Why are there always three popes?

Answer 1

Any institution requires a leader or visible hierarchy in order to function. This is natural to human nature and is thus present in human society and social groups.

When Christ set up His Church He thus naturally gave it a visible hierarchy. The pope functions not only as a leader and thus rallying point for an institution but also ensures the visible continuity between the Church and Its founder, thus maintaining the Church's authenticity of origin as well as maintaining its authority and jurisdiction in Christian matters. In addition to this, the pope has several offices proper to a leader. The pope is the top administrator of the Catholic Church and thus appoints and ratifies managerial positions (bishops, cardinals, manages rules and discipline, guards and safe checks beliefs and rulings, acts as the final court of appeal, calls councils, and leads the Catholic Faithful and guides the Church in the times It finds itself. In addition to this, Catholics believe the pope is further endowed with supernatural powers, specifically that of being able to definitively discern which beliefs are truly part of the deposit of the Catholic Faith if a question arises concerning them. The pope can thus, when acting in virtue of his papal office, and with the intent of addressing the universal Church on a point of doctrine concerning Faith and Morals, pronounce infallibly upon a doctrine of the Faith. This keeps the deposit of the Faith intact and preserves the Church from falling into heresy and helps avoid the formation of a dispute to the point it causes splinter groups within the Church that will eventually become heresies.

Answer 2

The word pope derives from the Latin word papa which means father.

Answer 3

There can be only one legitimate pope at a time. If there are three popes, two of them would be anti-popes.

Answer 4

There is only one pope, not three.