How powerful is the Pope?

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theCardinalbird

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Is there any limitations to what the Pope can do? Considering he is the Supreme Pontiff I should think that he has a lot of power in what the Church teaches but are there limitations? If so, please site your sources! (No disrespect)
 
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he’s as ‘powerful’ as the Bishop of Rome. If you belong to the church which meets in Rome, you would be under his watchful care. If you belonged to the church which meets in Corinth, then you might be under a different bishop, the bishop of Corinth. etc etc
 
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The Pope is the vicar of Christ for the whole Church, but He is not Christ–he is not God.

With regard to governance and the disciplines of the Church, he is the surpeme legislator, executive, and judge. But just like any government, he cannot make laws that go against the divine and natural law.
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P16.HTM

With regard to teaching, his job is to hand on, defend, and expound upon the doctrines of the Church, not to change them as the First Vatican Council taught.
  1. For the Holy Spirit was promised to the successors of Peter not so that they might, by his revelation, make known some new doctrine, but that, by his assistance, they might religiously guard and faithfully expound the revelation or deposit of faith transmitted by the apostles.
    https://www.ewtn.com/library/councils/v1.htm
A common saying defining the Popes power (used often during the discussions at the First Vatican Council) is that his power is ad aedificationem, et non destructionem ecclesia–that is, for the building up, not the destruction of the Church (see 2 Cor 13:10).
 
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1ke said:
Define power, please.
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When can the Pope breach his authority? Such as changing teachings? When I mean power I mean how much can he control and change because of his title
 
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Joe1 said:
When can the Pope breach his authority? Such as changing teachings? When I mean power I mean how much can he control and change from his will?
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If he tries, it is by its nature invalid. That being said, if other bishops neglect their own duties and responsibilities to the truth and go along with it, he can cause a lot of harm and division to the Church.
 
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His “power” is limited to church law, faith and morals and doctrines… as the head of the Vatican he also has other privileges and temporal powers but in a limited sense… all this said he cant change the tenets of faith… there have been many saintly and holy popes who did great good… and also some bad popes who have abused their power. earlier the popes in the middle ages had more temporal powers compared to now as they were also rulers over a much larger territory but its not the case now.

its a long topic actually 🙂
 
In the 2000 years of the Church’s history, the pope has never taught error. So the charism of infallibility protects the sacred deposit of faith- the Church’s teaching on faith and morals.
 
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YES,

He cannot teach anything that contradicts the bible, Sacred Tradition or the Ordinary Magisterium.

Other than that he welds a great deal of power

GBY

Patrick
 
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