Encyclopaedia states Pope is head of church

I WAS surprised that Micheál Ó Fearghail stated that the Catholic Church has “never taught that the Pope is the head of the church” (July 23).

The Catholic Encyclopaedia continually asserts that Rome does just that with its first heading, under the subject of ‘Pope’, reading, “Institution of a Supreme Head by Christ” and continuing, “The proof that Christ constituted St Peter head of His Church is found in the two famous Petrine texts, Matthew 16:17-19, and John 21:15-17.”

This encyclopaedia, which carries the imprimatur of the Roman Church, proceeds to quote from authoritative church documents and then alleges the “supreme headship” is also conferred on what it calls “Peter’s successors.”