The Papacy in a Unified Church

Abstract

The article raises the question of the role of the Papacy if and when the divided churches of Christendom draw together in a more visibly unified body. It is argued that the Papacy has its justification in scripture, in tradition, and in the kind of structure appropriate to the Church. It must, however, be seen to be serving the Church rather than dominating it, and some suggestions are made about how the controversial questions of infallibility and jurisdiction might be resolved.