What can and can't Pope Francis do

[TwinMommy]

I am trying to figure out and learn about the role of the Pope. I have heard for many years that the Catholic Church having a Pope is against God’s word. I am trying to figure it all out. I need to know for myself and I need to know what to say to my friends when they start questioning me. This evening or tomorrow I will be telling my best friend that I am converting and I know she is going to have a lot of opinions on it all as she is very anti-catholic.

Dianna

 

[pamaragoncillo]

Let me clear it first, you are not a Catholic, right?

First, one of the basic role of a Pope is to guide the Catholic Church, to always be with God’s words and will. Again, that is only one of the basic roles. We cannot measure the Pope’s ability, or maybe we cannot measure anyone’s ability, especially if he/she is new to us. That goes the same with the new Pope, he is all-new to all of us (except if you are from Buenos Aires, or from any part of Argentina and know something about him). We may expect every best but never be less, because surely, Pope Francis is already ‘awesome’ before, before he was elected.

Second, there is no right or wrong religion. As long as you live your life without hurting other people feelings, or taking advantage to anyone or anything, you will surely save your soul. Ask first yourself why you have to change your religion? Will you be happily contented after converting? You better think twice before making a huge decision, well, little or huge, think twice.

 

[TwinMommy]

Let me clear it first, you are not a Catholic, right?

First, one of the basic role of a Pope is to guide the Catholic Church, to always be with God’s words and will. Again, that is only one of the basic roles. We cannot measure the Pope’s ability, or maybe we cannot measure anyone’s ability, especially if he/she is new to us. That goes the same with the new Pope, he is all-new to all of us (except if you are from Buenos Aires, or from any part of Argentina and know something about him). We may expect every best but never be less, because surely, Pope Francis is already ‘awesome’ before, before he was elected.

Second, there is no right or wrong religion. As long as you live your life without hurting other people feelings, or taking advantage to anyone or anything, you will surely save your soul. Ask first yourself why you have to change your religion? Will you be happily contented after converting? You better think twice before making a huge decision, well, little or huge, think twice.

Officially no I am not. In my heart I am 100%. I will be taking RICA classes in the fall.
Oh I know why I am converting. God lead me on this journey to see what His word is, to see what the true Church is. I am more and more sure of this every single day.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

Second, there is no right or wrong religion. As long as you live your life without hurting other people feelings, or taking advantage to anyone or anything, you will surely save your soul. Ask first yourself why you have to change your religion? Will you be happily contented after converting? You better think twice before making a huge decision, well, little or huge, think twice.

Incorrect. This is one right religion, and several wrong religions, with a small tint of “rightness” to them. No offense, but it is idiot to say that there is no wrong religion when there are religion which say the exact opposite thing about moral issues.

 

[KathleenGee]

Being nice is not being religious. It is a matter of good upbringing and a good conscience of living by the golden rule.

Jesus Christ is Truth. No relativism here. And Jesus Christ came to free us from the bondage of sin, and bring us into new life.

Being Catholic, first and foremost, is entering into communion with the Holy Trinity.

This has nothing to do with being nice. We are renewed and restored every day in Christ, and Christ fills us with His grace and watches over us as we sleep.

Being Catholic, we are being transformed by the Living Word of God Made Flesh.

Christ did not just have the 12 apostles. He chose Peter to be the head of the Church. Otherwise we are tossing back and forth which apostle to follow; afterall, we have 4 evangelists who wrote the Gospels.

The apostolic succession of Peter has never been broken for 2,000 years.

The pope represents all the cardinals, bishops, priests and religious and believers --in Christ. This is the communion of the Holy Trinity being incarnated in us. Christ is the life of the Church. The pope’s work is the sign of unity of all believers. He speaks in communion with the bishops, and he speaks the Living Word of Christ for today’s times.

The work of Peter is evangelical, and our tradition of faith is not set in stone, but constantly reaching out to new peoples and new cultures to bring Christ to them – at their level of faith. In turn, we are always learning about new dimensions and charisms of Christ from new cultures, and this is the inculturation of faith into culture that is good, and in return, good culture expanding the charism of Christ in the Church. The Holy Father represents Christ as head. He is not Christ. But he teaches Living Revelation to not only Catholics but to all believers in God, and to all people of good will.

There are levels of truth in the Church.

The Church is the interpreter of Scripture and in how to relate Christ to the world today. Subsequently, Vatican II, – not the pope, is the first level of truth. The second level of truth is our doctrine of faith and morals found in the universal Catholic Church Catechism (CCC).
The Holy Father speaks truth and morals, not alone, but in communion with all bishops, who in turn, represent our faith.

Afterall, in relation to news right now, it was the laity who locked the cardinals up to chose the pope for their times. And the bishops also depend on our faith to support theirs.

