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On the Roman Pontiff: In Five Books
"Mr. Grant is able to retain the scholastic edge along with the accuracy of the translation while preserving a sense of the author's style."
-Fr. Chad Ripperger, PhD
For the first time in history, St. Robert Bellarmine's work, De Romano Pontifice, On the Roman Pontiff, has been translated and made available in English!
In this Theological treatise St. Robert Bellarmine takes on Protestant as well as Greek Orthodox objections to the Papacy in five books.In the first, he argues that Christ established the Primacy of Peter by means of an Ecclesiastical Monarchy, which takes up subjects as diverse as: What is the best form of government? Why it is fitting that the Church's government should be a monarchy; Exegetical Commentary on the Lord's words in Matthew 16 and John 21, along with copious Patristic testimony.
In Book 2 is whether Peter has successors in the Ecclesiastical Monarchy, wherein Bellarmine defends the Church's position on the true history of Peter; that Peter truly went to Rome; that Peter was truly a Bishop there; that upon his death he was succeeded by men in the Ecclesiastical monarchy, as well as its proof from the Fathers, then through all the refutations, Bellarmine asks what would happen if the Pope were a heretic.
In book 3, Bellarmine shows the many contradictions and faulty reasoning used by the first Protestants in arguing that the Pope is Antichrist while also giving exposition to the authentic understanding of the passages of Scripture that speak of Antichrist. After presenting the testimony of Scripture and the Fathers on the signs that must precede Antichrist, Bellarmine shows how none of this agrees with the Roman Pontiff. He also refutes the fable of "Pope Joan."
In book 4, Bellarmine argues why the Pope is infallible when he defines a doctrine on faith and morals and proceeds to defend Popes whom Protestants and others argued had erred while defining faith. He continues to a discussion of law, and why it is not contrary to the Gospel for the Pope (or a Bishop over his diocese), to make laws that bind the faithful, refuting the teaching of John Calvin.
In book 5, Bellarmine takes up the question of the Popes' power in civil affairs. Protestants had argued that the Pope tyrannously usurped the rights of sovereigns and that they meant to rule the world directly in civil affairs, while some canonists overly attached to a more medieval view were of a similar persuasion on the positive side. He then proceeds to demonstrate that the Pope's temporal power is indirect and that he can intervene for the sake of the faith when excommunicating sovereigns, but not for political reasons. The protestants argued that a Bishop could not be a temporal prince and Bishop at the same time, which Bellarmine soundly refutes from Scripture and Tradition.
This first ever English translation also has many historical notes on terms, persons, Greek and Latin syntax and other things to aid the reader. The value of the work is not merely apologetic-Bellarmine's treatise also laid down insights into Catholic teaching that were foundational not only for later Theologians but even for Vatican I.
-Fr. Chad Ripperger, PhD
For the first time in history, St. Robert Bellarmine's work, De Romano Pontifice, On the Roman Pontiff, has been translated and made available in English!
In this Theological treatise St. Robert Bellarmine takes on Protestant as well as Greek Orthodox objections to the Papacy in five books.In the first, he argues that Christ established the Primacy of Peter by means of an Ecclesiastical Monarchy, which takes up subjects as diverse as: What is the best form of government? Why it is fitting that the Church's government should be a monarchy; Exegetical Commentary on the Lord's words in Matthew 16 and John 21, along with copious Patristic testimony.
In Book 2 is whether Peter has successors in the Ecclesiastical Monarchy, wherein Bellarmine defends the Church's position on the true history of Peter; that Peter truly went to Rome; that Peter was truly a Bishop there; that upon his death he was succeeded by men in the Ecclesiastical monarchy, as well as its proof from the Fathers, then through all the refutations, Bellarmine asks what would happen if the Pope were a heretic.
