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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
How did pope Alexander VI address the rivalry between Spain and Portugal over new trade routes?
He divided the extra-European world between Spain and Portugal in the bull Inter caetera (1493).
Why are papal proclamations called bulls?
A leaden seal is affixed around a cord and attached to the proclamation. These leaden seals are called bullae. Every papal proclamation has the papal bullae attached to it. On one side of the papal bullae is an engraved picture of two saints, and on the other side is the name and seal of the issuing pope. The bullae attachment is considered authentication of the document as being from the pope. Hence the proclamations are called bulls because of the bullae's attachment.
Why would some sources say there were two Pope John XXIII?
The first Pope John XXIII was an "antipope" thus his papacy was discounted.
What pope made St. Anne a saint?
Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was declared a saint by the early Christians long before the canonization process was instituted. She was honored as a saint primarily by the eastern churches but her cultus extended to the whole Church in 1584 under Pope Gregory XIII.
What are three ways the pope leads the Catholic Church?
The pope is the head of all Catholic Churches and therefore holds many leadership roles. Three of these leadership roles include making doctrinal statements related to what all Catholics are to believe and practice, he is responsible for the canonization of saints, and he has the responsibility of consecrating cardinals and bishops within the church unit.
Catholic AnswerThe primary way that the Holy Father leads the Church is by being Christ's Vicar on earth, this is the office which Christ created in Matthew 16:17-19, based on Isaiah 22:15-25. As Christ's Vicar he is the visible head of the Church, and the final authority on earth.
No. it is very unlikely that any popeshave been circumcised. Circumcision was a part of the jewish culture in the 1st century Rome, and it has never been a common practice in Europe. The vast majority of popes in the last 1000 years have been from Italy, and circumcision is very uncommon in Italy.
As a mater of fact in the new testament a particular mention is made that Christians need not be circumcised. accepting Christ as the saviour it is said is circumcision of the heart and that is good enough. In the mean time what sane person would cut of their foreskin?
What was pope's full name who runs the Catholic Church?
The current pope, Benedict XVI, was born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, but, as Pope, he is the Vicar of Our Blessed Lord. It is God who actually "runs" the Catholic Church through His Vicar.
The "Pope" is the title given to leaders of several Christian sets. Each is different person:
- Catholic Church - Pope
- Eastern Orthodox Churches - Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria
- Oriental Orthodox Churches - Pope of Alexandria
Between 1377 and 1415 how many men claimed to be the pope at the same time?
For most of this period, there was a pope, and another man claiming to be pope, so one. Near the end of it there were three, it is known as the Great Schism:
The Great Schism, otherwise known as the Western Schism is not to be confused with the Schism of the East. The Schism of the East was when the Eastern Church broke into two factions, half staying with Rome, and half formed what is now called the Orthodox Church. Many contemporary, particularly protestant scholars seem to confuse the two. What is called the Great Schism in the Catholic Church was the Western Schism, which, even more confusing, was not really a schism in the sense that the Schism of the East was, but a time when the Church had more than one claimant to the Papal Throne, finally resulted in three, one pope and two antipopes.
202.Gregory XI (1370-78)
203.Urban VI (1378-89) Opposed by Robert of Geneva ("Clement VII"), antipope (1378-1394)
204.Boniface IX (1389-1404) Opposed by Robert of Geneva ("Clement VII") (1378-1394), Pedro de Luna ("Benedict XIII") (1394-1417) and Baldassare Cossa ("John XXIII") (1400-1415), antipopes
205.Innocent VII (1404-06) Opposed by Pedro de Luna ("Benedict XIII") (1394-1417) and Baldassare Cossa ("John XXIII") (1400-1415), antipopes
206.Gregory XII (1406-15) Opposed by Pedro de Luna ("Benedict XIII") (1394-1417), Baldassare Cossa ("John XXIII") (1400-1415), and Pietro Philarghi ("Alexander V") (1409-1410), antipopes
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.
Who is Papal Bull Ad Abolendam?
It is not a person, but rather a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a pope (in this case Pope Innocent III). The Papal Bull Ad Abolendam basically was letter declaring war on heretics.
What is that nub for on top of the pope's hat for?
The Pope is Bishop of Rome and wears the same vestments as other bishops. The ceremonial hat worn by bishops is known as a mitre (spelt miter in the USA). In the Western Church these are currently in the shape of a carpenter's hat with a point at the front and back. You can make one by refolding a paper bag so that the bottom corners point upwards. In the Eastern Church, mitres are shaped more like the domes on St Basil's cathedral.
