Our Lord conferred no temporal kingdom
upon St. Peter; consequently we cannot say that temporal power is a matter of
divine institution; but it is conditionally of divine right, for, since the
pope is exempt from all temporal power by divine right, whatever is necessary
to protect and preserve this immunity is also of divine right, but only on
condition that other suitable means cannot be found to serve the same purpose.
Temporal power seems to be the only possible means to secure the necessary
freedom and independence of the pope in the government of the Church; but
whether this power should be restricted to a small territory, as at present, or
extended to a larger dominion, as formerly, must be judged from circumstances.
Either condition presents many advantages over the other, and both also have
disadvantages. (E. Sylvester Berry, The Church of Christ: An Apologetic and
Dogmatic Treatise [Frederick County, Md.: Mount Saint Mary's Seminary,
1955; repr., Eugene, Oreg.: Wipf and Stock, 2009], 312-13)
