Why Pope is said Holy Father?

Question

Everytime a catholic person calls the pope "Holy Father" they are calling him God! The name "Holy Father" is found only ONE time in the entire Bible and it refers to God the Father! They are calling the pope by God's name! It is extreme blasphemy to call a man by God's name. The following passage shows Jesus praying before He and His disciples went to the garden of Gethsemane: John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.Lord, please help people to see the truth!
The pope is even looked upon as the Holy Ghost--catholics are told that they need him to teach them what God says from the Bible. That's why they have all those encylical letters and supplementary books. Look at the catholic t.v. channel one day. They are always quoting from popes--so are "lay" catholics. Now all of a sudden, he is not only God the Father, but God John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye NEED NOT that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Answer 1

+ The Pope +

John 21:15-17 states:

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."

He then said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep."

He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." (Jesus) said to him, "Feed my sheep.

Matthew 16:17-19 states:

Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

The Catholic Church believes 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.

The Pope is the senior pastor of 1.1 billion Catholics, the direct successor of Simon Peter.

+ Holy +

The Bible states that anyone who possesses the Holy Spirit is holy. The Bible speaks of a holy man of God, holy ones, a holy people, a holy nation, and holy brothers.

That is why Mary is blessed (holy). The angel Gabriel called her, "Full of grace" and, "The Lord is with you."

+ Father +

Father is a term of respect not divinity.

In context, Matthew 23:7-9 reads, "... And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven."

This is call for humility for those in leadership roles. Not to be taken literally.

We are not to deny our male parent and cut the Commandment to honor our father and mother in half.

Some leaders in any church may fall into the same folly as the pharisees of Jesus' day.

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 2

The pope is holy because he is the duly ordained leader of the only church Jesus ever founded, and because the church and it's leadership has been sanctified (made holy) by the power and authority of God himself, who is truly and substantially present in every Catholic Church, all around the world.

Holiness is something they have in Christ, just as all Catholics do. It is not a function of their humanity, or of their own works.

You obviously have no idea of the true meaning of the Bible, or you would understand the significance of the church, of the church hierarchy, the laity, and the precise meaning of the term "holiness" in the economy of salvation.

Jesus commanded the apostles to go forth and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

This great commission had no time limit, and we can be sure the pope, as leader of the universal church, still takes the job very seriously.

That's why the pope and the bishops of the Catholic Church continue to teach today.

Unlike you and those who think like you do, Catholic clerics have the legitimate authority from God to teach. And that authority is a matter of record, that is precisely illustrated in scripture.

For your information, Jesus was speaking only to the apostles (the first bishops of the Catholic Church) in your above reference to John, and the apostles had just received the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit.

That's why they had no need for any man to teach them. They were already God's designated treachers, who were anointed (several times) by the Spirit, who would bring all things to mind for them.

The pope and bishops of the Catholic Church today enjoy a similar anointing, as they continue to accomplish their divinely appointed mission.

You could use a bit of anointing yourself.

Answer 3

The pope is the vicar, the leader of Christ's Church on earth. Because the dynamics of Christ's mission is so closely parallel to the dynamics of the family , we don't call the pope "leader" but father, as the father is the head of the family.
Catholics do not believe that the Holy Spirit and the pope are synonymous. The Church has a magisterium that is guided by the Holy Spirit to discern the interpretations of Sacred Scripture that are conducive to Christ's mission and those that confuse or "scatter the sheep" rather than gathering.
Do not project your own confusion or misunderstandings on the Church. They are your own.

Answer 4

Catholic here:

The pope is regarded as the leading bishop of the Catholic Church. The title Holy Father does not place him in equal status with God, or make him A GOD. He is only a man, sinful and imperfect like you and me. The title comes from the fact that he is regarded as holy and faithful to God the Father, and we call him Father, like any other priest or bishop, as our father, leader in faith on earth. He CAN NEVER BE what God is, or Jesus. All glory, all honor, ALL WORSHIP go to God and God alone. Never any pope.

Keep watching the catholic channel. It's good for you.

God bless.

Answer 5

As a little background, Jesus created the first Pope when He said:

"I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it." - Matthew 16:18.

Peter was therefore the first Pope, or Holy Father and each successor Pope was chosen until today. There is actually a trace of all the Pope's (Holy Fathers) in the church back to Peter.

Answer 6

The word Pope means Papa, Father.

God Bless You

Answer 7

John 17:11

Jesus said that He and His "Father" are "one" (John 10:30; 17:11), yet it is plain that the Father is greater in authority (John 14:28; I Corinthians 11:3). The Father and Son are one in purpose and attitude, but the Father is greater in authority since Christ—the "Word," or Logos—made all things by His authority. The Father has always been in supreme command in the Family or Kingdom of God—long before the Word became a human being.

Pope falls short of GOD yes.. and we all do..
A saved person--any believer is a saint -joint heir- adopted into family of God, with same authority ordained by Christ.

Man has no individual authority vested by mankind in kingdom of Christ.

Holy Spirit---Issues spiritual gifts..

But scriptrue also says that to blaspheme the Holy Spirit is the only way a person can reject God/Christ..

That is to reject salvation...offered by Jesus--

Only Jesus can save...
Not man.

Answer 8

The term "father" is used in the Bible exactly the way it is used in the Catholic Church today. Paul called himself "father" to those he preached to. Peter referred to Mark as his "son", thereby designating himself Mark's "father". They were spiritual fathers to the flock they pastored, yet always subservient to God's supreme fatherhood, just as priests still are today.

The term "holy" in referring to the Pope is not a reference to the man himself (in fact, a few popes were anything but holy in their personal lives), but a reference to the position itself, since it was instituted by Christ Himself, and that which is instituted by God is holy. Therefore it is correct to refer to the Holy Catholic Church, the holy sacraments, the holy priesthood, and the holy father because all these things were directly instituted by God Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, and are therefore holy in their essence, even if the human beings who are called to minister these sacred institutions are not personally holy.
.

Answer 9

Matthew 7:16-18. "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit."

Those, my friend, are the very words of Christ. And so far, the only "fruit" I see in your life is the constant spewing of hatred and bigotry toward another group of your fellow Christian believers.

You may want to rethink your claim to be a true follower of our loving Lord and Savior in light of those verses.

Answer 10

They call him Holy Father because he is the head of the religion and the one closest to God. He is a religious leader, for Christ's sake--of course he will be quoted, just as the Dali Lama is quoted.