Questions tagged [papacy]
Questions concerning the office and the role of the pope.
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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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Are there any individuals who are claiming to be the pope that are not Pope Francis?
Are there any individuals who are claiming to be the pope that are not Pope Francis?
I came across the Wikipedia link on the Palmarian Catholic Church and they claim to have their own Pope. And it ...
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According to Catholicism, does Matthew 16:18 justify that the Catholic Church is the one true church?
According to Catholicism, does Matthew 16:18 ("thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.") justify that the Catholic Church is the ...
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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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Why doesn't the Pope wear a biretta?
In several places around the Internet I have seen it stated that the Pope does not wear a biretta.
Why not? Is it merely that there are no occasions when he would, because he is always presiding over ...
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What is the proper title for someone who was a pope and is now canonized as a saint?
There are a number of men who became Pope who were later canonized as a saint, such as John Paul II and Paul VI. What is the proper title (in English) for such individuals when referring to them today ...
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Is the Pope Emeritus infallible?
Currently the Catholic Church has a Pope Emeritus (Benedict XVI). This is, to the best of my knowledge, the first time that such position has existed. There have been and still are plenty of bishop ...
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Does the Traditionalist and Sedevacantist ignore the words of St.Ambrose saying "Ubi Petrus, Ibi Ecclesia, Ibi Deus"?
The above Latin quote, attributed to St. Ambrose means “Where Peter is, there is the Church, there is God.”
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), Jesus “entrusted a specific ...
user44465
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What does it mean when Archbishop Ganswein stated that Pope Benedict XVI expanded the Petrine Ministry?
Archbishop Gänswein: "Benedict XVI Sees Resignation as Expanding Petrine Ministry".
In a speech reflecting on Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate, Archbishop Georg Gänswein has confirmed the existence of ...
user44465
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When was the formal title of Pope first officially bestowed on the Bishops of Rome?
I’ve read conflicting claims about who the first Pope was. I read this question in a newspaper - "Was Boniface the first true Pope?" Boniface I (418-22) was spoken of as a pope, but so were his ...
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According to Catholicism who was the Pope that immediately followed Peter? [duplicate]
Do they supply a list of all the Popes from Peter onward? Or do they not claim to be able to trace the heritage of the papacy that far back?
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According to Pentecostalism, was the Pope biblically justified in saying that an unbelieving man is in heaven?
Pope Francis consoles a boy who asked if his non-believing father is in Heaven (YouTube)
Here we have a son asking the Pope whether his father would be granted admission in the Kingdom of God. His ...
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Was the Catholic title "vicar of Christ" conceived as an "assistant" or an "agent"?
I was under the impression that a "vicar" was a "replacement" or "one acting in the stead of" another (an "agent") but it appears the Roman title of "vicar" seems to be more of an assistant. What is ...
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Legal base for "any male baptized Catholic is eligible to be elected Pope"
A lot of sources (e.g. Wikipedia) mention the fact that "any male baptized Catholic is eligible" to become Pope. I'd like to find the canon law (if any) that states this fact.
Canon 332 states that If ...
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According to Anglicanism, is the Pope the Antichrist?
In the Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XXV, article 6, we read:
There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof; but ...
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Unique "traditional" souvenirs people may obtain from the pope or other Catholic prelates?
Unique "traditional" souvenirs people may obtain from the pope or other Catholic prelates?
Believe it or not, there’s a way to get the pope to surrender his zucchetto to you, while in the presence of ...
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Was Peter ever in Rome? [duplicate]
Is there any Biblical or historical evidence that Peter ever went to Rome? If not, how can Peter be considered the first Pope?
Please note that unlike the following questions (What evidence is there ...
Joe Tengler Jr.
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In the history of the Catholic Church, has the Sunday obligation to go to Mass ever been dispensed of due to some serious communicable disease?
Has the Sunday obligation to go to Mass ever been dispensed of due to some serious communcable disease?
I am interested in knowing if Rome (the pope) ever permitted the faithful to refrain from going ...
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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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Does the Pope talk with God?
We know that visionaries, such as them, talk/talked with the Virgin Mary or God.
But does the Pope directly talk with God or the Virgin Mary? Or, does he do it in any other, not-direct, way? Is it ...
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What are the minimum requirements for becoming pope?
If the conclave decided for whatever reason to choose a person who was not overwhelmingly qualified such as a cardinal or other prominent bishop, what requirements need that person have fulfilled to ...
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What happens if a Pope is unable to continue his duties due to physical or mental illness?
Say that a Pope becomes bedridden and so he cannot go out in public and does not have the stamina to perform other duties. Or he begins suffering from Alzheimer's and thus cannot remember that he is ...
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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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According to the Catholic magisterium, are sedevacantists by definition schismatics?
This is both a terminology question and a Catholic doctrine question regarding the status of sedevacantists, that is, those who reject the current pope as illegitimate. I found the following Catholic ...
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May the Pope waive the requirements of Canon Law in the appointment of bishops?
