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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
Who elected the pope before College of Cardinals?
The popes were originally chosen by the clergy and faithful who lived in and near Rome.
How many African Popes have there been?
Popes from Africa:
Pope Victor I, the African, 186 or 189 to 197 or 201; the 13th Pope (Martyr)
Pope Melchiades or Miltiades, the African, July 2, 311 to January 10, 314; the 32nd Pope (Martyr)
Pope Gelasius I, the African, March 1, 492 to November 21, 490; the 49th Pope
All were from northern Africa and there is no mention of their race. They could have been black or white.
Does the Catholic Church have female minsters?
Yes, it does.
While women cannot be ordained bishop, priest, or deacon, they can serve in a number of professional ministries, called "lay ecclesial ministries" in the U.S., such as:
- Diocesan curia member, e.g.
- Chancellor
- Ecumenical Officer
- Tribunal judge
- Superintendent of Catholic Schools
- Diocesan Director of Family Life, Catholic Education, etc.
- Pastoral Life Director, Pastoral Coordinator
- Pastoral Associate
- Pastoral Assistant
- Director of Religious Education
- Youth Minister
- Prison Chaplain
- Hospital Chaplain
- etc, etc...
Additionally there are many volunteer ministries open to all people in the church, who have been fully initiated, such as altar servers, lectors, catechists, sunday school teachers, extraordinary ministers of communion, and so on...
The term is the Investiture Controversy,
The following popes were from North Africa:
Pope Gelasius I
Pope Miltiades
Pope Victor I
However, it is not known if they were black, fair skinned or dark skinned, all of which can be found in North Africa.
Did first popes of the Catholic Church practice homosexuality?
If they did, they kept it pretty quiet!
Four Popes in history have been alleged to have practised homosexuality, they were all in the 15th and 16th century.
Which one of the three popes from the Great Schism placed Prague under interdict?
From all the sources I have been able to find, it was neither the pope or either of the antipopes who placed Prague under Interdict. The Bishop placed Prague under Interdict in 1412 due to the presence of John Hus.
Does the Catholic church need a Pope. For and against answer?
The Catholic Church needs a pope because the pope is the vicar of Christ on earth. in the Bible, Jesus appointed Peter as the first pope, and instituted the papacy in order that the faithful followers of Christ would have someone to help direct us according to the will of God, in order that we may get to heaven.
Roman Catholic AnswerThis can all be summed up in one sentence: the Catholic Church needs the Pope because Our Blessed Lord put him at the head of His Church on earth. To disagree is to think that you know a better way than God has established, which is kind of foolhardy.How many popes have been heretics?
While there have been a number of truly bad popes who were vile and disgusting, none of them would be classified as being heretics. None of the bad popes ever taught anything contrary to the doctrines of the Catholic Church.
How many hours a day does the Pope work and is he allowed a beer and a cigar during his time off?
The Holy Father is the Vicar of Christ on earth, as such, he is the highest ranking individual and is there no visible person over him, only Our Blessed Lord. Nor does he have "time off", being Pope is more about being than doing. As such, he has no set hours, and no one tells him if or if not, he can smoke or imbibe a beer.
How did medieval popes get around?
they would get around on their feet or they would have the king send the royal carrage sent to the Calothic Church.
Will the Pope remain a Cardinal after retirement?
Yes, he remains a Cardinal, although he will not vote in this Conclave, as he is over the age limit. However, he will be known as Pope Emeritus.
What do Pope Clement I's pictures look like?
There were no cameras or smart phones available in the first century so we do not have any images available of Pope Clement I.
Who acted as political leaders and warriors instead of setting an example Christian behavior?
Popes acted as political leaders and warriors.
Christianity began when Jesus gave his disciples what is called the Great Commission, which says to go out into all the world and preach the gospel (or good news) to everyone. This began to be implemented when the obedient followers received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, as Jesus had promised. This 'Power from on high' was specifically promised for the purpose of fulfilling Jesus' Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20 (King James Version) 18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Acts 1:8 (King James Version) 8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Various other views:
- The Christian religion originated from Jesus Christ and was started in the Middle East. It started with Jesus. After he died on the cross, the remaining apostles spread out and started churches in places like Rome, Greece, Egypt, and Iraq.
