Below I noted that you can’t have it both ways. If a tradition is established then it cannot later slowly evolve into being. If an early Bishop of Rome does not believe he is the Pope, but later bishops believe they are the Pople, then the idea and practice must have devoloped over time. Whatever sort of authority might be behind such an arrangement, it makes no sense to press for such authority and at the same time claim that this idea or practice was estalished by Jesus initially. That is self-contradictory.

Tim Enloe has some interesting thoughts on this matter.