Questions tagged [papacy]
Questions concerning the office and the role of the pope.
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When does the Pope speak ex cathedra?
The Catholic Church considers the Pope infallible, but only in limited circumstances. The Pope is a human being like the rest of us, and capable of sinning. However, when the Pope speaks ex cathedra, ...
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When did a "formal act of correction" of a pope's statement happen in the past?
In this article Cardinal Raymond Burke has now indicated the cardinals are contemplating a “formal correction” should the pope fail to address their concerns.
Also, he states:
Historically, in the ...
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What is a brief history on the idea that the Pope is the Antichrist?
I am quite familiar with the Reformers' opposition to the Papacy, and many said the Pope is the Antichrist. What confuses me is this quote from that same page:
In calling the pope the "...
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What evidence is there that Peter was a bishop in Rome?
The Encyclopaedia Brittanica says
The claims that the church of Rome was founded by Peter or that he served as its first bishop are in dispute and rest on evidence that is not earlier than the ...
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Was William of Ockham the first sedevacantist?
Ockham (cf. this article on him by the Catholic logician Paul V. Spade) invented his dead-end nominalist philosophy in order to justify his being against the papacy (cf. Thomist John Deely's Four Ages ...
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How is the claim that the doctrine of Papal Infallibility has always existed within the Church substantiated?
These three related questions regarding Magisterial authority, the Church as custodian of truth, and the authority of Church tradition have brought up this new question.
The dogmatic definition (ex ...
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In Catholic understanding when there is more than one Pope, who decides which Pope is real and by what criteria?
I know at various periods of history cardinals were split submitting to multiple competing popes. However as they die, eventually only one Pope is considered the 'real' infallible Pope, and the others ...
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What is the Biblical basis for Peter being the leader of the apostles?
The Roman Catholic church claims that the apostle Peter was the first bishop of Rome, that he was the leader of the other apostles/bishops, and that since the pope is the rightful heir of Peter's ...
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Can a pope be a heretic?
Say for example a Pope infallibly declares that Mary was not a virgin, and is currently rotting in Hell. This obviously contradicts established Catholic Dogma. What would happen in this case? Would ...
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What is the argument for papal succession?
First off, I do not mean for this question to sound as an attack on the Catholic Church. I would like to know the stance of the church regarding this.
I found this resource, which documents the ...
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What are the biblical arguments against the papacy and papal succession?
The Catholic Church teaches that Peter was the first pope and that papal succession continued down through history to the present day. However, neither the Orthodox nor the Protestant churches ...
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Papal Infallibility and teaching heresy?
I had a question that I hoped the Catholics on the board could help me out with. My understanding of the doctrine of Papal Infallibility is that speaking in his official capacity as the "Vicar of ...
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What happens if the Pope is automatically excommunicated?
Some actions incur automatic excommunication. While it is debated whether a Pope can lose the office via heresy, what happens if a pope commits a sin other than heresy, such as abortion or violating ...
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What exactly did Pope Gregory the Great mean by "Universal Bishop?"
In the 6th Century, Pope St. Gregory the Great wrote this:
"I say it without the least hesitation, whoever calls himself the
universal bishop, or desires this title, is, by his pride, the
...
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Do (or did) any Protestant denominations believe in apostolic succession like Catholics do?
Do (or did) any Protestant denominations believe in apostolic succession? If so, who do they consider the most recent valid Pope?
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Does the pope get paid for being the pope?
I just started wondering after seeing the white smoke, did the cardinal just receive a raise when he became the pope? What's his salary if he is paid.
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Why would popes choose the name Pelagius in light of the Pelagian heresy?
I was checking out the list of pope names by frequency on Wikipedia in search of minutia to defend my assertion that Pope Francis was the first new Pope name a long time and noticed that there were ...
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When did Peter become the first Pope, according to Roman Catholic tradition?
Roman Catholic doctrine teaches that the apostle Peter was the first Pope. Exactly when did this occur?
I can imagine a few different options
When Jesus addressed Peter in Matthew:
I also say ...
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What is the nature of the theory for Pope Joan and the evidence that substantiates it?
Two films, each called Pope Joan one in 1972 and one in 2009 repeat an old legend about a female Pope. What is the nature of this theory, and is there anything to substantiate it?
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Last married pope?
Catholics regard Peter as the first pope. In the gospel we learn that Peter's mother-in-law was healed, thus Peter was married. On the other hand, today the popes are never married and married men ...
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To whom does Pope Francis confess?
So, Popes sin too. (At least, I assume they do.)
Presumably, they confess their sin and do penance. Who hears his confession?
Is it an office that rotates, or one individual? And, does the Pope ...
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Why does the Pope include himself among the sinners?
'We are all sinners. But God heals us with an abundance of grace,
mercy and tenderness.' (emp. mine)
the Holy Father, Pope Francis, said on Twitter.
Why does the Pope say 'We are all sinners' ...
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Where did the Petrine title of "First Among Equals" originate?
Contrary to the Roman Catholic assertion that Peter and his successors are the Supreme Pontiff, the Orthodox Catholic Churches assert that Peter and his successors hold the honorary title of the First ...
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Is the choice of a new Pope inspired by the Holy Spirit?
Are Roman Catholics required to believe that the Cardinals choice of a new Pope is inspired by the Holy Spirit?
If so, how do we explain "bad" popes?
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Who was the first person ordered executed by a Roman Catholic pope?
I was wondering who and when was the first person executed on orders of a pope or if there is no name information, when was the first such execution.
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What is the "city of seven hills" in St. Malachy's Popes Prophecy?
Reading through St. Malachy's Popes Prophecy, I couldn't understand a particular phrase:
Peter the Roman, who will nourish the sheep in many tribulations; when
they are finished, the city of ...