- Constantine wanted to unite Europe and did so by combining many of the regional religions. It just happens that there was a small Jewish sect that he believed would draw in the Jews to his "universal" European religion. The spring festival of those European religions became Easter. The Winter Festivals became Christmas. The origin of Christianity was strictly a function of politics.
The resulting religion was called "Catholic", meaning universal, and everyone was instructed to convert. Reports are that Constantine never joined his universal religion, but was baptized without his permission while on his deathbed.
- It is believed that Christianity stared at the birth of Christ. Actually, of course, Adam was the first Christian as were all of the early saints before the birth of Christ who believed upon His name.
- Christianity was invented by Paul. As to his influence, there are considerable differences of scholarly opinion concerning how far Paul did in fact influence Christian doctrine. Among the most radical is G.A. Wells, a professor of German, whose view is that Jesus was a mythical figure and that Christianity was in good part invented by Paul. Wikipedia.org/Pauline Christianity*
- Christianity wasn't just randomly started. It all starts from Jesus Christ. When Jesus died for everyone, He rose 3 days later and told his remaining 11 of 12 disciples to spread the word that He saved everyone. Thus it was called Christianity.
Another answer:
While the New Testament writers indicate that there were a number of false claims about Christianity, they all agreed, including the 12 Apostles, that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead and ascended up to heaven. Peter, Paul and John, in their teaching, agreed with the Old Testament, where over 300 prophesies came true about Christ, which is the Greek word for the Hebrew, Messiah.
Christianity began in God's mind, before the foundation of the world. God had planned on the redemption of man (buying back from sin's consequences) before man was created. This is maintained by the writers of Scripture, who were led by the Holy Spirit to write what God had desired.
Things like: "they gave for my price thirty pieces of silver," "they part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture," "But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting," demonstrate only a few of the Old Testament prophecies, which came true with extreme accuracy. God knew what He would do with His Son, allowing Him to die for our sins, yet resurrecting Him in holy justice for the Christan's victory.
Christianity (the fulfillment of God's promises) was inaugurated on the Day of Pentecost, after Christ had ascended to heaven. See Acts 1 & 2, KJV. There were 3000 souls that received Christ as their Savior from sin n that day. This probably by custom only counted the men, as indicated also in Acts 4:4, "Howbeit many of them which heard the Word believed; and the number of the men were about five thousand." In just a few weeks, conservatively, there were about 25,000 Christians in Jerusalem.
The name Christian, originally considered to be a slanderous name for believers in Christ, was first assessed of those in the church at Antioch of Syria. Yet it was appropriate for those who were "Christ followers."
Another answer:
Jesus did not necessarily start a new religion; he was a practicing Jew. His followers eventually "broke off" from Judaism and started a new "religion" (or faith).
When Jesus, The Christ was of age and began teaching and preaching the gospel, the people that believed Jesus (and all that he taught and said) -- these people are Christians; although the Jews were the chosen people.
Answer2: Early Christianity a Way of Life
Jesus said to his followers: "You are my friends if you do what I am commanding you." (John 15:14) Since Jesus' teachings affected all aspects of their lives, Christ's disciples initially referred to their religion as "The Way." (Acts 9:2) Soon thereafter, "[they] were by divine providence called Christians." (Acts 11:26) This new name they bore meant that they believed that Jesus was the Son of God, who had transmitted to mankind the will of his heavenly Father. This belief led them to follow a way of life that differed from that of the world around them.
Christ's teachings moved his followers to follow Bible teachings, which meant avoiding "fornication, uncleanness, loose conduct, idolatry, practice of spiritism, enmities, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, contentions, . . . drunken bouts, revelries, and things like these." (Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 4:17-24) The apostle Paul reminded Corinthian Christians that some of them had once practiced these very things. Then he added: "But you have been washed clean, but you have been sanctified, but you have been declared righteous in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."-1 Corinthians 6:9-11.
E. W. Barnes relates in his book The Rise ofChristianity: "In its early authoritative documents the Christian movement is represented as essentially moral and law-abiding. Its members desired to be good citizens and loyal subjects. They shunned the failings and vices of paganism. In private life they sought to be peaceful neighbours and trustworthy friends. They were taught to be sober, industrious and clean-living. Amid prevailing corruption and licentiousness they were, if loyal to their principles, honest and truthful. Their sexual standards were high: the marriage tie was respected and family life was pure." Such were aspects of being a Christian in the early days.