Previously, Western bishops wore more rigid mitres in the same shape as a bishop chess piece. This had a knob at the top - probably mainly for decoration although it was something to grasp when putting it on and off. The Pope had a mitre of this type with three crowns around it representing the Trinity and known as the Triple Tiara. At the top was a cross mounted on a ball representing the supremacy of Christ over the world. This and earlier tiaras now live in the Vatican Museum. The last time one was used was at the inauguration of Pope Paul VI in 1963.
On the top of the skull cap, called a zucchetto, that is worn by the pope, cardinal or bishop, there is a small piece of cord which is a 'handle' so that the cap can be easily removed or replaced. This "stem", known as stirpis or stirpes. It is made of a twisted loop of silk cord and is meant to make the handling of the zucchetto easier.
Define and identify Pope Urban II?
Pope urban II was Pope of the Catholic Church. he encouraged the Christians to wrest the Christian holy places situated in Palestine from the Arabs. In fact the Crusades of those days were the result of the efforts of Pope Urban II.
Roman Catholic AnswerPope Urban II started out as a monk of Cluny Abbey, one of the most historically important Benedictine Houses in history. After he was elected Pope, he did a great deal to establish peace in Europe, particularly in France and southern Italy (Sicily). He also called a Council to try and reconcile the Latin and the Greek Church over the filoque clause in the Creed. He is most famous in secular history for calling the First Crusade in an effort to liberate those Christians who had survived the massacres by the Muslims and were now living practically in slavery in the Holy Land.What are the names of two popes that had the name John Paul?
I could name 266 popes but will name the most 2 recent ones: Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
Has a pope ever taken the name Judas?
No, there has never been a pope named Judas. However, there have been a couple popes who were a disgrace to the Church and probably deserved the name.
Why did the Catholic Church create positions such as a Pope Cardinal and a Bishop?
The Catholic Church did not create the positions of Pope nor of Bishop, they were created directly and immediately by Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ. The Apostles were confirmed as the first Bishops at the Last Supper and St. Peter was appointed as Christ's Vicar in Matthew 16:17-19. The Cardinals historically are the clergy of Rome who elected the new Pope.
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from the Catholic Encyclopedia:
The proof that Christ constituted St. Peter head of His Church is found in the two famous Petrine texts, Matthew 16:17-19, and John 21:15-17.
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Matthew 16:17-19
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In Matthew 16:17-19, the office is solemnly promised to the Apostle. In response to his profession of faith in the Divine Nature of his Master, Christ thus addresses him:
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Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.
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"Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven." The prerogatives here promised are manifestly personal to Peter. His profession of faith was not made as has been sometimes asserted, in the name of the other Apostles. This is evident from the words of Christ. He pronounces on the Apostle, distinguishing him by his name Simon son of John, a peculiar and personal blessing, declaring that his knowledge regarding the Divine Sonship sprang from a special revelation granted to him by the Father (cf. Matthew 11:27).
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"And I say to thee: That thou art Peter. . ." He further proceeds to recompense this confession of His Divinity by bestowing upon him a reward proper to himself:
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Thou art Peter [Cepha, transliterated also Kipha] and upon this rock [Cepha] I will build my Church.
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The word for Peter and for rock in the original Aramaic is one and the same; this renders it evident that the various attempts to explain the term "rock" as having reference not to Peter himself but to something else are misinterpretations. It is Peter who is the rock of the Church. The term ecclesia (ekklesia) here employed is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew qahal, the name which denoted the Hebrew nation viewed as God's Church (see THE CHURCH, I).
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"And upon this rock I will build my Church. . ." Here then Christ teaches plainly that in the future the Church will be the society of those who acknowledge Him, and that this Church will be built on Peter.
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The expression presents no difficulty. In both the Old and New Testaments the Church is often spoken of under the metaphor of God's house (Numbers 12:7; Jeremiah 12:7; Hosea 8:1; 9:15; 1 Corinthians 3:9-17, Ephesians 2:20-2; 1 Timothy 3:5; Hebrews 3:5; 1 Peter 2:5). Peter is to be to the Church what the foundation is in regard to a house.
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He is to be the principle of unity, of stability, and of increase. He is the principle of unity, since what is not joined to that foundation is no part of the Church; of stability, since it is the firmness of this foundation in virtue of which the Church remains unshaken by the storms which buffet her; of increase, since, if she grows, it is because new stones are laid on this foundation.
