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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 is the position of the pope in the Catholic Church?
He is the Head of the Catholic Church. Roman Catholics do not recognise any other form of Christianity as legitimate except their own, and believe that only Catholics can be sure of salvation in the afterlife. They thus see the Pope as the most important living person on Earth, who acts as an intermediary between God and humanity.
What pope declared celibacy among the clergy?
It was an unofficial requirement traditionally, but was ( etched in stone) by the reforms of the Council of Trent, in roughly, Elizabethan times. The fact that nearly all Protestant churches had married clergy shocked the Vatican establishment .
The current Pope Benedict XVI was named Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger at birth.
Is the Pope a Christian leader?
Yes, the Pope is the leader of the Catholic Church, the largest Christian denomination.
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Catholic AnswerFirst of all, the Catholic Church is the original and only Christian Church. All other "Christian" Churches are ecclesial communities which have broken away from the Catholic Church or from each other and are only Christian in so far as they still maintain valid Baptism and belief in the Nicene Creed as it has been traditionally interpreted. Jesus Christ founded only ONE Church and guaranteed that He would remain with it and protect it from error until the end of time.Secondly, the Holy Father is usually elected from the College of Cardinals, who are all Bishops of the Catholic Church; and thus Christian priests who follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in bringing Him to the world and the world to His Father.
So the answer is, of course, the Holy Father (the Pope) is a Christian. He is the Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth, and the visible head of His Church; and THE Christian leader for the world.
from Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980
Pope, Authority of the. Although elected by the college of cardinals, the pope's authority is not derived from them, but is given to God directly. He exercises it de iure divino (by divine right) as successor of St. Peter. He is infallible in teaching, and he has full and supremem power of jurisdiction over the whole Church, and directly and immediately over every Catholic, and all this in virtue of his office and permanently.
from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994
880 When Christ instituted the Twelve, "he constituted [them] in the form of a college or permanent assembly, a the head of which he placed Peter, chosen from among them." (Lumen gentium 19; cf Lk 6:13; Jn 21:15-17) Just as "by the Lord's institution, St. Peter and the rest of the apostles constitute a single apostolic college, so in like fashion the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, and the bishops, the successors of the apostles, are related with and united to one another." (Lumen gentium 22; cf. Codex Iuris Canonici, can 330.)
881 The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock. (Cf. Mt16:18-10; Jn 21:15-17.) "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head." (Lumen gentium 22 section 2) This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope.
882 The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, "is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful." (Lumen gentium 23) For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered. (Lumen gentium 22; cf. Christus Dominus 2, 9.)
What was the cause of death of Pope John Paul I?
The official cause of death is a heart attack. There is no evidence of any foul play.
Answer
The official cause of death is a heart attack. However, this was apparently based on a cursory examination of the deceased pope's body, an examination so brief that the diagnosis has been ridiculed by medical experts. the pope's personal physician said that John Paul I was in excellent health, had low blood pressure and was an unlikely candidate for a heart attack. No autopsy was performed.
Others say that the pope may have been killed by poisoning. Some of the evidence is consistent with such a conclusion, although this can only remain speculation. Certainly, there were many within the Vatican with a motive to murder John Paul, once it became known that he intended to rid the Vatican of corruption.
Answer
According to official sources in the Vatican, he died of a heart attack. Some question this diagnosis however and think he was poisoned.
Why did the Pope and Catholic Church have so much power and influence during the Middle Ages?
Historians consider the term "dark ages" misleading and inaccurate, and the term is generally used by those who wish to convey an anti-clerical view.
The church was powerful in the early part of the middle ages for a number of reasons. It would be centuries before governments accepted a role as providers of education or shelter. The Catholic church filled those roles, built schools and hospitals, introduced the first universities, and provided financial support for science.
There have been a number of popes who were imprisoned for one reason or another over the history of the Church, the most recent being Pope Benedict XVI. He had been inducted into the Germany Army towards the end of World War II. He soon deserted, just before Germany was liberated. The Allies imprisoned him as a prisoner of war for a short time.
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.
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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.
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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