The third degree of truth is found when the pope speaks infallibly on truth and morals, but as was said, it must be in communion with all bishops – within the deposit of faith in Christ. The pope writes encyclicals, but not all have the same degree of truth. It is our local bishop who helps us discern what level of truth the Holy Father is revealing.

There was a time when Pope Paul VI exhorted in an encyclical for all seminaries to teach in Latin. It was not followed through. The Church spoke back…

About dogmas, this has happened only a few times, where the Holy Father will speak…dogma of Mary’s Immaculate Conception, which took 1,800 plus years to finally proclaim after hundreds of years of debate, and the assumption----we assume— of Mary’s glorious entry into heaven. We do not know if she was alive or died and was assumed…wages of sin is death. We can only say she was assumed into heaven…this coming one 1954 years later by Pope Pius XII.

The pope speaks ex cathedra…very rare.

We always have our bishops to help us understand degrees of truth. When you hear ‘definitely’…that means we must obey. And as you come to understand your faith, Diana, it is always most reasonable.

 

[1ke]

Second, there is no right or wrong religion. As long as you live your life without hurting other people feelings, or taking advantage to anyone or anything, you will surely save your soul. Ask first yourself why you have to change your religion? Will you be happily contented after converting? You better think twice before making a huge decision, well, little or huge, think twice.

This is not Church teaching. In fact, this is a heretical teaching condemned by the Catholic Church

 

[Spencerian]

I am trying to figure out and learn about the role of the Pope. I have heard for many years that the Catholic Church having a Pope is against God’s word. I am trying to figure it all out. I need to know for myself and I need to know what to say to my friends when they start questioning me. This evening or tomorrow I will be telling my best friend that I am converting and I know she is going to have a lot of opinions on it all as she is very anti-catholic.

Dianna

Hi, Dianna.

Catholic Answers has many short writings, or tracts, on commonly-asked subjects of which you have questions.

On the role of the pope, it begins with St. Peter, one of the Twelve that followed Jesus. While each of the then-Disciples were noted, Peter is continually centered out by Christ. It culminates by Christ making Simon the vicar, or steward, of His new Church, in Matthew 16:18. No other member of the Twelve is spoken of as often as Peter, and with reason.

Throughout the rest of the books of what would become the New Testament, [ give advice and direction, when Peter speaks, other Apostles then consider the matter closed, as it was in the Council of JerusalemApostles](http://www.catholic.com/tracts/peter-and-the-papacy).

Peter was far from perfect, as with all humans. While guided by the Holy Spirit, he sometimes missed cues. St. Paul calls Peter out on his duplicity in regards to eating with some people in Antioch who were Gentile Christians after some Jewish Christians showed up (Galatians 2:11-16). But when Peter (and later, his successors) conferred with other Apostles, he was authorized as the vicar of Christ’s Church to make definitive statements on faith and morals. That’s papal infallibility. It doesn’t mean that Peter or others are perfect and that anything they say is right, but they their role allows official statements of faith and morals to be without error, thanks to the Holy Spirit. Such definitions don’t happen often.

Be sure to look through more of these tracts from Catholic Answers, which are also loaded with scripture references and more detail.

 

[ericc]

Let me clear it first, you are not a Catholic, right?

As long as you live your life without hurting other people feelings, or taking advantage to anyone or anything, you will surely save your soul.

Who said that? This is falsehood!

 

[dailey]

Incorrect. This is one right religion, and several wrong religions, with a small tint of “rightness” to them. No offense, but it is idiot to say that there is no wrong religion when there are religion which say the exact opposite thing about moral issues.

Exactly.

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

=TwinMommy;10483407]I am trying to figure out and learn about the role of the Pope. I have heard for many years that the Catholic Church having a Pope is against God’s word. I am trying to figure it all out.

Hello, May God bless you on your jurney home into the Church. The Office of the Pope is set in scripture, Christ selected Peter as the head of the leader of the Apostles. I give you the Keys to the Kingdom.

I need to know for myself and I need to know what to say to my friends when they start questioning me. This evening or tomorrow I will be telling my best friend that I am converting and I know she is going to have a lot of opinions on it all as she is very anti-catholic.

Dianna

The Pope can not change Docturine if it was a Docturinal truth in the past it still is and always will be. He can lead in expanding our understanding of Docturine and Dogma and he can change things that are a matter of disipline. Such as the celibacy of the priesthood.

 

[KathleenGee]

Echo…

The point is, we do not look at any pope, or bishop, or priest in themselves. We come to the Church, which has the full deposit of faith in Jesus Christ. The clergy and ecclesiastics are His administrators. They are serving and working for Him, to the point of emptying their lives totally for Him, especially in the Latin rite. The Latin rite is celibate.

