2007-01-12 20:45:29 · 4 answers · asked by ? 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It's a long story -- but basically, he can change Church traditions but NOT change the Church's doctrinal or moral teachings.
For instance, he can change rules about whether or not we eat meat during Lent. Or whether or not certain weekdays are holy days of obligation.
He can have changes made to the Mass. Pope John Paul II added five new mysteries to the Rosary -- another sort of thing that the Pope can do.
The Pope speaks with infallibility only when he speaks authoritatively and officially on a matter of faith or morals.
About most things, though, the Pope only gives his opinions -- and we are not bad Catholics if we disagree with his personal opinions.
When he speaks on a doctrinal matter or a grave moral matter, though, what he says goes. This would include doctrinal issues such as the nature of God, heaven and hell, Marian beliefs, and others -- it would also include grave moral issues such as abortion, birth control, sexuality, euthanasia, and so on.
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2007-01-12 20:52:45 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
According to Catholic Doctrine the belief is that the Pope is a direct link (so to speak)with God. The pope has ultimate authority to what transpires in the Catholic faith.
The pope does not have any "power" outside of the Vatican so to speak of.
However; the messages the Pope conveys can influence certain beliefs among people of all faiths. Topics such as; abortion, and other moral issues are mentioned quite often
Just like with anybody- it is up to each individual to make the determination to determine if what is considered to be the truth of the pope is yours as well.
Even though; I am not a Catholic I personally felt a loss when Pope John Paul passed away. He spoke of love and acceptance of all whether one was following the Catholic faith or not.
It is the words and actions of the individual that can bring any form of change to the planet.
2007-01-13 04:55:54 · answer #2 · answered by Tim 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The pope is the world's last absolute monarch, answerable only to God.
God endowed the pope with the unrestricted power to bind or loose anything on earth, and he promised to personally back up the pope's decisions from his throne in heaven.
The last pope played a pivotal role in the fall of the Soviet Union, reduced a number of corrupt dictators to terrified blobs of quivering flesh, and successfully withstood several bullets from an assassin, at point blank range.
With God, anything is possible.
2007-01-13 08:28:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He is a very dangerous man if he wanted to be. he has the power to mold people with religion and could start a war in fact he and all the other popes are prob the most dangerous men in the world BECAUSE they can influence people.
2007-01-13 04:53:01 · answer #4 · answered by dragontears 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