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Could the Pope be removed from office for lapses in judgment?
While the question is brushed up against in What would happen if the Pope were to abuse his power?, that question focused more on heresy and the Pope's ability to make heretical statements under ex ...
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Did the early church believe that St. Peter was the first pope?
Roman Catholics believe that St. Peter was the first Pope, had primacy over the church and was given a pastoral role by the Lord Jesus Christ himself, we know the scripture argument for the papacy, ...
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Is it true that Luther claimed Popes and priests commonly practiced sodomy?
This is a simple historical Q & A question regarding the rumor that Luther made this fairly inflammatory accusation. The question is simple. Is there any solid proof that Luther really thought ...
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Can the Pope speak ex cathedra about the return of Christ?
Can the Pope speak ex cathedra about the return of Christ?
Specifically, if someone approached the Vatican, met with the Pope, and convinced him that he was the second coming of Christ, could the ...
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What does the Church say about the statements that the Pope Benedict XVI made in the book "God and the World"?
In response to my earlier question, apocalypse_info_click_here answered:
While that article in particular is a hoax... Each point in particular
has been made and is old news.
Benedict ...
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Do any denominations teach that the Pope is an antichrist?
I've heard the claim, mainly from Fundamentalists but also from some Lutherans, that the Pope is an antichrist. Are there any Protestant denominations that specifically teach this, whether it be in ...
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What is the earliest example of the observance of a Pope in Rome?
The Pope in Rome has (arguably) succession all the way back to Peter. I am wondering what the earliest acknowledgment of some kind of pastoral power over the church in Rome, whether it be in letter or ...
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Has a pope ever been corrected publicly by a non-cleric in the presence of cardinals because of the unclear wording of a papal document?
At the moment there is a lot of talk about four cardinals who have submitted a dubia to Pope Francis regarding the interpretation of Amoris Laetitia.
In one article it stated that: "any 'fraternal ...
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How did the Crusades affect the Pope's power and authority?
How did the Crusades affect the Pope's power/authority, during and after the Crusades?
The Crusades, from Wikipedia
The Crusades were a series of religiously sanctioned military campaigns, called by ...
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What Popes have resigned in the past?
Pope Benedict XVI recently announced his resignation. What other Popes have abdicated in the past? The media keep pointing to Gregory XII, but it is my understanding that he was deposed by the Council ...
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Did Martin Luther believe the Church needed to be reformed before the Great Schism of 1054AD, or after?
I think its safe to say that Martin Luther, being one of the fathers of Protestantism, was primarily at odds with the Roman Church. He posted his 95 theses to confront what he thought to be ...
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Were the medieval popes examined on a toilet-lid-like chair to establish their masculinity?
Is one of the consequences of the Pope Joan story, whether it was true or false, the use of a marble chair with a large, toilet-like hole in its seat?
As the picture above shows, it seems that that ...
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What is the difference between an Apostolic Exhortation and an Encyclical Letter?
Pope Francis has just released an Apostolic Exhortation called Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). He also released an Encyclical Letter in the summer called Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith). ...
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Have different Popes ever contradicted each other?
I understand that Roman Catholics do not think that everything the Pope says or does is infallible. However, has a sitting Pope ever revoked or contradicted an infallible statement made by a previous ...
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How does the doctrine of Papal Infallibility account for Peter's error?
I understand that the Catholic Churches teaches the doctrine of Papal Infallibility. How does that account for the Scripture that references Peter's error?
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I ...
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Can priests (or popes) administer sacraments in a liturgy other than their own?
As I understand it, the Roman Catholic Church consists of a number of "particular churches" with separate liturgical traditions. For example, the Ruthenian and Hungarian Greek Catholic Churches use ...
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What substitutes for prayers for the Pope's intentions during sede vacante?
One of the requirements one must meet to obtain an indulgence is to pray for the intentions of the pope. When there's no pope, what's the substitute? I guess it's the conclave and the next pope, but I ...
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At what date in history was the last papal anathema officially applied through the death penalty in a papal court against a heretic or protestant?
I was just wondering when in history the official papal death sentences really ended. I am not interested in any killing that was not officially authorized by a pope (or his authorized ...
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Under Catholic dogma can someone publicly rebuke the Pope like Paul rebuked Peter?
In Galatians chapter 2 Paul explains how he had to rebuke the Apostle Peter as he was acting hypocritically over a matter very serious and central to the meaning of the gospel:
When Cephas came to ...
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What exactly is Peter's connection to Rome according to Catholic dogma?
This answer confused me. I tried wading through the sources, but then I decided I'd just ask here. According to Catholic dogma:
Was Peter ever in Rome? I'm sure the answer is yes, but I'd like to see ...
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Did all Popes use the inverted cross?
The above image shows Pope John Paul II sitting on a chair with an inverted cross on it. According to tradition, the inverted cross symbolizes Saint Peter.
Was Pope John Paul II the only pope who ...
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How does Pope Benedict XVI reconcile conscience and authority?
A recent talk by Father Bob Pierson 1 quoted Joseph Ratzinger (as he then was, now Pope Benedict XVI) as saying that the individual conscience must overrule ecclesiastical authority. I was intrigued ...
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What's a Papist exactly?
Is a papist always a Catholic who is wholly supportive of the Pope?
Must one be some sort of cleric or theologian to be considered by detractors as a papist or were every day catholic peasants and ...
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When Pope Francis dies, is Pope Benedict automatically the 'new' leader for a short period?
Benedict XVI is, after his resignation in 2014, still pope. Does this mean that if the current Pope Francis suddenly dies that he will become automatically the new pope for a period until a new pope ...
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