[Decebal]

Voi reda câteva citate din opera Fericitului Augustin în care se referă la Petru, după care voi aduce şi câteva comentarii în special pentru cei care nu înţeleg engleza şi implicit viziunea lui Augustin asupra apostolului Petru.

„What then does Peter's daring to come to Him on the waters also signify? For Peter generally stands for a figure of the Church. What else then do we think is meant by, "Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto You on the water;" but, Lord, if You are true, and in nothing speakest falsely, let Your Church also be glorified in this world, because prophecy has proclaimed this concerning You. Let her walk then on the waters, and so let her come to You, to whom it is said, "The rich among the people shall entreat Your favour."” (Augustin, Sermon LXXV, 10)

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/160325.htm
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf106.vii.xxvii.html

„The Gospel which has just been read touching the Lord Christ, who walked on the waters of the sea; and the Apostle Peter, who as he was walking, tottered through fear, and sinking in distrust, rose again by confession, gives us to understand that the sea is the present world, and the Apostle Peter the type of the One Church. For Peter in the order of Apostles first, and in the love of Christ most forward, answers oftentimes alone for all the rest. Again, when the Lord Jesus Christ asked, whom men said that He was, and when the disciples gave the various opinions of men, and the Lord asked again and said, "But whom say ye that I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." One for many gave the answer, Unity in many. Then said the Lord to Him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjonas: for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but My Father which is in heaven." Then He added, "and I say unto you." As if He had said, "Because you have said unto Me, 'You are the Christ the Son of the living God;' I also say unto you, 'You are Peter.'" For before he was called Simon. Now this name of Peter was given him by the Lord, and that in a figure, that he should signify the Church. For seeing that Christ is the rock (Petra), Peter is the Christian people. For the rock (Petra) is the original name. Therefore Peter is so called from the rock; not the rock from Peter; as Christ is not called Christ from the Christian, but the Christian from Christ. "Therefore," he says, "You are Peter; and upon this Rock" which you have confessed, upon this Rock which you have acknowledged, saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, will I build My Church;" that is upon Myself, the Son of the living God, "will I build My Church." I will build you upon Myself, not Myself upon you.” (Augustin, Sermon LXXVI, 1)

„For men who wished to be built upon men, said, "I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas," who is Peter. But others who did not wish to be built upon Peter, but upon the Rock, said, "But I am of Christ." And when the Apostle Paul ascertained that he was chosen, and Christ despised, he said, "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" And, as not in the name of Paul, so neither in the name of Peter; but in the name of Christ: that Peter might be built upon the Rock, not the Rock upon Peter.” (Augustin, Sermon LXXVI, 2)

„This same Peter therefore who had been by the Rock pronounced "blessed," bearing the figure of the Church, holding the chief place in the Apostleship, a very little while after that he had heard that he was "blessed," a very little while after that he had heard that he was "Peter," a very little while after that he had heard that he was to be "built upon the Rock," displeased the Lord when He had heard of His future Passion, for He had foretold His disciples that it was soon to be. He feared lest he should by death, lose Him whom he had confessed as the fountain of life. He was troubled, and said, "Be it far from You, Lord: this shall not be to You." Spare Yourself, O God, I am not willing that You should die. Peter said to Christ, I am not willing that You should die; but Christ far better said, I am willing to die for you. And then He immediately rebuked him, whom He had a little before commended; and calls him Satan, whom he had pronounced "blessed." "Get behind Me, Satan," he says, "you are an offense unto Me: for you savour not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." What would He have us do in our present state, who thus finds fault because we are men? Would you know what He would have us do? Give ear to the Psalm; "I have said, You are gods, and you are all the children of the Most High." But by savouring the things of men; "you shall die like men." The very same Peter a little while before blessed, afterwards Satan, in one moment, within a few words! You wonder at the difference of the names, mark the difference of the reasons of them. Why do you wonder that he who was a little before blessed, is afterwards Satan? Mark the reason wherefore he is blessed. "Because flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but My Father which is in heaven." Therefore blessed, because flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you. For if flesh and blood revealed this to you, it were of your own; but because flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but My Father which is in heaven, it is of Mine, not of your own. Why of Mine? "Because all things that the Father has are Mine." So then you have heard the cause, why he is "blessed," and why he is "Peter." But why was he that which we shudder at, and are loth to repeat, why, but because it was of your own? "For you savour not the things which be of God, but those that be of men."” (Augustin, Sermon LXXVI, 3)

