0
Popes
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome and is leader of the worldwide Catholic Church. The Pope is also head of state of the Vatican City, a sovereign city-state entirely enclaved by Rome.
2,799 Questions
What do we call a letter from the pope to the whole church?
An encyclical, which is a lengthy treatise on a subject or a motu proprio which is generally a short letter covering a particular action or subject and is meant as a clarification.
Why do Catholics believe that the pope is like Peter?
This assumption comes from Matthew's Gospel account:
MATTHEW (16:13-20)
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?' And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.'Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
This statement has caused more controversy in the Church than almost any other.
Roman Catholics will cite this one passage as 'proof' that the Roman Catholic Church is the 'true' Church as this is the Church which Christ himself built on Peter.
However, most Greek scholars realise that the nuances in the Greek make the actual meaning of the passage clear; Christ is equating the Rock - not with peter himself and all his successors, but with what Peter says and the way he says it. The Greek is quite clear that it is peter's insight into just who Jesus is, his loyalty and his absolute faith in Jesus as the Saviour that is the 'Rock' and that Jesus will build His Church on these attributes - attributes held by billions of Christians throughout history - of all denominations.
What is the name of the pope's staff that he carries?
Crosier is the name of the bishop or pope's staff.
Pope Pius X became pope in 1903 following the death of Pope Leo XIII.
Who are the pope's personal body guards?
Answer The pope's bodyguard is a special military force known as the Swiss Guard. They are actually from Switzerland. You will often see them wearing traditional renaissance costumes and carrying halberds, but they are fully trained soldiers who are equipped with modern weapons on duty. Upon joining the guards a man must: (a) be a practising Catholic (b) be unmarried (c) have a minimum of a secondary school diploma, and preferably a degree (d) be between 19-30 years of age (e) be at least 174cm in height (f) have competed basic Swiss military training (g) be able to obtain a statement certifying good conduct
No pope ever urged anyone to sell indulgences. Selling indulgences is a grievous sin and always has been.
When does the pope wear the papal tiara?
In this century, popes do no longer wear papal tiara, but until the 20th century, Popes worn their Papal Tiara in the very first time in their own coronation mass.
In other times, The Pope wears his Tiara during special and regular masses and In Urbi Et Orbi speeches.
Before becoming pope he resided in Rome. After he was elected pope he moved to the Papal Apartments in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican. Since retirement in 2103 he lives in the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in the Vatican Gardens near St Peter's Basilica.
Pope Pius XI died in 1939, so seven popes have reigned since then:
Pius XI (1922-39)
Pius XII (1939-58)
John XXIII (1958-63)
Paul VI (1963-78)
John Paul I (1978)
John Paul II (1978-2005)
Benedict XVI (2005-2013)
Francis (2013- present)
What is a Roman Catholic icon?
It's just Catholic, not Roman Catholic. Roman is an epithet first commonly used in England after the protestant revolt to describe the Catholic Church. It is never used by the official Catholic Church.
.
Catholic icons are depictions of saints, Biblical scenes, or Catholic history. Usually icons are painted as pictures on canvas or walls, or they are painstakingly carved from wood or stone as statues or reliefs. Most proper to the word "icon" are those pictures painted in the Byzantine style. Icons are usually found in churches, public places and private homes where they are featured in places of honour that they might be venerated and viewed by the faithful.
Pope Francis, who was elected on the 13th of March, 2013.
What is an appropriate gift at a Catholic baptism from a godfather?
This depends on the culture of the family. In true Hispanic families, the godparents pay for any costs to the church, the child's bible, candle, medallion, and baptismal gown/bonnet/shoes, etc. and pay for all or partial costs of a luncheon or dinner party afterwards. Non-Hispanic families usually just pay for the gown, candle, etc. but not "a party" afterwards, even though it is pure etiquette to offer to contribute something towards the celebration such as a cake. Catholic/Christian shops in town are very knowledgeable as to exactly what to buy.
