How many Catholics follow the Pope?

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Muzhik

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Shalom, all! I am a cradle Catholic who hangs around on a lot of boards populated by Evangelicals and unbelievers. On one board run by Joel Rosenberg for people to discuss his book “Epicenter” (HIGHLY recommended, BTW), I’m one of only a handful of Catholics who post.

(BTW, being on that board has given me an answer for people who want to know if the Catholic Church believes in a pre-tribulation Rapture, a mid-trib, or a post-trib Rapture. I say that the Catholic Church is pan-trib, as in, it will all pan out in the end!)

Anyway, in relation to a discussion on that board of the recent move by the PLO to include the Vatican in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, someone asked me "How much credence do you think MOST Catholics give to the Pope and his position this days? "

While I have my own opinions, the question intrigued me enough to want to post it here and get everyone’s reaction, esp. since I know that there are quite a few non-Catholics who read and post here. I also know that implicit in this question is “most AMERICAN Catholics”, and I would really like to get people’s views and opinions regarding the Universal Church, not just the American Church.

Let the flaming begin…
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All Catholics give credence to the Holy Father’s positions. A person who rejects the Pope’s position (particularly in matters of faith and morals) is not a Catholic. That person may CLAIM to be Catholic, but that doesn’t make him one.
 
I think a lot of “modern” Catholics think that there’s something outdated about the Papacy, but they all come home to Rome in one way or another…I mean they still hold an affection for the Pope, and when you engage them in discussion you find they are really very accepting of Papal ideas.

I used to think I was a progressive Catholic, then I worked out that actually, pretty much everything I believed was in line with Papal teaching! We’re blessed with great Popes the last few turns round, we should be greatful and pay close attention!
 
Unfortunately, I think many (most?) Catholics don’t even know what the Pope’s teachings are on many issues.
 
I believe most Catholics get their understanding of what the Holy Father says from the secular press :mad: I wish more parishes would educate their parishoners on these matters.
 
Those that do not follow the Pope are not in his flock, thus, are not Catholics.

The Pope is the Successor to Peter and if he is rejected then so is the Church. It is uncomplicated.
 
Our Holy Father leads Christ’s Church on this Earth as Christ commanded. Wheither you want to consider his office First Among Equals or more powerful than that the fact remains that Christ said the least among us would be first and while some Popes in the past haven’t displayed that well, our recent Popes have done true justice to the office Christ created.

I follow the Pope’s teachings or try my best to do so.

The Holy Father is responsible for ALL Christians wheither they recognize his office or not. Pope John Paul II and Benedict the 16th have done a wonderful job at this and I pray that B16 continues the fantastic work he is doing with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Joe
 
Marsha_Adams said:
All Catholics give credence to the Holy Father’s positions. A person who rejects the Pope’s position (particularly in matters of faith and morals) is not a Catholic. That person may CLAIM to be Catholic, but that doesn’t make him one.
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:clapping: well done…i couldn’t have phrased it better myself…

ANGELIC PEACE
 
Some people might say “yeah, you guys follow the Pope, and not Jesus”. What they don’t realize is they are following their parents all the time. Does this mean, they are not following Jesus?
 
“Those who blindly and indiscriminately defend every decision of the supreme Pontiff are the very ones who do most to undermined the authority of the Holy See-they destroy instead of strengthening its foundations.” Melchior Cano, OSD, Council of Trent.
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We do not have to follow everything the Pope says. We are obligated to follow his teachings on faith and morals, given under the conditions of infallibility, but other things, we are not.

For instance, the Pope opposed the war in in Iraq. I agreed with him, but other American Catholics were not obligated to refuse to go to war there.

Jim
 
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