Why to most Catholic people worship the Pope?

Question

It's not like he's a God, he's a human being. He might live his life according to the Bible but I just don't understand why people worship one human being, he can't walk on water. Can anyone tell me why he means so much to so many Catholics?

Answer 1

According to the Catholics, the Pope is the closest human being to God -- Basically something in the middle between humans and divinity. I am not expressing my opinion at this time, just telling you what Catholics believe.

And yes, they do worship the Pope -- Isn't worshipping getting in your knees and kissing his ring? keeping his picture framed in the wall and doing the cross sign everytime you walk near it?

Of course, how different is that from the posters of Bon Jovi that girls in the 1980s worshipped in their suburban U.S. bedrooms?

Or the images of Santa Claus and the Easter bunny, that children are taught to love, honour and worship?

Seems everyone is worshipping someone or something, most of the time . . .

Answer 2

Pastor Billy says: what a loaded question I could play the same game and ask "Why do most Baptists worship Billy Graham" or "Why do most Evangelicals worship John Haggee, Charles Stanley" "Why do most young non-Denoms worship the prosperity preacher Joel Olstein?"

To the point the Trinity doctrine is Catholic in origin and the pope is not part of the Holy Trinity. Catholics give Godly worship to God alone we respect the Papacy because it is God's institution.

Answer 3

A ship without a captain is in serious trouble, and may never arrive at it's intended destination. A ship with more than one captain is ripe for mutiny.

Jesus established the office of the leader of the whole church, and gave it to St. Peter. Peter handed it down to his authentic successor, and so on.

The Pope represents Jesus Christ and his Church, and his power and authority come directly from God.

Thanks to this, the Catholic Church has been able to maintain and proclaim one consistent and correct creed for the past 2000 years, in every country around the globe, never ceasing to give correct praise and proper worship to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You should be so fortunate.

And while you may not personally believe it, the facts are clear.

For the record, Catholics worship God alone. Only the ignorant claim otherwise.

Answer 4

Yes the Pope is only human just like you & me. I really don't perceive the Catholics as worshipping the Pope. Perhaps they are living a life that they have been taught for many ancestors before them. Was it not the Catholic church that placed an order to have Jesus crucified, so look at it as if they are trying to make up for a mistake that was made the night Jesus was captured & then crucified the next day. Yes God could have stopped this but it was HIS will for HIS son to die.

Answer 5

We do not "worship" the Pope. The Pope is more like a President than a Deity. The truth is Catholics are lead in prayer by the Pope. People do not pray to the Pope, they pray with him.

Answer 6

catholics do not worship the pope, the only person or being we worship is god whom like every christian we reach through the truth and word of jesus christ. the pope is the head of our church, a church of over 1 billion people, that is why multitutdes go to hear his teaching, the same as a protestant going to hear billy graham or on the appointed days they go see their pastor either at church or other gatherings. as to why we have the pope and his authority, there is strong scriptural reference to this and you can find some commentary on this at www.scripturecatholic.com

he can't walk on water but he is the succesor of peter who is the rock on which jesus formed his church. as a human he can sin or talk with error but when it comes to the faith he is infallible and guided by the holy spirit as jesus promised that he would send the church the holy spirit that "not even the gates of the netherworld would prevail upon it".

i read some other posts regarding the question, most of them are based on misconceptions of the catholic church, here are some sites that will guide you to the truth of catholicism, in concordance with scripture

www.newadvent.org
www.fisheaters.com
www.catholiceducation.org
www.ewtn.com
www.salvationhistory.com

protestants please read these for what we actually believe, most of you know the bible very well as do catholics but please note from scripture why we believe as we do.

Answer 7

Your first question is in error. Catholics do not worship the Pope.

The Pope is appointed by bishops guided by the Holy Spirit to guide God's people. Love and obedience of the Pope is love and obedience of the one who appointed the Pope - God the Father

Answer 8

i would like to know that myself. i think that people often need to see what they are worshiping. It shouldn't be this way but it is. This is why in religious history, there have been so many problems with worshipping idols. Catholics also pray to the virgin mary and other "people". I think they are completely missing the point. I mean you don't pray to your dead grandmother because she was a good person. When you find out let me know!

Answer 9

You're not supposed to worship him.
He's a role-model.
This sounds bad, but I looked up to the late Pope John Paul II more than Benedict. He used to be an actor; I could relate to that.

Answer 10

Catholics do a lot of things the Holy Bible says not to do. Example: have no graven images- go into any catholic church and they are all over the place; call no man Father for you only have one Father who is in Heaven- they call their priests Father. They worship Mary. Yes she was chosen by God to have Jesus, but doesn't say anywhere that we should pray to her or worship her. They pray to saints, God says pray only to Him. They kiss the pope's ring and bow down to him, that is totally wrong. You shall have no other Gods before me. Pope is just a man, not to be worshiped.