- St. Peter (32-67)
- St. Linus (67-76)
- St. Anacletus (Cletus) (76-88)
- St. Clement I (88-97)
- St. Evaristus (97-105)
- St. Alexander I (105-115)
- St. Sixtus I (Xystus I) (115-125)
- St. Telesphorus (125-136)
- St. Hyginus (136-140)
- St. Pius I (140-155)
- St. Anicetus (155-166)
- St. Soter (166-175)
- St. Eleutherius (175-189)
- St. Victor I (189-199)
- St. Zephyrinus (199-217)
- St. Callistus I (217-22)
- St. Urban I (222-30)
- St. Pontain (230-35)
- St. Anterus (235-36)
- St. Fabian (236-50)
- St. Cornelius (251-53)
- St. Lucius I (253-54)
- St. Stephen I (254-257)
- St. Sixtus II (257-258)
- St. Dionysius (260-268)
- St. Felix I (269-274)
- St. Eutychian (275-283)
- St. Caius (Gaius) (283-296)
- St. Marcellinus (296-304)
- St. Marcellus I (308-309)
- St. Eusebius (309 or 310)
- St. Miltiades (311-14)
- St. Sylvester I (314-35)
- St. Marcus (336)
- St. Julius I (337-52)
- Liberius (352-66)
- St. Damasus I (366-83)
- St. Siricius (384-99)
- St. Anastasius I (399-401)
- St. Innocent I (401-17)
- St. Zosimus (417-18)
- St. Boniface I (418-22)
- St. Celestine I (422-32)
- St. Sixtus III (432-40)
- St. Leo I (the Great) (440-61)
- St. Hilarius (461-68)
- St. Simplicius (468-83)
- St. Felix III (II) (483-92)
- St. Gelasius I (492-96)
- Anastasius II (496-98)
- St. Symmachus (498-514)
- St. Hormisdas (514-23)
- St. John I (523-26)
- St. Felix IV (III) (526-30)
- Boniface II (530-32)
- John II (533-35)
- St. Agapetus I (Agapitus I) (535-36)
- St. Silverius (536-37)
- Vigilius (537-55)
- Pelagius I (556-61)
- John III (561-74)
- Benedict I (575-79)
- Pelagius II (579-90)
- St. Gregory I (the Great) (590-604)
- Sabinian (604-606)
- Boniface III (607)
- St. Boniface IV (608-15)
- St. Deusdedit (Adeodatus I) (615-18)
- Boniface V (619-25)
- Honorius I (625-38)
- Severinus (640)
- John IV (640-42)
- Theodore I (642-49)
- St. Martin I (649-55)
- St. Eugene I (655-57)
- St. Vitalian (657-72)
- Adeodatus (II) (672-76)
- Donus (676-78)
- St. Agatho (678-81)
- St. Leo II (682-83)
- St. Benedict II (684-85)
- John V (685-86)
- Conon (686-87)
- St. Sergius I (687-701)
- John VI (701-05)
- John VII (705-07)
- Sisinnius (708)
- Constantine (708-15)
- St. Gregory II (715-31)
- St. Gregory III (731-41)
- St. Zachary (741-52)
- Stephen II (died before consecration)(752)
- Stephen III (752-57)
- St. Paul I (757-67)
- Stephen IV (767-72)
- Adrian I (772-95)
- St. Leo III (795-816)
- Stephen V (816-17)
- St. Paschal I (817-24)
- Eugene II (824-27)
- Valentine (827)
- Gregory IV (827-44)
- Sergius II (844-47)
- St. Leo IV (847-55)
- Benedict III (855-58)
- St. Nicholas I (the Great) (858-67)
- Adrian II (867-72)
- John VIII (872-82)
- Marinus I (882-84)
- St. Adrian III (884-85)
- Stephen VI (885-91)
- Formosus (891-96)
- Boniface VI (896)
- Stephen VII (896-97)
- Romanus (897)
- Theodore II (897)
- John IX (898-900)
- Benedict IV (900-03)
- Leo V (903)
- Sergius III (904-11)
- Anastasius III (911-13)
- Lando (913-14)
- John X (914-28)
- Leo VI (928)
- Stephen VIII (929-31)
- John XI (931-35)
- Leo VII (936-39)
- Stephen IX (939-42)
- Marinus II (942-46)
- Agapetus II (946-55)
- John XII (955-63)
- Leo VIII (963-64)
- Benedict V (964)
