Why is the pope so special??

[Justusboys88]

What is a Pope and what makes him so special??? I can't imagine these guys grow up wishing to be popes

And why are they called a "Pope" anyways.

It sounds like a tasty snack.
"Hey can you throw me a pope!"

..Cheddar Popes
...Sour cream and onion Popes
.....BBQ Popes
......

 

[yuty]

It's the hat. The hat gives them superpowers.

 

[FirePhoenix]

I remember seeing the pope on tv with my mom when I was really young and thinking he was some really holy person that somehow knew what was right and wrong and would use it to help everyone, but since then I have come to think of the pope as just another human that used his position to do what he wanted.


But yes the hat gives him superpowers

 

[Brijan]

Who is he?
WHO is he?
Who IS he?
Who is HE?

He is the friggen Pope!
Second only to Jesus and The Almighty Himself; that is if you are Catholic.
And practicing.

 

[josefjosef]

Michelangelo designed the uniforms of the Swiss Guards - too complicated for the best tailors today to duplicate.

I may not want to be pope but I would love to be the care taker in the library.

 

[colby55]

He's not special, he's the Grand Poo-ba of a very fucked up religion!

 

[ronboy]

The Pope is like the spiritual cheerleader for the Catholic Church. He is the enforcer of church law, prayer leader, and teacher. He reminds us to look for inspiration to other holy people, (saints), whose extraordinary lives serve as examples to aspire to. He coordinates the spreading of the faith by appointing bishops to lead churches on a more local level.

Unfortunately, this is also the level where there has been a breakdown in confidence by the church's faithful. Bishops and Archbishops have scandalized the church by hiding and shifting around sick-minded clergy who have caused unthinkable sexual abuse to many of the unsuspecting parishoners, especially vulnerable children, without stopping their heinous behaviors.

One of my aunts was a member of a local chapter of The Blue Army, a group whose devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary included monthly prayer vigils. She said that they ladies of her group used to pray for the salvation of the priests, because of a message from Mary that "the priests would bring the people to perdition." She didn't understand it at the time, but now claims it had to do with the widespread sex abuse scandal. Another thing that they used to pray for, "the conversion of Russia from communism" actually did come to pass.

Getting back to the topic, the last several Popes are memorable or nortorious for something....

Pius XII (1939-1958 )was a hardliner who refused to speak out against the atrocities committed by Hitler during WWII. he pretty much ignored the horrors of the Holocaust.

John XXIII (1858-1963) was a reformer who started the ball rolling on the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which brought sweeping changes through the Chruch.

Paul VI (1963-1978 ) oversaw the modernization of the Church, including saying mass in the local language, rather than in Latin, having preists face the congregation as they concecrated the Host, and many other philosophical changes to make the Church more inviting and user friendly.

John Paul I (1978 ) didn't get much of a chance to do anything because his papacy was so brief.

John Paul II (1978-2005) will always be remembered for reaching out, and travelling around the world. He brought the Holy See to the people. It must be noted that he was a hardliner on doctrine, speaking out against many things such as divorce, homosexuality, female priests, etc... and held the Church's non-yielding stance on them. But he attempted to make people feel that the Church was accessible to everyone. He recognized numerous holy people as saints during his papacy, including Padre Pio, an Italian priest with the stigmata (he bled from wounds in the same places as Jesus Christ), who was generally accepted to be an extraordinary man. He also supported contemporary holy people such as Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Benedict XVI (2005-present) has yet to make any major moves. It is expected that he will maintian the status quo. That will remain to be seen.....

 

[Orlandude]

What makes him so special is the he is considered to be the vicar of Christ on earth, by those who believe. All religions are based on "faith" and Catholicism is no exception. The Pope is probably one of the most powerful people on the planet because he is the "Shepard" of hundreds of millions of the faithful. In Catholicism, and in Biblical terms, Peter the apostle was the first pope. Pope means "papa" or leader. When Christ told Peter, "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my chruch", it was considered the beginning of the one true Catholic, apostolic church. It is reported that all other religions are a "schism" of the the true church, who fell away from the church over various differences. Holy and honorable men like Martin Luthur and John Calvin, former priests, disagreed with some things about the church and formed religions like Lutheran, Presbyterian and Methodist....or "protestant" meaning that they "protested" against some of the teachings of Catholicism. Yet they are all honorable christian faiths that are based on the teachings of Christ. Today we are fortunate to choose the religion that best identifies with us. So many countries still suffer religious persecution. Most of us are free to attend whatever church we like, when we like. Freedom of religion. Catholicism is one of the largest religions on earth. In recent years, believe it or not, the Muslim religion may well be THE religion on the face of the earth. Setting aside terrorism and the fringe Muslim religious fantatics (and we have our own "brand" of fanaticism in this country) the Muslim religion is actually very loving and caring. "Allah" is just another name for "God". But the Pope will always be a central figure of religion on earth. He is a very powerful man, much more so than our presidents and other leaders.