Earlier this year, as part of the effort to normalize relations between the Vatican and China, the New York Times reported that the Vatican asked one of its bishops to step down to make way for a ...
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Has anyone in history suffered God’s visible wrath by uttering disrespect & attack on the dignity of the Vicar of Christ?
We know from Apostle’s times that Jesus claimed that an attack or persecution to the Church member’s is a direct attack on Himself what more to a Vicar of Christ.
The Road to Damascus
"As Saul ...
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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 and where are the evidences for the Catholic Church's Apostolic Succession?
How come there is no evidence issued out by the Vatican that proves their list of Popes that have carried on from Apostle Peter?
I can't find this anywhere and since I can't meet Pope Francis unless ...
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What are the main differences between the Catholic Popes and the Mormon Prophets?
I ask this question, as a Catholic, because Mormonism is hierarchical in structure and has a lot of similarities with Catholicism, although seemingly they are superficial as in being surface ...
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Popes' Coat of Arms and Saint Malachy Prophecy of the Popes
I was going to ask about the potential validity of the Saint Malachy's Prophecy of the Popes as I once did on "Catholic Answers" message board years ago, but doing a search to check for redundancy, I ...
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How did Pope Urban II justify the first Crusade?
According to the ten commandments, you shall not kill anyone. How did Pope Urban II justify from a theological standpoint the First Crusade? Since it was successful, Pope Urban II must have had to ...
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What is the fewest number of cardinal electors are needed to validly elect a pope?
What is the fewest number of cardinal electors are needed to validly elect a pope?
Pope St. John Paul II, in his Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis on the vacancy of the Apostolic See ...
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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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Has a pope ever visited Macau?
Has any pope ever visited Macau? I can't seem to find any information on it. If a pope hasn't visited Macau before, why not? The Catholic Diocese of Macau is directly administered by the Holy See so ...
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Who has the authority to change the wording of the Lord's Prayer in the Catholic Church in the United States?
A couple days ago the pope called for a change in wording of the Lord's Prayer (or Our Father)
The current wording that says "lead us not into temptation" is not a good translation because ...
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Can Papal Supremacy be relinquished?
Is there anything in the Roman Catholic doctrine of papal supremacy that would prohibit the Pope from relinquishing his authority as head of the Church, and instead be "First among Equals?"
One of ...
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Is the Pope allowed to notarize various Vatican documents?
The pope can do many things and certainly has much moral authority. Hence, it sounds reasonable for the pope to be able to notarize (certify) Vatican documents. Also in history, many notaries were ...
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How long can the Catholic Church be without a pope?
According to Wikipedia the longest papal election in the history of the Catholic Church was from November 1268 to September 1, 1271.
How long can the Catholic Church be without a pope so that we can ...
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Evidence that Peter alone was made a Bishop by Christ?
This got my attention. Although I don't currently agree with it, it's an intriguing question which I am open to accept if sufficient evidence is found. Now when I read classical works on the Papacy (...
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Could a cardinal or pope have children if they are a widower?
Could it be possible for a cardinal,or even the pope to have children,if he had been married previously,and then taken up holy orders after being widowed?
This would seem to fulfil the requirements ...
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What is the Roman Catholic Church doctrinal justification of its perceived opposition or support of the independence of Catalonia?
According to the New York Daily News,
Vida Nueva (New Life) internet publication said the pope told Spain's new ambassador to the Vatican, Gerardo Bugallo, that the Holy See is against all self-...
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How did the doctrine of the pope having "supreme, full, immediate, and universal power in the care of souls" originate?
The Pope enjoys, by divine institution, "supreme, full, immediate, and universal power in the care of souls"
This is the text of paragraph 937 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. How did this ...
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When was papal supremacy accepted by the entirety of the Catholic Church?
The Catholic Church has an unbroken list of Popes from Peter through Francis I. Was there a time when all, or at least the vast majority of, Christianity recognized them as the supreme authority over ...
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What did the commisioning of the preaching of crusades involve?
I was reading about St. Bernard of Clairvaux, and this appears:
The pope commissioned Bernard to preach a new Crusade
A similar phrase appear in the respective Wikipedia article.
I get what it ...
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What is Ultramontanism & Neo-ultramontanism?
...The accusations stem from two Italian left-wing Ultramontanists...
...But now that Pope Francis has opened up new spaces, liberals, too, have to learn how to be critically obedient without giving ...
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Are there any Antipope Saints aside from Hippolytus of Rome?
Have any antipopes other than Antipope Hippolytus of Rome ever been canonized as saints by the Roman Catholic Church?
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Have cardinals ever been deprived of revenue or rations for taking too long to elect a pope?
Yesterday I asked a general question about the pope's ability to revoke decrees of an ecumenical council, in the context of the Second Council of Lyon (1274). In order to ensure that new popes were ...
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When and how can a pope revoke the decrees of an ecumenical council?
I recently learned that Pope John XXI revoked a decree passed at the Second Council of Lyon (1274). The Catholic Encyclopedia reads:
Gregory X, to avoid a repetition of the too lengthy vacancies ...
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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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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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