- John XIII (965-72)
- Benedict VI (973-74)
- Benedict VII (974-83)
- John XIV (983-84)
- John XV (985-96)
- Gregory V (996-99)
- Sylvester II (999-1003)
- John XVII (1003)
- John XVIII (1003-09)
- Sergius IV (1009-12)
- Benedict VIII (1012-24)
- John XIX (1024-32)
- Benedict IX (1032-45)
- Sylvester III (1045)
- Benedict IX (1045)
- Gregory VI (1045-46)
- Clement II (1046-47)
- Benedict IX (1047-48)
- Damasus II (1048)
- St. Leo IX (1049-54)
- Victor II (1055-57)
- Stephen X (1057-58)
- Nicholas II (1058-61)
- Alexander II (1061-73)
- St. Gregory VII (1073-85)
- Blessed Victor III (1086-87)
- Blessed Urban II (1088-99)
- Paschal II (1099-1118)
- Gelasius II (1118-19)
- Callistus II (1119-24)
- Honorius II (1124-30)
- Innocent II (1130-43)
- Celestine II (1143-44)
- Lucius II (1144-45)
- Blessed Eugene III (1145-53)
- Anastasius IV (1153-54)
- Adrian IV (1154-59)
- Alexander III (1159-81)
- Lucius III (1181-85)
- Urban III (1185-87)
- Gregory VIII (1187)
- Clement III (1187-91)
- Celestine III (1191-98)
- Innocent III (1198-1216)
- Honorius III (1216-27)
- Gregory IX (1227-41)
- Celestine IV (1241)
- Innocent IV (1243-54)
- Alexander IV (1254-61)
- Urban IV (1261-64)
- Clement IV (1265-68)
- Blessed Gregory X (1271-76)
- Blessed Innocent V (1276)
- Adrian V (1276)
- John XXI (1276-77)
- Nicholas III (1277-80)
- Martin IV (1281-85)
- Honorius IV (1285-87)
- Nicholas IV (1288-92)
- St. Celestine V (1294)
- Boniface VIII (1294-1303)
- Blessed Benedict XI (1303-04)
- Clement V (1305-14)
- John XXII (1316-34)
- Benedict XII (1334-42)
- Clement VI (1342-52)
- Innocent VI (1352-62)
- Blessed Urban V (1362-70)
- Gregory XI (1370-78)
- Urban VI (1378-89)
- Boniface IX (1389-1404)
- Innocent VII (1404-06)
- Gregory XII (1406-15)
- Martin V (1417-31)
- Eugene IV (1431-47)
- Nicholas V (1447-55)
- Callistus III (1455-58)
- Pius II (1458-64)
- Paul II (1464-71)
- Sixtus IV (1471-84)
- Innocent VIII (1484-92)
- Alexander VI (1492-1503)
- Pius III (1503)
- Julius II (1503-13)
- Leo X (1513-21)
- Adrian VI (1522-23)
- Clement VII (1523-34)
- Paul III (1534-49)
- Julius III (1550-55)
- Marcellus II (1555)
- Paul IV (1555-59)
- Pius IV (1559-65)
- St. Pius V (1566-72)
- Gregory XIII (1572-85)
- Sixtus V (1585-90)
- Urban VII (1590)
- Gregory XIV (1590-91)
- Innocent IX (1591)
- Clement VIII (1592-1605)
- Leo XI (1605)
- Paul V (1605-21)
- Gregory XV (1621-23)
- Urban VIII (1623-44)
- Innocent X (1644-55)
- Alexander VII (1655-67)
- Clement IX (1667-69)
- Clement X (1670-76)
- Blessed Innocent XI (1676-89)
- Alexander VIII (1689-91)
- Innocent XII (1691-1700)
- Clement XI (1700-21)
- Innocent XIII (1721-24)
- Benedict XIII (1724-30)
- Clement XII (1730-40)
- Benedict XIV (1740-58)
- Clement XIII (1758-69)
- Clement XIV (1769-74)
- Pius VI (1775-99)
- Pius VII (1800-23)
- Leo XII (1823-29)
- Pius VIII (1829-30)
- Gregory XVI (1831-46)
- Blessed Pius IX (1846-78)
- Leo XIII (1878-1903)
- St. Pius X (1903-14)
- Benedict XV (1914-22)
- Pius XI (1922-39)
- Pius XII (1939-58)
- Blessed John XXIII (1958-63)
- Paul VI (1963-78)
- John Paul I (1978)
- John Paul II (1978-2005)
- Benedict XVI (2005-present)
How many popes have been assassinated since 2000?
