When did the current pope become pope?

Answer 1

A:

Christian tradition can provide two possible answers. A scripturally supported answer from Matthew's Gospel is that Jesus named Peter as the one on whom he would build his Church, suggesting he became the leader of the Church after the ascension of Jesus in 30 or 33 CE. A later tradition is that Peter went to Rome to lead the church in Rome, becoming the first bishop of Rome and therefore the first pope. If so, he was not yet in Rome when Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans, which is dated by some as late as 62 CE. On this evidence, Peter could have become the first bishop of Rome, and therefore pope, in the mid-60s of the first century, shortly before the tradition says that Emperor Nero had him executed.

Francis A. Sullivan SJ (From Apostles to Bishops) says that most scholars are of the opinion that, in spite of these traditions, the early church of Rome was led by a group of presbyters, and that bishops were not appointed to the church in Rome until later in the second century. It seems most improbable that, Peter having established a tradition of a single leader of the Roman church and even having appointed his successor, the precedent would be so quickly abandoned and only resumed in the middle of the second century. On this evidence, there are good grounds for doubting that Peter was the first bishop of Rome, or pope.

Answer 2

Peter never became 'Pope' as such because the title did not exist at the beginning. He was an apostle, the head of the apostles in fact, and the apostles are recognised by the Catholic Church as the first Bishops. Peter went to Rome and led the local Christian community there and so was the first Bishop of Rome. As Peter was head of the apostles so too the early Christian Church recognised his successors in Rome as the moral leader and guide, as the 'father'. The word pope comes from papa, meaning father.

Answer 3

A:

The official position of the Catholic Church is that Peter was the first pope, from perhaps 30 CE, and that there was an unbroken line of successors as bishop of Rome, down to the present day.

On the other hand, Francis Aloysius Sullivan ('From Apostles to Bishops: The Development of the Episcopacy in the Early Church') says that the consensus of scholars is that on the available evidence, the church of Rome was led by a college of presbyters, rather than a single bishop, for at least several decades of the second century. There being no evidence that Peter ever went to Rome, he might well have been an early leader of the Christian Church but the Orthodox patriarchs could have a better claim to be his spiritual successors than the popes in Rome.

The first bishop of Rome who is firmly attested is Anicetus, whose papacy is dated from 157 CE, although the bishops of Rome only took the definitive title of 'pope' in the fourth century.

Answer 4

Peter became pope when Our Lord appointed him leader of the early Church:
From Matthew Chapter 16

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hell will not overpower it.


Peter is considered the first pope even though the term 'pope' did not come into common usage until much later. Whether Peter was in Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome or elsewhere, he is still considered the first pope. Later, as the Church grew and a hierarchy developed. the Church established its headquarters in Rome as Rome was considered the center of the world at the time. It had good roads reaching out to the vast empire as well as ships that plied the Mediterranean. Missionaries could reach anywhere in the known world from Rome. As the pope was the highest ranking Church authority in Rome, he was automatically consider the Bishop of Rome.

From 1309 until 1377 popes reigned from Avignon in France. No matter, the pope was still the pope. Once the situation was resolved, the papacy returned to Rome and the pope again resumed his position as the Bishop of Rome along with his title of Pope.

Even today, should Pope Francis make the unlikely decision to move the Church headquarters to, say, Buenos Aires, Argentina, he would still be Pope and the assigned Bishop of Rome would simply be the Bishop of Rome. The Pope would be the Bishop of Buenos Aires as well as pope of the Universal Church. The Church has ample evidence that Peter did rule from Rome at some time. But even if he had never stepped foot in the city, he was still the Pope. Being Bishop of Rome is not a prerequisite for the papacy. By default, if the pope is headquartered in Rome, he is also the bishop of that diocese.

Answer 5

Christian tradition can provide two possible answers. A scripturally supported answer from Matthew's Gospel is that Jesus named Peter as the one on whom he would build his Church, suggesting he became the leader of the Church after the ascension of Jesus in 30 or 33 CE. A later tradition is that Peter went to Rome to lead the church in Rome, becoming the first bishop of Rome and therefore the first pope. If so, he was not yet in Rome when Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans, which is dated by some as late as 62 CE. On this evidence, Peter could have become the first bishop of Rome, and therefore pope, in the mid-60s of the first century, shortly before the tradition says that Emperor Nero had him executed.

Francis A. Sullivan SJ (From Apostles to Bishops) says that most scholars are of the opinion that, in spite of these traditions, the early church of Rome was led by a group of presbyters, and that bishops were not appointed to the church in Rome until later in the second century. It seems most improbable that, Peter having established a tradition of a single leader of the Roman church and even having appointed his successor, the precedent would be so quickly abandoned and only resumed in the middle of the second century. On this evidence, there are good grounds for doubting that Peter was the first bishop of Rome, or pope.

For more information, please visit:

http://christianity.answers.com/church-leadership/what-do-we-really-know-about-the-apostle-peter

http://christianity.answers.com/catholicism/a-brief-history-of-the-early-popes

Answer 6

The current pope, Benedict XVI, became pope in the year 2005.

Answer 7

Pope Francis was elected pope on March 13, 2013.

Answer 8

Pope Francis was elected on March 13, 2013.

Answer 9

Pope Francis has been pope since he was elected on March 13, 2013.

Answer 10

Pope Francis was elected in 2013.