The cardinals,after all they are princes of the Holy Roman Catholic Church(not actual princes,it's just a title.)and the Pope is the Holy father(also a title.)
popes
mac flecknoe
Please specify one of the 266 popes.
Answer Depends on the religion. Priests, mullahs, bishops, popes, cardinals, monks, etc. Popes etc. set doctrine on what's acceptable or not i.e. taught/preached etc. Bishops and popes aren't teachers; a rabbi, an imam and an ulema teach.
Popes do not elect popes. Popes are elected by the cardinal electors.
There have been 266 popes so you need to be a bit more specific.
That would be Catholicism with about 1.2 billion followers.
The vast majority of popes have been Italian. As of February of 2013 there have been only 18 popes from other countries.
There have been 17 popes from France, the second behind Italian popes.
the popes had more power over the kings
The powers of popes and kings differed primarily in their domains of authority and influence. Popes held spiritual and religious power, claiming authority over the Church and its followers, often positioning themselves as God's representative on Earth. In contrast, kings wielded political and military power, governing their territories and enforcing laws. While popes could influence kings and wield significant moral authority, kings maintained control over secular matters, leading to a complex relationship often marked by competition and cooperation.
There have been 217 Italian popes and only 49 non-Italian popes.