Question About Pope

[Kamalayka]

This is a silly question, and it is only speculation:

Do you think that the Pope ever receives “private revelations” from God that nobody knows about?

 

[tonyrey]

The Pope is not necessarily divinely inspired. When he speaks ex cathedra he is prevented from teaching false doctrine - which is only to be expected from the successor of St Peter, the Bishop of Rome.

 

[Kamalayka]

I know.

I just meant in general.

 

[tonyrey]

The Pope is not necessarily divinely inspired. When he speaks ex cathedra he is prevented from teaching false doctrine - which is only to be expected from the successor of St Peter, the Bishop of Rome.

The best way to decide if the Pope or any other person, Christian or non-Christian, receives private revelations from God is to consider the extent to which those revelations increase our insight into reality and promote our love for God and His creatures.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

There are rumors from time to time that he has, e.g. the reputed vision of Leo XIII which led him to mandate the Prayer to Michael the Archangel. However, I think every effort is made to suppress any discussion or confirmation of such things. They can too easily lead to attaching the papal authority to garbled and misleading teachings.