holds
nor seeks direct political territory, the Pontifical Imperial State
functions as a titular secular authority of the United Roman-Ruthenian
Church, representing the historic territories and maintaining the
ecclesiastical claims.
- Premise 3: The state symbolises
the unity of the Roman and Ruthenian patrimonies, reinforcing the dual
temporal heritage that the Prince-Bishop of Rome-Ruthenia holds over both
the Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Ruthenia.
- Conclusion: The Prince-Bishop of
Rome-Ruthenia, as head of the Pontifical Imperial State, embodies the
temporal sovereignty of both the Roman Empire and Ruthenia, through an
unbroken lineage of ecclesiastical and nobiliary succession.
Conclusion:
By
virtue of its Apostolic and temporal succession, the United Roman-Ruthenian
Church—through its direct succession from Pope St. Leo X and its claim as
temporal successor to the patrimony of St. Peter—legitimately inherits the
temporal authority of the Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Ruthenia. The
Prince-Bishop of Rome-Ruthenia, as the Papa-Catholicos of Rome-Ruthenia and the
Supreme Pontiff of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church, stands as the legitimate
heir to both the Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Ruthenia, forming the
foundation of the modern Pontifical Imperial State of Rome-Ruthenia. Through
nobiliary law, the temporal rights passed to him automatically, reinforcing his
position as the legitimate temporal ecclesiastical heir to this vast patrimony.
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