How do I answer my friend regarding the Pope?

[Kouyate42]

Bear in mind I live in the UK, where there is still a monarchy.

A friend of mine is a royalist and is also decently anti-Catholic. With my rising interest in Catholicism, he has often said some very negative things regarding the Church. One of his critcisms is that to be Catholic involves allegiance to two countries, two sets of law and two Heads of state, which he amounts to a form of treason.

I’ve tried explaining to him the role of the Pope within the Church, but he’s refusing to listen.

Anyone got any good arguments I can use to explain to my friend about this?

 

[ChrisRedfield47]

Bear in mind I live in the UK, where there is still a monarchy.

A friend of mine is a royalist and is also decently anti-Catholic. With my rising interest in Catholicism, he has often said some very negative things regarding the Church. One of his critcisms is that to be Catholic involves allegiance to two countries, two sets of law and two Heads of state, which he amounts to a form of treason.

I’ve tried explaining to him the role of the Pope within the Church, but he’s refusing to listen.

Anyone got any good arguments I can use to explain to my friend about this?

You can try to read the tracts this site has, it helps understand things related to the Papacy:
catholic.com/tracts/browse/Papacy

His role was instituted by Christ. In John 21:15-17 we read:
“When they had ufinished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep”."

This he only said to Peter. His Role is to be the Pastor of the Universal Church, The Head of the Catholic Church, the “Vicar of Christ”

Since he is the successor of Peter, he holds the keys of the kingdom of Heaven and has the power of binding and loosing (Matthew 16:18-19). Thus the Pope is the head of the visible church.

 

[Fone_Bone_2001]

Bear in mind I live in the UK, where there is still a monarchy.

A friend of mine is a royalist and is also decently anti-Catholic. With my rising interest in Catholicism, he has often said some very negative things regarding the Church. One of his criticisms is that to be Catholic involves allegiance to two countries, two sets of law and two heads of state, which he amounts to a form of treason.

I’ve tried explaining to him the role of the Pope within the Church, but he’s refusing to listen.

Anyone got any good arguments I can use to explain to my friend about this?

Give your friend the following reasons to see that that’s a terrible argument:

(A) The pope is in no sense a Catholic’s head of state. The pope’s role as Supreme Pontiff - as universal head bishop - is a spiritual one, not an earthly, political one.

(B) Point out that the pope is the head of state of only one nation - Vatican City. Are you a citizen of Vatican City? No. Are most Catholics? No. Who is? The various workers, secretaries, etc. - mostly priests and religious - who work in the Vatican.

So point out that it’s not even true that you’re a citizen of the pope’s country.

(C) Finally, even if you were, point out that there are plenty of countries that permit or even encourage dual citizenship. Switzerland and New Zealand are two examples. I have a friend who is both a U.S. citizen and - as a Spanish American - a formal member of the European Union.

This is a tired old anti-Catholic argument. The key is point (B) above, because of which you are actually not a citizen or subject of the pope.

 

[LoyalViews]

Also remind him that many Catholics were and ARE staunch monarchists/royalists.

There is no conflict with the faith. Many saints were extremely supportive of the Crown, and loyal to the King or Queen. Even during the Reformation.

The above response was spot on!

 

[subzero]

Usually Protestants and non-Catholics who say this are not sincere. All of us have dual loyalties and complexities in life. Jesus Christ is very clear about those who put love of family ahead of Him: they aren’t worthy of Him. Would your husband or wife then say: I’m sorry, I cannot love a person with dual loyalties, I demand total attention?

Being a Catholic means loving your country *under *God. I think non-Catholics know this and they just like teasing gullible Catholics with it. I wouldn’t take these people seriously.

Hi everybody by the way!

 

[jmcrae]

Bear in mind I live in the UK, where there is still a monarchy.

A friend of mine is a royalist and is also decently anti-Catholic. With my rising interest in Catholicism, he has often said some very negative things regarding the Church. One of his critcisms is that to be Catholic involves allegiance to two countries, two sets of law and two Heads of state, which he amounts to a form of treason.

1. A person does not become a citizen of Rome or of the Vatican merely by becoming Catholic. The Pope is the spiritual head of the Catholic Church, and he is only the head of government of the Vatican.
2. Plenty of people have dual citizenship - British and Canadian, for example - it does not amount to “treason.”

 

[puzzleannie]

Bear in mind I live in the UK, where there is still a monarchy.

A friend of mine is a royalist and is also decently anti-Catholic. With my rising interest in Catholicism, he has often said some very negative things regarding the Church. One of his critcisms is that to be Catholic involves allegiance to two countries, two sets of law and two Heads of state, which he amounts to a form of treason.

I’ve tried explaining to him the role of the Pope within the Church, but he’s refusing to listen.

Anyone got any good arguments I can use to explain to my friend about this?

even if this were true, which it is not, there would be no treason under US law. People can maintain dual citizenship for good reason. Idiotic, as usual. He won’t listen because he does not want to give up cherished delusions, which he prefers to truth. What Aquinas calls invincible ignorance.

 

[Fone_Bone_2001]

Usually Protestants and non-Catholics who say this are not sincere. All of us have dual loyalties and complexities in life. Jesus Christ is very clear about those who put love of family ahead of Him: they aren’t worthy of Him. Would your husband or wife then say: I’m sorry, I cannot love a person with dual loyalties, I demand total attention?

Being a Catholic means loving your country *under *God. I think non-Catholics know this and they just like teasing gullible Catholics with it. I wouldn’t take these people seriously.

Hi everybody by the way!

Well said, subzero! And hello and welcome.

1. A person does not become a citizen of Rome or of the Vatican merely by becoming Catholic. The Pope is the spiritual head of the Catholic Church, and he is only the head of government of the Vatican.
2. Plenty of people have dual citizenship - British and Canadian, for example - it does not amount to “treason.”

Precisely. These two points are really the bottom line on that argument: the pope is the political ruler only of Vatican City, of which the world’s Catholics are not citizens or subjects. Plus, as you and subzero pointed out in different ways, dual loyalties are not even in any sense contradictory by default.