We come into the Church to enter into life with Jesus…together.

 

[otjm]

I am trying to figure out and learn about the role of the Pope. I have heard for many years that the Catholic Church having a Pope is against God’s word. I am trying to figure it all out. I need to know for myself and I need to know what to say to my friends when they start questioning me. This evening or tomorrow I will be telling my best friend that I am converting and I know she is going to have a lot of opinions on it all as she is very anti-catholic.

Dianna

Dianna, understand first that your friend is not anit-catholic; She is anti- what she thinks the Catholic Church is about.

John Henry Cardinal Newman, oringinally an evangelical Oxford academic and priest in the Church of England converted to the Catholic Church, and said that anyone who reads the Fathers of the Church (early Christian writers) would cease to be a Protestant. And almost all people who are anti-Cahtolic are against what they think the Church is, not what it actually is.

The office of the leader of the Church goes back to the Gospels, where Christ says “You are Kephas (rock) and on this kephas I will build my Church.”

I use Kephas, which is Aramaic; Protestants make much about the Greek translation which is Petras (rock), saying that the translation “You are Petras, and upon this petra (which is the feminine, which the word is in Greek) I will build my Church” means little and big rock. Not so; the word they are looking for and think they are using is Lithos. The use of the masculine Petros is because Peter was male; the word in Greek is not masculine but rather feminine, and it would hav made no sense to call him Petra. In short, those who try to use this simply show their ignorance of koinae Greek.

In the Epistles and in the Acts of the Apostles, Paul has a few sharp things to say to Peter (poor old Peter; overly enthusiastic but obviously not as well thought out as Paul); but Paul also acknolwedges Peter’s leadership. And there have been popes (bishops of Rome, as that is where Peter ended up and where he died) ever since.

And we have had scoundrels for popes, as well as very saintly men. However, none of the scoundrels ever made any statements against the faith. The Church holds and has held that the Holy Spirit (which Christ promised) always guides the Church in the statements of Truth (faith and morals).

Good luck on your journey. I hope that you will be able to maintain your friendship. In spite of her comments and attitudes, she means well; it is just that what she has been told are falsehoods. You could always invite her to attend RCIA as a moral support to you, and to make sure that whatever objections she has are raised in the RCIA classes - she is not required to convert, and any good RCIA class would welcome her opinions as it provides teaching moments about the truth, rather than the misinformation that exists.

 

[TimSpalding]

Incorrect. This is one right religion, and several wrong religions, with a small tint of “rightness” to them. No offense, but it is idiot to say that there is no wrong religion when there are religion which say the exact opposite thing about moral issues.

Catholics do not need to believe that the “rightness” is “a small tint.” The closest thing to an official expression is from Nosta Aetate:

The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men.

The important thing is that Catholics believe that they have the fullness of truth. Catholics do not believe others have that fullness by any means. But it is not particularly productive to specify just how meagerly other religions have it.

 

[KathleenGee]

God bless you, Diana.

I am looking forward to your first Mass and your reflections on it.

 

[guanophore]

I am trying to figure out and learn about the role of the Pope. I have heard for many years that the Catholic Church having a Pope is against God’s word. I am trying to figure it all out. I need to know for myself and I need to know what to say to my friends when they start questioning me. This evening or tomorrow I will be telling my best friend that I am converting and I know she is going to have a lot of opinions on it all as she is very anti-catholic.

Dianna

I commend you for wanting to understand and be able to explain the faith to which the Holy Spirit is clearly calling you. However, I recommend that you try to to spend too much time and energy with anti-Catholics right now. Take this time to learn and grow before you wade into such conflicts.’

For your best friend, instead of getting into a theologicla conflict, just focus on what is in your heart, and what you feel God is calling you to do. Talk about your faith journey, insted of doctrine. You will be in my prayers.

 

[brb3]

His primary responsibility was given him by Christ … “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these ?” …X’s 3…each time Simon replies Yes. And each time Christ says " Feed my lambs" … " feed my sheep" …and finally “follow me” .

Christ picked his first 12, Peter & they picked Matthias. And today Pope Francis picks the new Bishops / Cardinals…and they someday, the next Pope, # 267.

Also, give girlfriend a copy of the CCC.
Tell her to read it …and to show u any error therein.

 

[andy92]

Hello, May God bless you on your jurney home into the Church. The Office of the Pope is set in scripture, Christ selected Peter as the head of the leader of the Apostles. I give you the Keys to the Kingdom.

The Pope can not change Docturine if it was a Docturinal truth in the past it still is and always will be. He can lead in expanding our understanding of Docturine and Dogma and he can change things that are a matter of disipline. Such as the celibacy of the priesthood.

