Apostolic See

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An Apostolic See is any episcopal see whose foundation is attributed to one or more of the Apostles.

Out of the many such sees, five acquired special importance in post-Nicaean Christianity and became classified as the Pentarchy. The bishops of these five consider themselves to be successors of those indicated in the following list:

• Rome, in Italy (Saint Peter and Paul the Apostle).
• Constantinople, now Istanbul in present-day Turkey (Saint Andrew).
• Alexandria, in present-day Egypt (Saint Mark the Evangelist)^[1]
• Antioch, in present-day Turkey (Saint Peter).
• Jerusalem, in the Holy Land (Saint James).

Other Apostolic Sees include:

• See of Sardis (Clement of Sardice)
• Ephesus, in present-day Turkey (John the Apostle).
• Seleucia-Ctesiphon, in present-day Iraq (Thomas the Apostle, Bartholomew the Apostle, and Thaddeus of Edessa).
• Aquileia, in northeastern Italy (Mark the Evangelist).
• Philippi, in Greece (Saint Paul).
• Thessaloniki, in Greece (Saint Paul).^[2]
• Corinth, in Greece (Saint Paul).^[3]
• Malta (Saint Paul)

"The Apostolic See" is used in the singular to refer to the See of Rome, referring to the Pope's status as successor of the Apostle Peter.^[4]

[edit] References

1. ^ Saint Mark is not called an apostle in the New Testament, but he is said to have been one of the Seventy Apostles and to have been commissioned as an apostle when he accompanied Saint Paul and Saint Barnabas in their apostolic journeys.
2. ^ Craig A. Evans,The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Acts-Philemon (David C. Cook, 2004), p. 610)
3. ^ A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament - 2 Corinthians
4. ^ The Apostolic See in Catholic Encyclopedia; cf. Code of Canon Law, canon 361, Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canon 48