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"And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." It is through her union with Peter, Christ continues, that the Church will prove the victor in her long contest with the Evil One:
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The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
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There can be but one explanation of this striking metaphor. The only manner in which a man can stand in such a relation to any corporate body is by possessing authority over it. The supreme head of a body, in dependence on whom all subordinate authorities hold their power, and he alone, can be said to be the principle of stability, unity, and increase. The promise acquires additional solemnity when we remember that both Old Testament prophecy (Isaiah 28:16) and Christ's own words (Matthew 7:24) had attributed this office of foundation of the Church to Himself. He is therefore assigning to Peter, of course in a secondary degree, a prerogative which is His own, and thereby associating the Apostle with Himself in an altogether singular manner.
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"And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven." In the following verse (Matthew 16:19) He promises to bestow on Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
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The words refer evidently to Isaiah 22:22, where God declares that Eliacim, the son of Helcias, shall be invested with office in place of the worthless Sobna:
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And I will lay the key of the house of David upon his shoulder: and he shall open, and none shall shut: and he shall shut and none shall open.
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In all countries the key is the symbol of authority. Thus, Christ's words are a promise that He will confer on Peter supreme power to govern the Church. Peter is to be His vicegerent, to rule in His place.
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"And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven." Further the character and extent of the power thus bestowed are indicated. It is a power to "bind" and to "loose" - words which, as is shown below, denote the grant of legislative and judicial authority. And this power is granted in its fullest measure. Whatever Peter binds or looses on earth, his act will receive the Divine ratification.
Objections
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The meaning of this passage does not seem to have been challenged by any writer until the rise of the sixteenth-century heresies. Since then a great variety of interpretations have been put forward by Protestant controversialists. These agree in little save in the rejection of the plain sense of Christ's words. Some Anglican controversy tends to the view that the reward promised to St. Peter consisted in the prominent part taken by him in the initial activities of the Church, but that he was never more than primus inter pares among the Apostles. It is manifest that this is quite insufficient as an explanation of the terms of Christ's promise.
Were there ever non - European popes?
Yes, there have been several non-European popes. Technically, the first pope was from Palestine. There have been a few from Syria as well. The current pope is the first non-European pope in 1300 years or so.
Why is Saint Gregory I famous?
Gregory I, Saint (Saint Gregory the Great), c.540-604, pope (590-604), a Roman; successor of Pelagius II. A Doctor of the Church, he was distinguished for his spiritual and temporal leadership. His feast is celebrated on Mar. 12.
Gregory was born to a wealthy patrician family and at the age of 30 he was made prefect of Rome, Rome's highest civil office. He felt the call to monasticism, however, and converted (c.575) his home and others of his houses into Benedictine convents. Later (c.586), he reluctantly became abbot. In 578 he was made a deacon of Rome. From 579 to c.586 he was ambassador at Constantinople, then he served as chief adviser of Pelagius II. When commencing a missionary voyage to England, he was recalled to Rome and accomplished his aim only by sending St. Augustine of Canterbury (596) and a later mission (601). He was elected pope by acclamation, accepting against his will and despite chronic illness.
The two chief features of Gregory's lasting work are the enforcement of the papal supremacy and the establishment of the temporal position of the pope. Gregory not only legislated minutely and carefully for his immediate charges, but he interfered when necessary outside Italy; e.g., he attacked Donatism in Africa and simony in Gaul. Most significantly, he refused to recognize ecumenical as a title of the patriarch of Constantinople, since that title was not consistent with the divine vicegerency of the pope. The exarch of Ravenna, representative of the Byzantine emperor in the West, claimed secular jurisdiction over Rome, and Gregory acknowledged it de jure. However, the exarch, Romanus, did nothing to help the city when it was threatened by a Lombard attack in 592. Gregory, as bishop of Rome, took command and negotiated a peace. It was ignored by the exarch, and the Lombards resumed their attack on Rome. Since Romanus deferred making peace, Gregory began independent negotiations, a new affront to the imperial dignity and an extralegal act. In his dealings with the Lombards and the exarch, Gregory showed that if the emperor would not defend the pope, the pope would defend himself and by doing so would make himself temporally independent. Thus he set a precedent that enabled the papacy to prevent the total destruction of Rome. Yet Gregory was the important exponent of the doctrine of divided powers: the emperor was God's vicar in things temporal, the pope in things spiritual. Gregory's encouragement of monasticism was significant historically, and his insistence on clerical celibacy and the exemption of the clergy from trial in civil courts bore great fruit later. St. Gregory contributed to the development of the Gregorian chant or plainsong. He was succeeded by Sabinian.
