Seriously, I just wondered what importance he is to their faith, as opposed to protestants. Why do they feel the need to have a Pope? What does he do? Is there scripture that backs up the need to have him? I just want to understand. :o)
2007-08-22 04:35:48 · 6 answers · asked by Tiffany R 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
We have a Pope because Jesus gave us one.
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.
2007-08-22 16:26:03 · answer #1 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
This is a very broad question but I will give it a shot. The Pope is a clergyman and the highest-ranking Catholic priest in the world. We feel that St. Peter was the first Pope and was appointed Pope by Jesus Christ in the Book of Matthew:
Matthew 16:18 I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
We Catholics are more unified (on paper anyway) than other denominations. For example, when the Pope says that the birth control pill violates the commandment forbidding murder, that is the rule for the entire church. Protestants do not have the same unity, different churches have different rules and different churches have different governing bodies.
2007-08-22 04:50:31 · answer #2 · answered by Adoptive Father 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There were reports that at one time in history, there was even a female Pope. History also tells us that it was Constaine that made a Pope from a Bishop of Rome, in order to support his "rear". He Constaine felt it necessary to move his capital to the east in order to protect his kingdom from invading forces from the eastern part of Asia. There for Constantinople was made his new center of control. However he needed an Allie back in Rome, there for the Pope was set up by him to control civil and religious government.
By historical reports it would seem there was not a clear line of succession from Peter onward....?
2007-08-22 05:26:12 · answer #3 · answered by quietgrandpaforchating 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They feel he is the "voice" of God on earth... he is, supposedly, infallible when it comes to morals and scriptures (odd though, he agreed to hide pedophiles.... strange morals he's got there). There isn't any scripture that backs up the hierarchy of the Catholic Church as it stands. There is nothing that shows one should go to a priest for forgiveness of sins, etc... It's organized religion at it's finest.... And people follow it to the end. *shrug* They base the idea that Peter was the 1st pope on a single verse in the Bible. They claim there is historical evidence that he was, yet when I did a study on it, I couldn't find a single Historical writing that proved such. Actually, there's evidence of him going to Rome, but nothing that shows he was a bishop (but I can show you where there were Bishops in Jerusalem, Antioch and Alexandria during that time)... They claim some of the history was lost due to Christians being persecuted... yet there isn't much in the way of evidence that shows Christians were persecuted on that level during that time. It isn't until Nero (a few centuries later) that anyone declares anything AGAINST Christianity to cause that type of persecution.
2007-08-22 04:48:33 · answer #4 · answered by River 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Jesus told Peter He was the rock of His church, so the Pope is the phsycal and spiritual symbol, to them, of Peter or His Lineage.
2007-08-22 04:43:55 · answer #5 · answered by Premaholic 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Our Pope is our teacher to keep us on track with being a Catholic.
2007-08-22 04:58:05 · answer #6 · answered by Lynn M 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