Dogma are things that are declared as truths by the Church. This declaration is so strong that if I as a Catholic do not believe an item of dogma, I cease to be a Catholic "in full communion" with the Church. While dogmatic teachings can be refined over time, they can never change.
Doctrine are things that are declared as truths by the Church. However, she does not require all Catholics to believe doctrine. Certainly, as a faithful Catholic I should believe doctrine, or at least work hard to understand it and come to agree with it. However, if I fail at that, or even if I refuse to believe doctrine, I am still in full communion with the Church. While doctrinal teachings can be refined over time, they can never change. They can, however, by pronouncement of the Magisterium, be elevated to dogma.
Discplines are practices of the Church that can change over time. Disciplines can change, and Catholics are in no way required to agree with current disciplines, although they are asked to follow them as a matter of... discipline.

Just to give you a concise example non-inclusive list:

Doctrines & Dogmas (UNCHAGEABLE)

1. TRINITY

2. SUNDAY SACREDNESS

3. SPRINKLING BAPTISM

4. EUCHARIST

5. SACRAMENTS

6. EUCHARIST

7. SPRINKLING BAPTISM

8. PENANCE

9. EXTREME UNCTION

10. EVER-VIRGIN MARY
11. INDULGENCES
12. PURGATORY
13. TRADITION
14. INFANT BAPTISM
15. AURICULAR CONFESSION
16. PILGRIMAGES
17. THE MASS
18. OMISSION OF THE CUP communion must be present under both forms
19. PETER AND THE KEYS
20. PETER AND THE ROCK
21. IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
22. INVOCATION OF SAINTS
23. ASSUMPTION OF MARY TO HEAVEN
24. MARY A CO-MEDATRIX
25. IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL
26. ETERNAL TORMENT OF UNBELIEVERS
27. EXTREME UNCTION
28. SUNDAY SACREDNESS
29. PAPAL INFALLIBILITY
30. IMPECCABILITY OF CHRIST
31. MARY THE MOTHER OF GOD
32. BODY OF CHRIST

disciplines of the Church (Changable)(couldn’t find a list so i made one)

1. Color and style of Clerical Clothes. Cassocks vs Clerics.
2. Style and type of Rosary mysteries. (think jpII)
3. Abstaining from meat (think USA)
4. Style of Church: direction of altar, form of prayers

You get the idea Dogma (super truth) Doctrine (truth) discipline (what we chose to do)

 

[Randy_Carson]

I am trying to figure out and learn about the role of the Pope. I have heard for many years that the Catholic Church having a Pope is against God’s word. I am trying to figure it all out. I need to know for myself and I need to know what to say to my friends when they start questioning me. This evening or tomorrow I will be telling my best friend that I am converting and I know she is going to have a lot of opinions on it all as she is very anti-catholic.

Dianna

Start here: catholic-pages.com/pope/hahn.asp

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

Dogma are things that are declared as truths by the Church. This declaration is so strong that if I as a Catholic do not believe an item of dogma, I cease to be a Catholic “in full communion” with the Church. While dogmatic teachings can be refined over time, they can never change.
Doctrine are things that are declared as truths by the Church. However, she does not require all Catholics to believe doctrine. Certainly, as a faithful Catholic I should believe doctrine, or at least work hard to understand it and come to agree with it. However, if I fail at that, or even if I refuse to believe doctrine, I am still in full communion with the Church. While doctrinal teachings can be refined over time, they can never change. They can, however, by pronouncement of the Magisterium, be elevated to dogma.
Discplines are practices of the Church that can change over time. Disciplines can change, and Catholics are in no way required to agree with current disciplines, although they are asked to follow them as a matter of… discipline.

QUOTE]
I agree with you on all but your statement that we are not require to beleive Docturine. As from everything I can find Dogma is basically a defining of docutrine.

Example:
Docturine: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost.
Dogma: Holy Trinity.
I can think of no Docturine that we as Catholic are not rquired to hold and a Truth.

 

[Church_Militant]

His primary responsibility was given him by Christ … “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these ?” …X’s 3…each time Simon replies Yes. And each time Christ says " Feed my lambs" … " feed my sheep" …and finally “follow me” .

Christ picked his first 12, Peter & they picked Matthias. And today Pope Francis picks the new Bishops / Cardinals…and they someday, the next Pope, # 267.

Also, give girlfriend a copy of the CCC.
Tell her to read it …and to show u any error therein.

Better yet I suggest a copy of
shop.catholic.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/small_image/135x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/c/a/catechism-compendium.jpg Compendium To The Catechism Of The Catholic Church

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                                       Special Price:                                      $12.95

It’s far and away better for evangelistic efforts and has the main catechism reference numbers in the margin if you need to get deeper into it, but in general this will work better.