©2022 Victor R. Claveau, MJ
Mark wrote down what Peter taught him and Peter sent him from Rome to be bishop of Alexandria. Timothy was Bishop of Ephesus, Titus was Bishop of Crete, Ignatius was Bishop of Antioch after Peter went to Rome, Polycarp a disciple of John was Bishop of Smyrna, Irenaeus says Peter ordained Clement who was third Bishop of Rome. In Titus Paul tells Titus, ” This is why I left you in Crete, that you ordain presbyters/priests in every city as I have ordained you.”
For the Christian who reads the Early Church Fathers, this is not surprising at all. St. Hegesippus (d. A.D. 180) records that the Apostle, St. James the Less, wore Temple vestments; and St. Polycrates of Ephesus (d. A.D. 196) records St. John the Beloved Apostle, wore a primitive Bishop’s mitre, in which he was buried. Liturgy is not a corruption of Christianity; it is indigenous.
Clement of Rome Recognitions book 10 chap. 68 (27-97 AD)
Laodicea – Peter ordered the people to meet on the following day; and having ordained one of those who followed him as bishop over them, and others as presbyters, and having baptized multitudes, and restored to health all who were troubled with sicknesses or demons.
Irenaeus said all of the apostles were priests. Bishops are priests who ordain priests. The church lived in the doctrine established by the apostles before a word of scripture was written. They celebrated the Holy Mass with Bishops, priests and deacons a minimum of 7 years before the apostles put ink to paper and over 300 years before the Catholic church put the Bible together in order to have a unified canon (rule) of scripture, read at every Mass around the world.