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/160326.htm
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf106.vii.xxviii.html

„But what now? The Lord asks him as you heard when the Gospel was being read, and says to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He answered and said, "Yea Lord You know that I love You." And again the Lord asked this question, and a third time He asked it. And when he asserted in reply his love, He commended to him the flock. For each several time the Lord Jesus said to Peter, as he said, "I love you;" "Feed My lambs," feed My "little sheep." In this one Peter was figured the unity of all pastors, of good pastors, that is, who know that they feed Christ's sheep for Christ, not for themselves. Was Peter at this time a liar, or did he answer untruly that he loved the Lord? He made this answer truly; for he made answer of that which he saw in his own heart.” (Augustin, Sermon CXLVII, 2)

„The Rock (Petra) made Peter true, for the Rock was Christ.” (Augustin, Sermon CXLVII, 2)

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/160397.htm

Din aceste texte se observă că Augustin îl vedea pe apostolul Petru ca ca având o oarecare întâietate între apostoli, însă niciodată nu este văzut aşa cum îl văd în ziua de azi catolicii. Petru este văzut ca tip sau simbol al Bisericii, sau ca simbol al poporului creştin, sau ca simbol al unităţii păstorilor Bisericii, al acelor păstori care „hrănesc” sau „pasc” „mieii” lui Hristos pentru Hristos, nu pentru ei înşişi, însă niciodată nu este văzut aşa cum este văzut de catolici. Şi avem referinţe în citatele din Augustin atât la momentul din Evanghelia după Matei (cel cu mărturisirea lui Petru şi cu făgăduinţa lui Hristos de a zidi Biserica), precum şi la momentul de la sfârşitul Evangheliei după Ioan, două momente care au fost şi sunt aduse sistematic de unii dintre catolicii de ieri sau de azi pentru a justifica opţiunea lor doctrinară, sau chiar dogmatică, referitor la primatul petrin şi la cel papal. Augustin însă spune că Piatra pe care Hristos a făgăduit să zidească Biserica, şi pe care a şi zidit-o, este chiar El Însuşi, Hristos, iar nu apostolul Petru (şi implicit nici vreun succesor al acestuia) şi că numele de Petru tocmai derivând de la Piatra care este Hristos l-a primit. Petru este cel zidit pe Piatră (adică pe Hristos), iar nu Piatra este zidită pe Petru. Comentând pe marginea textului de la Ioan, Augustin afirmă deasemenea că Petru este un simbol al unităţii păstorilor creştinilor, spre deosebire de romano-catolici care văd în Petru şi în papa nu doar un simbol al unităţii, ci chiar un principiu real al unităţii, „o piatră” fără de care de fapt nu se poate stabili unitatea Bisericii lui Hristos. Vedem deci că Augustin nu receptase în secolele IV – V nici o dogmă a primatului petrin, în sensul în care este văzută această dogmă în secolele XIX – XX de către romano-catolici, şi că în raport cu Tradiţia primită de Augustin putem constata invenţia şi inovaţia dogmatică inventată în sec. XIX – XX de către romano-catolici, la peste 1800 de ani după pogorârea Duhului Sfânt, asta în vreme ce în secolele IV – V părinţi (şi doctori, după romano-catolici) ai Bisericii lui Hristos (chiar dacă din Apus) nu primiseră prin Tradiţie nici un primat petrin aşa cum îl văd azi romano-catolicii, şi cu atât mai puţin vreun primat papal aşa cum îl văd azi, după invenţia de secol XIX – XX, cei care se autointitulează catolici.