Popes

Although people did not see Pope Leo X as a great pope, he was a very bright learner, who deserves a noticeable and well known place among the popes because of the way he emphasized the importance of the church and made Christendom the center of culture. Even though Pope Leo X did sell indulgences and help contribute to the Reformation (even though he did not mean to), you can clearly see that he was also a good Pope, who made some mistakes.

Answer

Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici became a Cardinal-deacon at the age of just 13. He was elected pope, taking the name Leo X, at the age of 36 years, on 9 March 1513, and held this office until his death in 1521. He, in turn, immediately appointed his two sons Giulio de' Medici (aged 20) and Giovanni Angelo de' Medici (aged 14) as Cardinals.

Pope Leo's personal lifestyle was extraordinarily extravagant, but he also provided funds for charities such as retirement homes, hospitals, convents, discharged soldiers, pilgrims, poor students, exiles, cripples and the sick. No matter how much he increased the papal revenue from simony and other sources, he seemed to manage to exceed his income in spending. He continued the rebuilding of St Peter's Basilica, financed by greatly increased sales of indulgences, a decision that led to the Protestant Reformation.

From Wikipedia:

The origin of the festival of All Saints celebrated in the West dates to May 13, 609 or 610, (see Pope Boniface link below) consecrated the (see Pantheon in Rome note below) to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs; the feast of the dedicatio Sanctae Mariae ad Martyres has been celebrated at Rome ever since.

The feast of All Saints, on its current date, is traced to the foundation by (see link for Pope Gregory below) (731-741) of an oratory in St. Peter's for the relics "of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors, of all the just made perfect who are at rest throughout the world", with the day moved to November 1.

All Saints Day A holy day of obligation, November 1, commemorating all the blessed in heaven; intended particularly to honor those who have no special feasts.

In the fourth century, groups of martyrs, and later other saints, were honored on a common day in various places. In 609 or 610, the Pantheon, a pagan temple in Rome, was consecrated as a Christian Church in honor of Mary and the martyrs and, later, all saints. In 835, Pope Gregory IV fixed November 1 as the date of the observance.

from Radio Replies, by Fathers Rumble and Carty, 1942

994. I have heard Catholics speak of indulgences for the souls in purgatory? What are indulgences?

Do not mix up the ecclesiastical term indulgence with the modern idea of self-indulgence. An indulgence is not a permission to indulge in sin, but is a remission of punishment due to sin. Now in the early Christian Church certain sins were punished by long public penance, sometimes for days, at other times for years. But the Church was often indulgent, and loosed or freed Christians from all or part of their public penance, if they showed other good dispositions, or performed certain works of charity. The Church had that power in the name of God as surely as the state has the power in its own name to commute a sentence or even release a criminal altogether under certain circumstances. Christ said to the Church, "Whatsoever you shall loose upon earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matt. XVIII., 18. That the merits of Christ and of the Martyrs and Saints of the ages are at the disposal of the Church is also a consequence of the doctrine of the Communion of the Saints. And that power of commuting or even of remitting penances and expiations exists in the Church to-day, being exercised by the granting of indulgences.

995. What do you mean by an indulgence, say, of forty days?

An indulgence of forty days means that the Church liberates us from that amount of expiation of our sins which would be equal to a forty days' public penance in the early Church. It does not mean forty days less purgatory. Such an indulgence is called a partial indulgence.

997. Can indulgences be applied to the souls in purgatory?

Yes, but by God alone. We can but ask Him to accept indulgences on their behalf. But we can certainly offer them with a definite conviction of their normal acceptance by God for those we love, even as we can share our goods in this life with more needy friends. This too is implied by the doctrine of the Communion of Saints.

There are many:

• Papa Ratzinger (in Italy)
• Der Panzerkardinal (in Germany, while prefect of the CDF)
• God's Rottweiler (in US, while prefect of the CDF)
• His Fluffiness (after his first appearance with a camuaro - the "Santa hat")
• The Green Pope (for his work on behalf of the environment)
• B16 (short for Benedict XVI)
• the German Shepherd (as a bishop is often likened to a shepherd)

Youhave to be at least age 25 to be a priest so it wouldtake some time afetr that. One of the youngest US bishops was around age 40.

Usually at least 10 years' ministry in various locations is necessary before being chosen for the episcopate.

In the Anglican Church, one of the youngest bishops ever was in his 30s. But this is an exception. Usually bishops are first consecrated in their late 40s or 50s, and are appointed as suffragens (assistant bishops) before becoming a diocesan bishop.

Another answer from our community:

In the vernacular of the twenty-first century, "gay" means someone who embraces a homosexual lifestyle. By the definition there have been no "gay" popes. Over two thousand years, we have had some characters, but none of them publicly embraced a homosexual lifestyle.

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For those of us who were born before that late twentieth century, gay means merry, cheerful, jolly, joyful, blithe, or mirthful. Using that definition, I imagine many of the Popes were cheerful or joyful men.

Most popes wore name John , but to appropriately answer ur question... These 2 names were used 13 times: Innocentand

Leo

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from

Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980

The Great Schism, otherwise known as the Western Schism, 1378-1417, when there was controversy over the true succession to the papacy. It began with the writings of Marsilius of Padua c. 1275- 1342), who claimed that a pope is subject to a council of bishops, priests, and laymen. Urban VI was elected Pope on April 8, 1378, following the seventy-year Avignon residence of the papacy. He was a stern reformer and also harsh. The French cardinals in retaliation declared that Urban had not been validly elected and proceeded to elect Robert of Geneva as the antipope Clement VII (1378-94). Clement withdrew to Avignon and the Great Schism was in full swing. France, Scotland, and Spain gave their allegiance to Clement; England, Italy, Flanders, Hungary, Poland, and most of Germany followed Urban, who died in 1389. There followed a succession of lawful popes at Rome and antipopes at Avignon. The universities of Paris, Oxford, and Prague disputed how the impasse should be resolved. Finally pope and antipope were invited to a council at Pisa (1409); both decline and were declared deposed by the council, which proceeded to elect yet another antipope, Alexander V (1409-10). In desperation, Emperor Sigismund of Germany appealed to the antipope John XXIII of Pisa, to call a general council at Constance, a German city on the Rhine. John agreed, and the council, later legitimized, was convened in 1414. It lasted four years and finally resolved the schism. The Pisan antipope John XXIII abdicated. Gregory XII, the true Roman Pontiff, having formally convoked the Council of Constance, sent his representatives, and then, for the good of the Church, freely resigned his office. The claim of Benedict XIII of Avignon was no longer worthy of serious consideration. The chair of Peter, vacant at last was filled by the election, November 11, 1417, of Pope Martin V. The Great Schism was ended.