 

[Nonimus]

And former membership to the Nazi Party isn't neccessary for this position either - but it does help.

 

[sissyboy]

He's special because not too many bigoted hateful old men could carry off that outfit.

 

[FabFairy]

Here in Australia when I was growing up a Pope was a brand of Washing Machine - so yes it was special because we didn't have to wash our cloths by hand. LOL

 

[Orlandude]

He's special because not too many bigoted hateful old men could carry off that outfit.

Actually, I have wondered how I might look going to the bar in that hat and "gown". It is kind of "goth" and I'm not a hateful, bigoted old man. It might be fun! I could have my cocktail in a chalice and be the rage!

 

[bulge]

Testes habet et bene pendentes.

 

[blueboi05]

Doesn't it say in the bible not to worship or idolize others except god??
I've always thought of the pope as playing the same role as the Queen. Just an image.

 

[Kurn]

The Pope wants the USA to give up its Jeffersonian ideas of freedom. He is tired of the competition. At present, he is succeeding.

 

[MetaKnight]

Yeah Ive also always wondered whats the big deal about the Popes. I mean this other one dies and they come up with a new one and out of the sudden the whole world worships him?

To me he's just another old man.

 

[Kulindahr]

he.s just a figurehead really, his actual title is Bishop of Rome, the first bishop of rome was St Peter one of Jesus's disciples which is why they are so special. The name Pope comes from the latin word Pape, which means father. Catholics believe the pope to be the nearest to god on earth. I dont suppose many kids grow up wanting to b a priest let alone pope, you also just cant train to be a pope, they are selected by the college of cardinals in rome after the death of a pope, then a new pope is elected. The ht might also have something to do with it. The hat you normaly see a pope wear is called a mitre, but there is also a crown, when a new pope is selected they are also enthroned. The popes residence, the vatican in rome is not part of italy, it is its own sovereign state, with separate flag, and even army, the swiss guard. hope this helps.

That pretty much says it all, except for one thing:

If you've ever heard of the patriarchs of Constantinople and Jerusalem and such, they're the same thing the Pope is -- patriarch is Greek, pope (actually "papa") is Latin. Once upon a time there wasn't much different, but the Popes began to claim greater authority and stuff, and acted more like emperors than bishops, and things got pretty screwy.

 

[MetaKnight]

Well, sorry, that's not true.

St. Peter succeeded Christ as the head of the church ("Thou are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church").

Peter was the first pope. Since then, in an undimished line of succession, there have been hundreds of popes -- some of them horrible, some of them actually sinful, but all of them the only legitimate successor of Christ on earth.

You can believe that the Church went South, that Christ was a myth... you can believe anything you want. Or disbelieve! But there is nobody else with a legitimate claim to be the successor of Christ of earth. You can chart the succession in any reference book. Nobody else can make this claim.

Hey! That's a pretty persuasive argument!

So what? He didnt do anything for me. Why should I care? Its not that I dont believe, its just that to me he's just a man.

 

[ron205]

you're right; he is just a man. but the catch is that he was appointed as the next in the apostolic line that traces all the way back to Christ, himself. and Catholics don't worship him. Catholics look up to him for guidance and strength (the rock on which the Church is built...). the only person(s) that Catholics truly worship are those of the Holy Trinity. veneration of Mary and the saints is often mistaken for worship, but it is actually showing respect and calling upon the assistance of the Church Triumphant in heaven. btw, maybe that attitude of "so what? what has he done for me?" is the problem. people are too preoccupied with themselves. being religious isn't necessarily all about you

 

[winterknight]

Well, sorry, that's not true.

St. Peter succeeded Christ as the head of the church ("Thou are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church").

Peter was the first pope. Since then, in an undimished line of succession, there have been hundreds of popes -- some of them horrible, some of them actually sinful, but all of them the only legitimate successor of Christ on earth.

The pope is the sucessor of Peter, yes, But Peter is only the sucessor of Christ if you accept the Tu es Petrus, et super hanc Petram... line as being genuine. It's only found in one place in the Bible, and there is considerable evidence, both in Acts, in the extracanonical Christian writings (most notably the Gospel of Thomas), and in Josephus, that the actual head of the Christian movement in the period between the AD33 Passover and the Masada revolt of AD66 was not Peter (or even Paul) but James the Lesser.

Make of that what you will.