St. Pope Boniface I (died 422) | WEST

(Updated August 7, 2025)

This Author Quote Archive collects pertinent quotes from the Church Father, St. Pope Boniface I.

Next to each quote are the Topic Quote Archives in which they are included.

This Quote Archive is being continuously updated as research continues. Quotes marked with “***” have not yet been organized into their respective Topic Quote Archives.

Letters

St. Pope Boniface I, Letter 14 (422)

(§1)¹ ***

The structure (institutio) of the universal Church took its origin from the honor given to Peter. All rule in the Church consists in this, that from Peter, as from a fountainhead, the discipline of the whole Church has been derived as this church grows and expands…It is certain that this church is related to the churches spread over the whole world as the head to its members. Whoever cuts 56 | 57 himself off from this church places himself outside the Christian religion, since he no longer remains part of its structure. I hear that certain bishops want to set aside the apostolic constitution of the Church and are attempting to introduce innovations against Christ’s commands. They seek to separate themselves from communion with the Apostolic See, or, more precisely, from its authority.

Footnotes

1. Ludwig Hertling, SJ, Jared Wicks, SJ, trans., Communio: Church and Papacy in Early Christianity (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1972), 56-57. Quoting from PL 20, 777. ↩︎