How much power does the Pope have?

Answer 1

The pope derives his power from an unbroken succession of the line of bishops begining with Jesus telling Peter you are the rock upon which I build my church throughout history to today and Pope Benedict XVI.

Answer 2

Your question is a difficult one. For the sake of this answer, I will assume that you are questioning whether or not the Pope could influence international politics.

First off, it is important to know that the Vatican City is its own sovereign nation. It is inside the city of Rome, Italy. It's government is essentially the Pope. Vatican City has about 100 embassies worldwide. It has roughly 900 citizens. Although its defense, infrastructure, and resource production is the responsibility of Italy, it retains sovereignty within its territorial boundaries.

Now that that's established, let's answer your question. The Roman Catholic Church boasts about 1 billion followers worldwide. That's a lot of people. The entire current human population is about 7 billion, so the Vatican holds sway over roughly a seventh of the human species. Religion is by definition seeped into the minds of its followers, and if the institution that was allegedly established by God on earth issues a political statement, one billion people will seriously take their ideas into account. If the Pope openly favored a particular candidate (lets say for the case of this question, Hillary Clinton in 2016) in a U.S. election, many Catholics in the U.S. would seriously consider their indiviudla pick. The extent of their influence depends solely on the loyalty of their followers. Vatican City has no economy (except for museum entrance fees), no army, and no clearly defined view on most international political situations.

Answer 3

The power of the Pope is built on fear. If you do not believe he has power, he has none over you.

Answer 4

Not to much in the modern age; however centuries before they could get kings to do anything they want by threatening to exocommunicate entire areas.

Answer 5

The Pope has no power over the Orthodox Church. There are 7 Patriarchs, who are equivalent to a Pope.