Who actually runs the Catholic Church and the Vatican: the Pope or Cardinals?

Answer 1

Based upon the hierarchy of the church, the Pope is the full head of it and is the "first among equals" meaning all the bishops in the church are equal but because he is the successor to the Apostle Peter he is the first among them. The cardinals main focus is to elect a new pope after the pope that was reigning died or was deposed somehow. Also the way that the cardinals choose the pope is by picking someone out of a list of people who have shown their faith to the church and can fulfill the office of Pope well, anyone can be chosen as pope as long as they are catholic, even a lay person, but a lay person would have to go through being ordained first before taking on the office, so the cardinals can pick anyone, it dosnt have to be one of their own, it usually is but it dosnt have to be. The rank of cardinal wasnt introduced until the middle ages by Pope Nicholas i think. But in answer to your question, the Pope is the head of the church and is responsible for running it. Also as a side note, the title Pontifex Maximus, which the Pope is called alot, was a roman office title and referred to those who were in charge of the religious needs of the city and it means bridge maker, and in the begining they were also responsible for making sure the bridges to the city of Rome were in good order and maintained well. Lately you could say its role is to bridge the gaps between the church and the people and also between the things that divide people. Which Pope John Paul II is very much deserving of the title Pontifex Maximus.

Answer 2

The Pope is the symbol for the Catholic Church worldwide. The Cardinals (not to be confused with St. Louis' baseball team) help in, among other things, representing Catholics in certain geographic areas and electing a new Pope. It should be noted that Pope Benedict XVI was, before he became Pope, a Cardinal.

Answer 3

In terms of daily administration the office of the Vatican Secretariat,with the Pope as ultimate authority. The cardinals oversee Archbishops and elect a new Pope from one of their members.

Answer 4

The "Holy See," is an entrenched bureaucracy that provides the steerage for the Catholic Church. It acts much like the United States State Department in providing continuity of government.

Answer 5

it isnt approximately celibacy. it is approximately gay clergy. Pope John Paull II banned homosexuals from the clergy as a results of fact maximum individuals of sexual issues among clergy have been homosexuals. Heterosexual clergy who had an argument with staying celibate left the priesthood interior the 70s for the main section, it is the reason you hardly hear of clergymen who finally end up in a sexual dating with women people or caught with prostitutes. There hasnt been lots in intercourse scandals as a results of fact the early 90s. a great variety of the intercourse scandals we hear approximately is stuff that occurred interior the 50s to early 80s, so why hardly any new molestation accusations in 30 years? as a results of limit on allowing homosexuals to grow to be clergy and the laictization of sexually lively gay clergymen, laictization of gay clergymen who molested pre publesent young toddlers, screening of the psychological wellness of those wishing to flow into the priesthood. Celibacy is technically purely a Latin ceremony ingredient. Deacons would be married interior the Latin ceremony and there are countless married clergymen interior the Latin ceremony who for despite the fact that reason the bishop did no longer place the descipline on. the different Rites interior Catholicism enable married clergymen, yet maximum individuals of clergymen in the different rites are single. So maximum individuals getting into the priesthood have the objective to be single and celibate something of their lives.

Answer 6

Christ runs the Catholic church through his rep. on earth the Pope.

Answer 7

Neither.

See Revelation 2:13. Who's on the seat?

Answer 8

I thought the Cardinals were from St Louis.

Answer 9

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.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 880-882: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p4.htm#880

With love in Christ.

Answer 10

All of the Bishops of the Church. That's the way it's always been, from the beginning.