What authority does the pope have?

Answer 1

The pope is considered the highest ecclesiastical power of the Roman Catholic Church, and God's representative on earth. He has full control over the diocese of Roman and can chose to delegate duties according to need. He is considered the Bishop of Rome, and the church's leader around the world.

Answer 2

The status and authority of the Pope in the Catholic Church was dogmatically defined by the First Vatican Council on 18 July 1870. In its Dogmatic Constitution of the Church of Christ, the Council established the following canons: "If anyone says that the blessed Apostle Peter was not established by the Lord Christ as the chief of all the apostles, and the visible head of the whole militant Church, or, that the same received great honour but did not receive from the same our Lord Jesus Christ directly and immediately the primacy in true and proper jurisdiction: let him be anathema. If anyone says that it is not from the institution of Christ the Lord Himself, or by divine right that the blessed Peter has perpetual successors in the primacy over the universal Church, or that the Roman Pontiff is not the successor of blessed Peter in the same primacy, let him be anathema. If anyone thus speaks, that the Roman Pontiff has only the office of inspection or direction, but not the full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the universal Church, not only in things which pertain to faith and morals, but also in those which pertain to the discipline and government of the Church spread over the whole world; or, that he possesses only the more important parts, but not the whole plenitude of this supreme power; or that this power of his is not ordinary and immediate, or over the churches altogether and individually, and over the pastors and the faithful altogether and individually: let him be anathema. We, adhering faithfully to the tradition received from the beginning of the Christian faith, to the glory of God, our Saviour, the elevation of the Catholic religion and the salvation of Christian peoples, with the approbation of the sacred Council, teach and explain that the dogma has been divinely revealed: that the Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra, that is, when carrying out the duty of the pastor and teacher of all Christians by virtue of his supreme apostolic authority he defines a doctrine of faith or morals to be held by the universal Church, through the divine assistance promised him in blessed Peter, operates with that infallibility with which the divine Redeemer wished that His church be instructed in defining doctrine on faith and morals; and so such definitions of the Roman Pontiff from himself, but not from the consensus of the Church, are unalterable. But if anyone presumes to contradict this definition of Ours, which may God forbid: let him be anathema."

Answer 3

The popes trace their authority to Christ when he told Peter, the first pope, that he would 'received the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound also in Heaven. Whatever you loose on earth shall also be loosed in Heaven.' In other words, what ever the pope ruled on earth would be honored in Heaven.

Answer 4

A:

Catholic teaching is that the pope's authority comes from the apostle Peter, passed down through an unbroken line of popes to the present day.

Catholic AnswerThe pope is the Vicar of Christ, the office established by Our Blessed Lord on the first pope, St. Peter the Apostle (see St. Matthew 16:17-19), thus establishing an office. As the pope is the Vicar (or representative of Christ) his authority comes directly from Jesus Christ, and is confirmed by Him.

Answer 5

The pope is the head of state of a sovereign nation - Vatican City.