What use is the pope in a modern world?

Question

'He sits so high on his throne, But the pope still sits on his bottom.

Answer 1

I hear he's good with card tricks

Answer 2

One way to describe the pope might be to say that he is the legal and spiritual head of the Roman Catholic Church, at 1 billion members the largest Christian denomination in the world, and certainly the most vertically integrated. One way of putting the point: the pope can push a button in Rome and see something happen in Singapore in ways that the archbishop of Canterbury or the Dalai Lama cannot.

Many of these burdens are similar to demands imposed on other world leaders, such as the president of the United States or the secretary general of the United Nations. One key difference is that the pope, in addition to being a politician and administrator, is also expected to be extraordinarily holy. People might forgive a president all sorts of moral failings, but they have higher standards for pontiffs. Another is that being elected pope is, in effect, a life sentence-there's no retirement to anticipate, no comfortable years as an elder statesman writing memoirs and giving lucrative speeches at foreign policy seminars. Popes carry the burden of their office until they die.

For all these reasons, being pope is an impossible job, and despite what you may hear, few church leaders actually want it. Mastering any one of its elements is a life's work. Inevitably, popes emphasize some aspects of the job at the expense of others.

In reality, however, the demands of the position are far more vast. A modern pope is called upon to be an intellectual, a politician, a pastor, a media superstar, and a Fortune 500 CEO. He must produce complex documents setting out the thinking of the Catholic Church on the most vexing problems that confront humanity. While he has a staff and as many advisers as he wants to help with writing and research, ultimately the message is for him to determine. He must oversee the work of the oldest diplomatic corps on earth, involved in mediating conflicts and protecting the institutional interests of the Catholic Church in dozens of global hot spots. On any given day, the pope may be briefed about the latest violence in the Middle East, about Muslim-Christian slaughter in Indonesia, and about the role of Western commercial interests in sustaining the civil war in the Congo. Then he will be expected to make decisions. If he does too little, he will be accused of indifference; if he does too much, he will be accused of meddling. The pope must be a skilled public figure who knows how to use, rather than be used by, the global communications industry. If he shrinks from publicity, they will say he is weak; if he courts it, they will say he's an egomaniac. Finally, the pope must manage the personnel and financial resources of an enormous multinational religious organization. Since to govern is to choose, as de Gaulle once said, some of those choices are bound to make people unhappy

Answer 3

Look at the example of Pope John Paul II to see how important the Pope can be as a voice of witness to godliness,compassion,truth ,human rights and human solidarity in warring human societies. Ask Solidarity of what use the Pope was in their modern world situation. Pope JP2 helped change the world.

Answer 4

Now is when we need the advice the most. Look at abortion, euthanasia, stem cell research, cloning these things weren't issues back in the days of the Bible Now they are. Without the guidance by the Holy Spirit especially given to the Pope we would be extolling the virtues of homosexuality just like some of the other so called mainstream Churches but, the Catholic Church (the REAL Catholic Church) has stood pat against these things.

Answer 5

Actually.....Popes have served a very Valuable Example Lesson by showing that they are NOT to be Trusted as they are just like the rest of Humanity & Worse!!! Popes throughout History have been subject to the "Old Sin Nature" & utilized it for their own gain!!! They have been Fornicators, Murders, Thieves, Drunkards, Pedafiles & the List goes on, just like the rest of Mankind!!! Despite issuing their own "Infallibility" Dogma, they are more closely akin to Satan being proof that "Power Corrupts & Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely!" John

Answer 6

the pope serves only to deceive and keep too many from The Truth of The Salvation Message. The pope serves no good purpose.

Answer 7

Pope is a figurehead, much like the Queen of England. No real purpose other than something for people to feel comfortable that they are there.

Answer 8

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

The Pope’s main roles include teaching, sanctifying, and governing.

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.

With love in Christ.

Answer 9

The religious need their pope as the god they worship ain't never going to show up.

Answer 10

strange, disturbing question
What use is a human being?