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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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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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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What does "see" in "the Holy See" mean?
The seat of the Bishop of Rome is called "the Holy See". What does "see" mean?
Does it mean “Holy Sea”, as the word “see” could be an archaic spelling of the word “sea”. It would make sense, because ...
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What is the endgame for sedevacantists?
"Sedevacantism" is the belief that the See of Rome is currently vacant; that is, there is no current Pope. There are not very many people who believe it, but they do seem to be pretty vocal on the ...
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Why did Rome and Constantinople split in 1054 AD?
The Great Schism represents the break between the Eastern and Western churches. I know that a primary bone of contention that the East had with the West was Rome's insistence on Papal Supremacy. My ...
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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 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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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 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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Is the Pope allowed to publish books after resignation?
I've heard that after popes die (at least after Bl. John Paul II died) all their unpublished works and letters are burnt and I heard on the radio this morning that Pope Benedict XVI is pretty much ...
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Why did Jesus change Peter's name, according to non-Catholic theology?
I have been discussing Matthew 16:18 for years now with both Catholics and non-Catholics. This verse is obviously a very important verse concerning the doctrine of the Bishop of Rome being Supreme ...
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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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On what basis do Popes choose their papal name?
Apologies if there is not a good answer to this but I was wondering how papal names are chosen. Is there a specific tendency for taking a papal name that is associated with a tradition or strain of ...
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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 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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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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How can a Pope be chosen from outside the conclave?
It is well known that the cardinals can choose any baptised male Catholic to be the new Pope, though they typically choose one of their own, and that the election is held under strict conditions of ...
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How has apostolic succession been "unbroken" in the wake of depositions, antipopes, immorality, and simony?
In studying the history of the papacy one discovers all sorts of events that are interesting when considered in the context of apostolic succession from St. Peter until today, including, but not ...
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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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What role do the people of Rome play in the election of a pope?
Everett Ferguson, in Church History, I, 20.I, describes the process for papal election set down in the Lateran decree of 1059 (In nomine Domini) as follows:
The election of the pope was to be by ...
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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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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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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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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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Why did the conclave elect Pope Stephen I, when he died prior to taking office?
According to Wikipedia, Pope Stephen I was elected to the papacy in March of 752 A.D., but died a few days later, prior to being installed. As I understand it, Catholic teaching indicates that God's ...
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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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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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The Pope is resigning. How does a living pope confer his authority?
I read that Pope Benedict XVI is resigning. I don't know much about Catholic/papal authority as it relates to leading the Church, but as far as I can remember, a pope dies before another one takes the ...
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Why can't cardinals over 80 vote in the conclave?
Why can't cardinals over 80 vote in the conclave? Is there a reason given anywhere?
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What makes someone an antipope?
Rather straight forward question. There have been multiple men declared antipopes. Is it different each time, or generally the same set of circumstances that causes this?
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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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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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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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Why does the Roman Catholic Church consider beatification of the pope?
If the pope is infallible, than what significance does beautifying and canonizing him have? They did both to Pope John Paul II, but it seems odd that the Church wants to make him a saint, unless I am ...
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What role did the Donation of Constantine have on the development of the doctrine of Papal supremacy?
In the late Middle Ages, two documents arose which, together, are called the The Donation of Constantine. They made a large number of statements which would have had the effect of making the Pope the "...
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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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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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Has the Roman Catholic Church ever issued an official response to the accusations of the Reformers?
I just started reading Luther's Tabletalk, and the preface, written by Dr. John Aurifaber in 1569, roundly condemns the Roman Catholic Church, presenting an analogy which compares Christians' "...
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Who calls the conclave?
There must be someone to oficially call the cardinals to a conclave. Who is it?
It can't be the old pope - resignation is hardly the normal situation, so the old pope is supposed to be dead. I guess ...
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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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At the greater emergence of democracy in Europe during the 'Enlightenment' did the papacy support democracy?
I was just wondering how did the papacy respond to democracy when it first arose in Europe? On one hand, in a country that was, according to its sovereign, a Catholic country, democracy would be very ...
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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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user5286
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What does "people of good will" mean in Encyclicals?
Many encyclicals are directed not only to Catholics but to all "people of good will". Just a few examples:
Laudato si:
Why should this document, addressed to all people of good will, include a ...
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Does the Lutheran view of pope as AntiChrist stem from doctrine of justification?
I've heard popular retellings of the Lutheran view of pope as Antichrist that range from:
a delusion that Pope Leo X was the incarnate figure of prophecy, to
a slur (like calling George Washington a ...
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