|
Hi, Hebert —
Generally in Catholicism, the term Apostle is
reserved to one of the original Thirteen Apostles.
The pope is a bishop (i.e. a successor to the Apostles)
with special authority and the charism of infallibility
when speaking to all Christian faithful definitively
on a matter of faith and morals, but he is not an apostle (like
other religions have, notably the Mormons.)
His work, however, is called apostolic; for example:
- his diocese is called the Apostolic See
- his blessings are called Apostolic Blessings
- the court of the diocese is called the Apostolic
Signatura
Then again, certain organizations dedicated to spreading
the Gospel are called Institutes of Apostolic Life,
so it's a general term.
It's possible to interpret those verses in Ephesians
as merely referring to the Thirteen Apostles.
Eric
|
