Page "Pope" Paragraph 9

First-century Christian communities would have had a group of presbyter-bishops functioning as leaders of their local churches.

Gradually, episcopacies were established in metropolitan areas.

Antioch may have developed such a structure before Rome.

In Rome there were many who claimed to be the rightful bishop though again Irenaeus stressed the validity of one line of bishops from the time of St. Peter up to his contemporary Pope Victor I and listed them.

Some writers claim that the emergence of a single bishop in Rome probably did not occur until the middle of the 2nd century.

In their view, Linus, Cletus and Clement were possibly prominent presbyter-bishops but not necessarily monarchical bishops.