Technically, all the martyrdoms of the early popes (the first 25 or so) were high level public assassinations.
During the Middle Ages, political and inter-Church struggles saw some popes murdered or die under suspicious circumstances, such as poisonings or strangulation. You can follow the link below for a related article.
In modern times there are some that hold that John Paul I was poisoned, though this has not been confirmed. John Paul II survived an assassination attempt in May of 1981.
Who was the pope before Sergius III?
Pope Leo IV was elected pope after Sergius II. Leo IV was made pope on April 10 847 and he reigned until his death on July 17th 855 AD. Leo reigned in difficult times as the Saracens were invading Europe and political ties were high with tension. Leo's ability and sanctity in facing these trials was such that he was canonized by the Church and is reverenced by the faithful as Saint Leo IV.
How is the mitre held on the pope's head?
The mitre is made specifically for the person who will wear it and sits tight enough on the head to need nothing to hold it in place. No bobby pins, staples, rivets or nails are used.
What were Pope Alexander VI's accomplishments?
Pope Alexander VI (1431-1503) was Pope from 1492 to 1503. He is remembered more for the not so good things of his papacy than the good things. A few of the good things that he is remembered for are that he: * Put an end to the lawlessness which reigned in the city of Rome
* Fortified Rome as defense from attack and siege
* Fostered literature and science
* Had a tolerant policy towards the Jews
* Sent the first missionaries to the New World
Who was the youngest-ever pope?
The birth dates and even years of early Popes are frequently not available. In modern times, Popes have generally been elected at older ages. Today a man of 65 years is generally considered too young to be Pope. The youngest Pope was probably either
+ Pope Benedict IX who became Pope at an unknown age between 11 and 20
+ Pope John XII who was 18 at the beginning of his papacy
Do Lutherans believe in authority of pope?
They do believe in the Pope. The Pope is the title for the leader of the Catholic church. Other religions recognize this person as the Catholic leader, but do not acknowledge him as their leader. Each religion uses different names for things, jobs, and people.
Who were the last five popes and the year of their papacy?
The last 5 popes, with the current pope as the 6th, are:
Pius XII (1939-58)
John XXIII (1958-63)
Paul VI (1963-78)
John Paul I (1978)
John Paul II (1978-2005)
Benedict XVI (2005-present)
How many popes have there been in Vatican City?
Vatican City as an independent city-state has only existed since 1929 with the signing of the Lateran Treaty. Prior to that the Vatican was just a part of Rome. The following popes are those who have lived in the Vatican since the treaty:
Pope Pius XI (1922-39) Pope Pius XII (1939-58) Pope John XXIII (1958-63) Pope Paul VI (1963-78) Pope John Paul I (August-September 1978) Pope John Paul II (1978-2005)
Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013)
Pope Francis (2013-)
What school did the pope go to?
Pope John Paul II went to Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (STL, PhD)Jagiellonian University (PhD)
What were Pope Saint Cornelius' two miracles?
There have been two miracles attributes the Pop John Paul the Second. The first was a healing of a French nun from Parkinson’s disease. The second was miracle attributed him that was confirmed by Pope Francis and this is his canonization.
The last ten Popes in descending order are as follows:
Benedict XVI (19 April 2005 - present)
John Paul II (16 October 1978 - 2 April 2005)
John Paul I (26 August 1978 - 28 September 1978)
Paul VI (21 June 1963 - 6 August 1978)
John XXIII, O.F.S.(28 October 1958 - 3 June 1963)
Pius XII, O.F.S. (2 March 1939 - 9 October 1958)
Pius XI, O.F.S.(6 February 1922 - 10 February 1939)
Benedict XV, O.F.S. (3 September 1914 - 22 January 1922)
Pius X, O.F.S.(4 August 1903 - 20 August 1914)
Leo XIII, O.F.S. (20 February 1878 - 20 July 1903)