In book 3, Bellarmine shows the many contradictions and faulty reasoning used by the first Protestants in arguing that the Pope is Antichrist while also giving exposition to the authentic understanding of the passages of Scripture that speak of Antichrist. After presenting the testimony of Scripture and the Fathers on the signs that must precede Antichrist, Bellarmine shows how none of this agrees with the Roman Pontiff. He also refutes the fable of "Pope Joan."
In book 4, Bellarmine argues why the Pope is infallible when he defines a doctrine on faith and morals and proceeds to defend Popes whom Protestants and others argued had erred while defining faith. He continues to a discussion of law, and why it is not contrary to the Gospel for the Pope (or a Bishop over his diocese), to make laws that bind the faithful, refuting the teaching of John Calvin.
In book 5, Bellarmine takes up the question of the Popes' power in civil affairs. Protestants had argued that the Pope tyrannously usurped the rights of sovereigns and that they meant to rule the world directly in civil affairs, while some canonists overly attached to a more medieval view were of a similar persuasion on the positive side. He then proceeds to demonstrate that the Pope's temporal power is indirect and that he can intervene for the sake of the faith when excommunicating sovereigns, but not for political reasons. The protestants argued that a Bishop could not be a temporal prince and Bishop at the same time, which Bellarmine soundly refutes from Scripture and Tradition.
This first ever English translation also has many historical notes on terms, persons, Greek and Latin syntax and other things to aid the reader. The value of the work is not merely apologetic-Bellarmine's treatise also laid down insights into Catholic teaching that were foundational not only for later Theologians but even for Vatican I.
- GenresCatholic
664 pages, Paperback
First published May 20, 2015
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About the author
Robert Bellarmine
360 books37 followersSaint Robert Bellarmine, SJ was an Italian bishop, cardinal, theologian, and an influental figure of the Counter-Reformation. He was canonized a saint in 1930 by Pope Pius XI and named a Doctor of the Church in 1931. He is also known as Roberto Bellarmino.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 17, 2025
To get a sense of the real issues that divide Protestants and Catholics, it doesn’t get much better than St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621), Jesuit Cardinal of the Catholic Reformation.
As I went through it, it was interesting to see how there really is not much that is new in Protestant-Catholic dialogue/debates today: new videos will pop up daily on YouTube from Gavin Ortlund, Redeemed Zoomer, Trent Horn, Joe Heschmeyer, etc, but every debate point I have ever seen from them is already laid out in Bellarmine and in much greater detail.
Thus, if you really want to know the arguments for the papacy and have a full array of patristic evidence and logical argumentation, it may be better to skip YouTube and go straight to Bellarmine!
As I went through it, it was interesting to see how there really is not much that is new in Protestant-Catholic dialogue/debates today: new videos will pop up daily on YouTube from Gavin Ortlund, Redeemed Zoomer, Trent Horn, Joe Heschmeyer, etc, but every debate point I have ever seen from them is already laid out in Bellarmine and in much greater detail.
Thus, if you really want to know the arguments for the papacy and have a full array of patristic evidence and logical argumentation, it may be better to skip YouTube and go straight to Bellarmine!
September 17, 2020
This book was fantastic. Very few books have influenced me and changed my thinking, this book I can now count among them. An excellent and clear translation very smooth and easy to follow. This work is vital for historical studies on the papacy. Robert Bellaramine’s work was consulted at and highly influential at Vatican I, even Ignaz von Döllinger the arch critic of Vatican I and papal Infallibility lists Bellarmine as "An Infalibilist" on the primacy and jurisdiction of the Pope. Bellarmine lists the views of the conditions and theories of heretical popes by his contemporaries, and past canonists. This issue remains to be of great value today as there has been no official definition from the Church on this issue. Bellaramine gives good arguments against the Protestant (Lutheran and Reformed) and Eastern Orthodox polemics against the Catholic doctrine of the papacy, though often harsh as was common among writers of this time period his critiques still hold much for consideration. Citing from councils, church fathers both east and west, and giving his own exegesis of biblical texts from the Greek and Hebrew. Highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews