The Ignatian Argument Against the Papacy

The discussion centers around the so-called Ignatian argument, which is used by some Protestant apologists and skeptical Catholic scholars to question the historical continuity of the papacy. This argument claims that since the letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch do not mention a bishop of Rome, it implies that such an office did not exist during that time. Proponents of this view, including scholars like Dr. Jerry Walls, use this notion of silence to suggest that the papal lineage from St. Peter to Pope Francis is not historically valid. However, this reading overlooks the context of Ignatius's letters and the possibility that bishops could have existed in Rome prior to the mid-2nd century, though not explicitly stated in these writings.