Apostolic

Apostolic, or APOSTOLICAL, the general term applied to everything derived directly from the apostles, or bearing their character. Either case constitutes apostolicity. The Roman Catholic Church declares itself the Apostolic Church, and the papal chair the apostolic chair, on the ground of an unbroken series of Roman bishops from the chief apostle, Peter. The Church of England, in virtue of regular episcopal ordination from the pre-reformation church, claims to be apostolic; so likewise do the Protestant Episcopal Churches in Scotland and the United States. Apostolic Tradition claims to have been handed down from the apostles themselves. In the same special sense, the name of Apostolic Council belongs to the conclave of the apostles at Jerusalem (Acts, xv.), about the year 50 A.D. Certain congregations or churches, also, which were the special scenes of the labours of the apostles, bore this title for centuries, more especially those of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome. But with the ever-increasing spiritual power of the Romish hierarchy, the name came to be more and more exclusively applied to Rome. Hence the term Apostolic See—i.e. the see of Rome; Apostolic Blessing, the blessing of the pope as the successor of St Peter; Apostolic Vicar, the cardinal who represents the pope in extraordinary missions; Apostolic Chamber, a council intrusted with the care of the revenues of the see of Rome. Apostolic Majesty is a title conferred by the pope on Stephen, the first king of Hungary, and still retained by the emperor of Austria as his successor. A papal brief or letter is styled apostolic in the same sense.—APOSTOLICITY, a term employed to denote that a church possesses the teaching of the apostles. The Roman Catholics use the term as expressing their claim that their church was founded by St Peter.