New Saint Thomas Institute Webinar:

Rome 101
History and Theology of Rome
Taylor Marshall, PhD
NewSaintThomas.com

4 Reasons why is Rome important for Christianity?

1. Christian Rome is the fulfillment of Daniel’s Old Testament prophecy.
2. It is the capital of Christianity and seat of the Pope.
3. It signifies unity.
4. It signifies orthodoxy.

The 3 OT passages regarding Rome:

Daniel 2: Statue of 4 Substances: Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron/Clay
34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it smote the image on its feet
of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces; 35 then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver,
and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer
threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be
found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole
earth.

36 “This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation

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And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never
be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all
these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever; 45 just as you saw that
a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the
bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what
shall be hereafter. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

Daniel 7: 4 Beasts and the Son of Man

19 “Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was different from
all the rest, exceedingly terrible, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze; and which
devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; 20 and concerning the
ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up and before which three
of them fell, the horn which had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and which
seemed greater than its fellows. 21 As I looked, this horn made war with the saints, and
prevailed over them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the
saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints received the kingdom.

23 “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast,

there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,

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 which shall be different from all the kingdoms,
and it shall devour the whole earth,
and trample it down, and break it to pieces.
24 As for the ten horns,
out of this kingdom
ten kings shall arise,
and another shall arise after them;
he shall be different from the former ones,
and shall put down three kings.
25 He shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
for a time, two times, and half a time.
26 But the court shall sit in judgment,
and his dominion shall be taken away,
to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
27 And the kingdom and the dominion
and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High;
their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey them.’

1 Maccabees 8:17-19
May all go well with the Romans and with the nation of the Jews at sea and on land forever,
and may sword and enemy be far from them. If war comes first to Rome or to any of their
allies in all their dominion, the nation of the Jews shall act as their allies wholeheartedly, as
the occasion may indicate to them. To the enemy that makes war they shall not give or
supply grain, arms, money, or ships, just as Rome has decided; and they shall keep their
obligations without receiving any return. In the same way, if war comes first to the nation of
the Jews, the Romans shall willingly act as their allies, as the occasion may indicate to them.
And to their enemies there shall not be given grain, arms, money, or ships, just as Rome has
decided; and they shall keep these obligations and do so without deceit. Thus on these terms
the Romans make a treaty with the Jewish people.

NT Passages on Peter and Rome

• Matthew 16 Caesarea Philippi
• Acts
• Revelation 13

Tradition:
Peter in Rome
• "Through envy and jealousy, the greatest and most righteous pillars [of the Church]
have been persecuted and put to death. Let us set before our eyes the illustrious
apostles. Peter, through unrighteous envy, endured not one or two, but numerous
labours and when he had at length suffered martyrdom, departed to the place of
glory due to him." Clement of Rome, The First Epistle of Clement, 5 (c. A.D. 96).

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 • 'You have thus by such an admonition bound together the plantings of Peter and
Paul at Rome and Corinth." Dionysius of Corinth, Epistle to Pope Soter, fragment in
Eusebius' Church History, II:25 (c. A.D. 178).
• "Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect,
while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the
Church." Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3:1:1 (c. A.D. 180).
• "As Peter had preached the Word publicly at Rome, and declared the Gospel by the
Spirit, many who were present requested that Mark, who had followed him for a
long time and remembered his sayings, should write them out." Clement of Alexandria,
fragment in Eusebius Church History, VI:14,6 (A.D. 190)
• "It is, therefore, recorded that Paul was beheaded in Rome itself, and that Peter
likewise was crucified under Nero. This account of Peter and Paul is substantiated by
the fact that their names are preserved in the cemeteries of that place even to the
present day. It is confirmed likewise by Caius, a member of the Church, who arose
under Zephyrinus, bishop of Rome. He, in a published disputation with Proclus, the
leader of the Phrygian heresy, speaks as follows concerning the places where the
sacred corpses of the aforesaid apostles are laid: 'But I can show the trophies of the
apostles. For if you will go to the Vatican or to the Ostian way, you will find the
trophies of those who laid the foundations of this church.'" Gaius, fragment in
Eusebius' Church History, 2:25 (A.D. 198).
• "What utterance also the Romans give, so very near (to the apostles), to whom Peter
and Paul conjointly bequeathed the gospel even sealed with their own
blood." Tertullian, Against Marcion, 4:5 (inter A.D. 207-212).
• 'We read the lives of the Caesars: At Rome Nero was the first who stained with
blood the rising blood. Then is Peter girt by another (an allusion to John 21:18),
when he is made fast to the cross." Tertullian, Scorpiace, 15:3 (A.D. 212).
• "Peter...at last, having come to Rome, he was crucified head-downwards; for he had
requested that he might suffer this way." Origen, Third Commentary on Genesis, (A.D.
232).

First Five Popes – PLACE

P
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A
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Second Century Popes

• Quartodeciman Controversy
• Irenaeus reports that Polycarp visited Rome when Anicetus was Pope (d. 153).
• Although they disagreed on the date of Easter, they remained in communion:
o “Neither could Anicetus persuade Polycarp not to observe what he had
always observed with John the disciple of our Lord, and the
other apostles with whom he had associated; neither could Polycarp persuade
Anicetus to observe it, as he said that he ought to follow the customs of the
presbyters that had preceded him.” Eusebius, History, ch 24.

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 o Later Pope Victor I (d. 199) moved to excommunicate all the
Quartodecimans.
o Saint Irenaeus and other bishops intervened to prevent the
excommunication:
§ Thereupon Victor, who presided over the church at Rome,
immediately attempted to cut off from the common unity the
parishes of all Asia, with the churches that agreed with them, as
heterodox; and he wrote letters and declared all the brethren there
wholly excommunicate. But this did not please all the bishops. And
they besought him to consider the things of peace, and of neighborly
unity and love. Words of theirs are extant, sharply rebuking Victor.
Among them was Irenaeus, who, sending letters in the name of the
brethren in Gaul over whom he presided, maintained that the
mystery of the resurrection of the Lord should be observed only on
the Lord's day. He fittingly admonishes Victor that he should not cut
off whole churches of God which observed the tradition of an
ancient custom. (Eusebius, History 24)

Take Home Practical Applications

1. Saint Josemaria: “Catholic, apostolic, Roman! I want you to be very Roman. And to
be anxious to make your 'path to Rome', videre Petrum — to see Peter.” (#520, The
Way)
2. Orthodoxy
3. Unity
4. Tradition

Q&A Time for comments and questions