Another distinctive sign of early Christianity was its zealous evangelizing work. Christ commanded his followers: "Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations." (Matthew 28:19, 20) Jean Bernardi, a professor at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France, noted: "[Christians] were to go out and speak everywhere and to everyone. On the highways and in the cities, on the public squares and in the homes. Welcome or unwelcome. To the poor, and to the rich encumbered by their possessions. . . . They had to take to the road, board ships, and go to the ends of the earth." (Taken from (4/07 Awake on Jehovah's Witnesses official website)
Bishop is the rank below pope and includes archbishops. Cardinals are not an integral part of the hierarchy and, to be named a cardinal, one need only be a priest. However, before 1917, a cardinal need not be even a priest. Pope John XXIII made it a rule that all cardinals must be named a bishop if they become a cardinal but the person can request an exemption to the rule. However, if a cardinal is not a bishop he cannot be elevated to pope until he has been consecrated a bishop.
An annate (or annat) is the first year's profits of a Catholic benefice, as traditionally paid directly to the Pope.
What days are the days of fast and abstinence?
In the Universal Church, all Fridays are days of abstinence from meat. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are fast days. Abstinence from meat means no meat or gravies made from meat may be consumed. Animal products, such as milk, eggs, or broths, maybe be eaten, as well as fish and reptiles. Fasting means two small meals which together are not as large as the principal meal.
Abstinence applies to all Catholics who have completed their 14th year (14th years old) until the beginning of their 60th year (59th Birthday). One may abstain outside of this range, but it is not required upon pain of sin. Fasting applies to all Catholics who have completed their 18th year, until the beginning of their 60th year (59th Birthday). These rules do not apply to people with serious reasons not to fast or abstain e.g. nursing mothers, pregnant women, people who are ill or if the nature of one's work would make fasting dangerous (we don't want a roofer to grow faint from lack of food!). If you have doubts if you fall into this category, discuss this with your pastor.
Local Bishop's conferences are allowed to substitute abstinence from meat outside of Lent for some other penance. In the USA, the USCCB (United States Council of Catholic Bishops), allows each faithful to either abstain from meat, or to substitute another act of penance. Note, some well meaning, but misinformed teachers and clergy have suggested either an act of penance or an act of charity as a substitute for abstinence on Fridays. They are misinformed. Either abstain from meat, or choose another penance. One could give up coffee or soda, dessert or television. Acts of charity are to be encouraged, but they do not fill this obligation.
During Lent, one MAY NOT substitute a different penance. One MUST abstain from meat, following the aforementioned definition and exceptions.
Remember, all Fridays are mini-Lent, all Sundays are mini-Easter.
Why was pope clement VI so angry at his fellow churchmen?
Pope Clement VI was particularly frustrated with his fellow churchmen due to their corruption and moral laxity during his papacy in the 14th century. He believed that their actions undermined the integrity of the Church and its authority, especially in a time of crisis like the Black Death, which demanded strong and virtuous leadership. Additionally, he was concerned about the rampant political machinations and infighting among church officials that distracted from the Church's spiritual mission. His anger reflected a desire for reform and a return to a more righteous and unified ecclesiastical body.
Why did Henry 4 stand barefoot in the snow for three days begging forgiveness of pope Gregory 7?
Henry IV stood barefoot in the snow for three days begging forgiveness from Pope Gregory VII in 1077 as a result of the Investiture Controversy, a power struggle between the monarchy and the papacy over the appointment of bishops. After being excommunicated by Gregory for appointing bishops without papal approval, Henry sought to regain his legitimacy and authority as king. His act of penance was a dramatic demonstration of submission to the pope's authority, ultimately leading to his reconciliation with Gregory and lifting of the excommunication. This incident underscored the significant tensions between church and state during that period.
Traditionally, popes are not cremated; they are buried. The Catholic Church maintains a strong preference for burial as it aligns with the belief in the resurrection of the body. However, there is no formal rule against cremation, and in some cases, such as with non-papal clergy, cremation may be permitted. Ultimately, the decision rests with the individual pope and their wishes.
