I mean the bible doesnt say that anyone can be closer to god! I mean what the heck!
2007-06-14 16:50:08 · 15 answers · asked by Maggie 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Catholics do not believe that the Pope is any closer to God than the rest of us.
Catholics believe that God chose the Pope to lead the Catholic Church on Earth.
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.
The Pope’s main roles include teaching, sanctifying, and governing.
With love in Christ.
2007-06-15 16:16:16 · answer #1 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course the bible says that everyone can be closer to God.
You need to become a Catholic to know the real meaning why the Pope is there.
The Pope same as the priest and the bishop is a servant to the Church.
The position of the Pope is not same as the political power that he has the greatest position.
The Pope is just a bishop. He is the bishop of Rome.
The Pope is the one that has the greatest obligation. As a servant, the priest tends his parish while the Pope tends the whole Church.
We are thankful to have a Pope that prays for us all (not just the Catholic but to all man kind). It is his obligation.
A good Christian is one that does not criticize because of lack of knowledge. But the one that finds meaning and goodness in each and everyone.
Always remember Jesus didn't come here to write the bible but came here to build the Church. The Church must stay above the bible not the other way around.
2007-06-14 17:24:05 · answer #2 · answered by jerriel 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
curiously your universal fake impression is that Catholics have self belief that popes were continually below divine impression continually. they do now no longer. Popes are human beings and sin and there have been both reliable and undesirable popes. The Catholic Church does coach the conception of "papal infallibility" - yet that has better to do with the workplace of the papacy than with the guy of the pope. it isn't declaring that God preparation the pope in each and every component that he does. that's the thoughts that once the pope speaks from his practise authority, on concerns of religion and morals, about some component that should be regularly happening as truly by each and every of the church - then the Holy Spirit will guard the Christ's church and ensure that the practise is truly. The e book "Pope Fiction: ideas to 30 Myths and Misconceptions touching on to the Papacy" by Patrick Madrid might want to nicely be useful too.
2016-11-24 20:27:05 · answer #3 · answered by leacock 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Catholics do not believe in the Pope. We believe in Jesus and that he has set the Popes position to lead us just as he has set Moses and Joshua and all of them. We believe Jesus when he said "Thou art Peter (rock) and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail over her" that in saying this he was going to provide some way of insurance that faulty teachings weren't accepted into doctrine and that the method would be by the guidance of the Pope in matters of doctrine. He is still a person who can sin personally if he falls but in this , the statements of doctrine for the Church he will not fail. There was not an issue of Stem Cells back in the Biblical days, or mass market abortion or gay marriage or any of those hot items--no cloning. Who would decide on those issues if he did not leave someone here to do it and then you have the Protestant denominations who each Pastor decides and they have a million different opinions and now they have openly gay Bishops and Euthanasia and all kinds of things that nobody can agree on because they have no real Heavenly guidance.
2007-06-14 17:16:50 · answer #4 · answered by Midge 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ummmm...well, we believe in the pope becaues he exists. I'm sure you've seen him on television or in the newspapers or what have you.
If you mean to ask, "Why do Catholics believe in the office of the papacy," that's because we know Jesus established this office when he gave Peter the "keys to the kingdom" and put (and his successors) in charge of the Church on earth.
We don't believe that the Pope is closer to God than any other holy person, but we do pray that the Pope is as close to the Lord as possible...much the same as you pray for your religious leader, I expect.
2007-06-14 17:17:38 · answer #5 · answered by sparki777 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Pope is God's representative on earth; if you have been following the church, you see that many catholics do not believe in the pope
2007-06-14 16:56:03 · answer #6 · answered by Experto Credo 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You would be amazed at what the Bible doesn't say.
For example ... the Bible never claims to be the sole, or even the primary source of Christian beliefs. The Bible says the Church is the pillar and ground of the truth.
The Bible never claims that anyone can be saved by faith alone. It says that faith without works is dead.
The Bible claims that Jesus, along with his Father in Heaven, personally selected St. Peter to lead the Church on earth.
It never said that anyone else had any right to dispute that decision ... especially you.
2007-06-14 17:34:29 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The united states has an authority.
and the top authoritive spot is the President.
in any organization, club, government.. you have
authority and a person who leads it.
Catholics don't "believe" in the pope.
the pope is the head of the roman catholic church.
he is the successor of St. Peter.. whom Jesus gave the keys
to the kingdom of Heaven. He (along with his other padnas)
was instructed to go and teach and preach the good news...what they had been taught.
The pope is our head hancho.
He is human...
He is infalliable when speaking on and teaching us matters of faith and the church.
it's in the bible.
2007-06-14 18:11:02 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jesus' commission to Peter in Matt 16:16-19 and John 21:17
2007-06-16 13:21:56 · answer #9 · answered by James O 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the pope is a part of apostolic succession. it is in the bible others were elected to take the place of original apostles. and it's been going on for 2000 years since peter, the first pope. that is where the papacy comes from. we do not "believe in him" as you say. but we believe he represents Christ.
2007-06-14 16:55:23 · answer #10 · answered by becki 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Catholics believe in God.
2007-06-14 16:55:40 · answer #11 · answered by burdalow 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