Habemus Papem! Francis I

[Tyburn]

The Roman Catholic College of Cardinals have broken their conclave after one and a half days when following five votes, a Cardinal was ellected as Pope.

This Cardinal was NOT on the list of favourites to be the successor of Benedict XVI. For the first time in over One Thousand Years, the Cardinals have decided to ellect a Cardinal from outside of Europe...and infact this is the first time any person from the Americas have been Ellected.

Francis I as he has decided to call himself, was Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, many people suspect that he was second in the 2005 conclave. Francis is from Argentina.

He shall begin his Reign over the Two Hundred and Sixty Sixth Pontificate with immediate effect. Unfortunately, he looks a little like Pope Pius, who held the papacy under Nazi colusion during the second world war.

One final note. Francis is a Jesuit...the first Jesuit to be ellected to the Papacy!

[Max]

[NateR]

I heard that he was a Chemistry teacher before being chosen for Pope. That's a pretty interesting little factoid if true.

[MattHughesRocks]

Whats the deal with "the pope"? I don't even get what he's for. Isn't he just like a lead pastor in a Christian church? Why do people cry and kiss his hand when he's near? Do they think he's God or something?
I just posted this on my Facebook but no one has answered. Granted it was only 5 minutes ago but I'm really confused

[VCURamFan]

Originally Posted by MattHughesRocks

Whats the deal with "the pope"? I don't even get what he's for. Isn't he just like a lead pastor in a Christian church? Why do people cry and kiss his hand when he's near? Do they think he's God or something?
I just posted this on my Facebook but no one has answered. Granted it was only 5 minutes ago but I'm really confused

The Catholics to believe him to be God's direct representative on earth. The only remaing apostle, essentially.

[MattHughesRocks]

Do you know where they get that idea?

Originally Posted by VCURamFan

The Catholics to believe him to be God's direct representative on earth. The only remaing apostle, essentially.

[VCURamFan]

Originally Posted by MattHughesRocks

Do you know where they get that idea?

The apostle Peter is thought of as the first Pope, & every pope since then is "descended" from him. Not actually, of course, but rather they pick Popes that seem to be in that vein.

[MattHughesRocks]

Does it say anything in the bible to this effect that you know of?

[VCURamFan]

Originally Posted by MattHughesRocks

Does it say anything in the bible to this effect that you know of?

I think it's mostly built on this passage from Matthew 16:

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[b] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[c] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[e] loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

[NateR]

Originally Posted by MattHughesRocks

Whats the deal with "the pope"? I don't even get what he's for. Isn't he just like a lead pastor in a Christian church? Why do people cry and kiss his hand when he's near? Do they think he's God or something?
I just posted this on my Facebook but no one has answered. Granted it was only 5 minutes ago but I'm really confused

The Pope is purely a Catholic figurehead and even then only to certain denominations of Catholics. However, he is the most public and politicized religious figure, which is why the mainstream media seems to care about him.

If you aren't a Catholic, then the office of the Pope means nothing. We should be respectful of the man himself as we would towards any fellow believer, but he's just as sinful and corrupt as the rest of us are.

Like Ben pointed out, the Catholics have tied the Pope back to Peter; but I think their version of history is revisionist at best. Peter would have been dead for nearly 300 years before the Roman Catholic Church was even created.