I'm not Catholic and I want to understand the role of the Pope

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Ogie_Reeves

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For me to be clear here, I’m a Mormon and I never really understood much of the Catholic church, although I’ve attended a few masses in my life before I joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I do want to understand the role of the pope. I have respect for the Catholic faith and I want to understand it better. I used to be a Protestant and I heard a lot of things about the Catholic faith that I don’t know are true or not. How do you guys regard Pope Francis? Does he give you spiritual guidance to live by? I want to know more and to satisfy my curiosity.
 
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The Pope is the vicar of Christ on Earth. Jesus said to Peter, ‘I will build my church upon you, and Hell will never win against you’
The papacy has since been handed down nearly 300 times throughout the ages.

The Pope is Christ’s ambassador on earth, simply put.
 
Ogie_Reeves said:
How do you guys regard Pope Francis? Does he give you spiritual guidance to live by?
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He’s a champion. Yes he does. We rely on him for help with discernment to live our daily lives and follow the Gospels and at times, understand more fully, Catholic doctrine.
 
Yes, absolutely. However, those are not original to himself, but simply elaborations and fleshings out of what the. hurch has taught throughout the ages.
 
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Basically he is the descendant of Peter. So he in infallible if and only if he speaks ex cathedra on matters of faith and morals.

This has only happened very few times in history.

He could otherwise be the most immoral man on Earth (hypothetically), although I personally like Pope Francis a lot.

The Pope also has a big sort of pastoral role, but that’s not the main reason why he is there.

He doesn’t give wisdoms and teachings.

Jesus told Peter “For not flesh and blood has revealed this to you but my Father who is in heaven.” He also doesn’t create new doctrine. All was revealed in the Word which is Christ. He merely states the correct interpretation of the Word of God as handed down by Scripture and Sacred Tradition.
 
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The papacy is needed throughout time to respond to matters of the time.

The papacy is also needed as a conduit for God’s revelation to the entire world.

Not all doctrines were revealed to the world at Pentecost. Most have developed with time. God reveals himself in time.
 
What do you mean by God’s revelations? What do you guys believe about the revelations?
 
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Do you believe that people can still receive revelations, or do you believe that there are no longer revelations?
 
All was revealed in God’s Word incarnate in Christ. Somebody pls give a CCC reference.

All has been fully revealed by God in Christ.

Doctrine develops as understanding develops.

It is like I hand you a movie and you catch new stuff the 50th time you watch it but the movie is the same.

There is no longer new revelation. Only things which cement established doctrine so that we may see and believe.
 
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If I’m understanding this correctly, you guys believe there is no longer new revelation, but what’s already been said in past revelations, are the concrete beliefs?
 
It’s like his newer revelations still go back to the same theme. Love God, love neighbor.
 
I’m a little bit confused on that, could you elaborate a bit more?
 
Yes try CCC 50-73 (cathecism of the Catholic Church, the section on revelations)
 
It’s great that you are curious and want to understand the Catholic Church and the role of the Pope. It shows you are willing to understand another faith. I wish more people were open to differences.
 
I think that I get it now. You guys believe that revelations have already been established, but more details on them are provided? Am I getting this right?
 
Not details per se.

Ok I give you a book on integral calculus. It has everything on integral calculus ever.

But you don’t get it. Not all at once. You get it, but not fully. The more you reflect on this book the better you get it until you get the Eureka moment and get a concept perfectly and so on until you get all of it.
There are no new details though.
 
I attended a few masses, like I said, but I heard things about ecclesiastical law (or something like that) and what’s divine law?
 
The Magisterium is the entire college of bishops united to the Pope… not the Pope alone. (Though his voice “counts” the most among the bishops).
 
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