Who was the best pope in history and why

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There is no way I could pick just one. Each of the best popes offered valuable gifts to the Church and world respective to each era they spent on earth. Each one was where they needed to be.
 
Pope Francis has to be one of the best, not because he is particularly Holy, Apostalic, Keeps the Church together as one or anything, but because under his Pontificate the evil in the Church has been exposed.
 
I am not nearly qualified to answer this question, but I’ll add this: wherever JPII went, millions flocked. I can’t remember exactly where I heard this but some say JPII was the single most viewed person in history (as in, more people saw him in person than any musician or athlete or public figure).

Could easily be wrong, but the point stands. In terms of spreading the gospel around the world I highly doubt any prior Pope did more. Plus he inspired a whole generation of “JPII priests”.
 
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I posted this to see people opinions on the popes in history and may be learn some new thing about my faith history thanks for commenting your opinion 😊
 
Diaconia said:
Pope Saint John Paul II.

He was a true renaissance style man - athlete, actor, theologian, philosopher, a man of intense prayer, charismatic leader and extensive writer / preacher / teacher.

Traveled the world, literally preaching the Gospel to the four corners of the earth, confronted evil head on: apartheid, communism. Brought down the wall.

Will certainly be known at John Paul the Great at some point.
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Agreed. If I had to pick one, I would pick one I know about. St. John Paul the Great. Yes I admire so many, including Pope Pius V who stood against the onslaught of Protestantism, as well as Pope Pius XII who lived through the most evil regime in history, but Karol Wojtyla lived through that regime in Poland, and started as an underground seminary, and not only was Pope during another evil regime, but was one of three people that helped bring it down (along with Ronald Reagan and Leck Walesa)

I think he may one day be considered a Doctor of the Church for his work on Theology of the Body. He also taught a generation the value of the elderly and how one can grow old, and with age suffer, and with suffering bring glory to God. This might be his greatest act, as it is a lesson from a saint that we will all need some day, if death does not take us sooner.
 
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Image result for Pope John Paul II red hat
 
Took the words out of my mouth. The story of Leo the Great is awe inspiring. Thanks Deacon Jeff
 
Pope Linus; because he was the “2nd Pope”; had to fill the “shoes of the fisherman” and had to stay the course & keep the entire engine running despite Massive persecution
 
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Jesus doesn’t choose the Pope, Cardinals do. Not the Holy Spirit either.
 
Probably Pope Leo X. If not for his taking the excessive abuses of his immediate predecessors to new heights the majority of Western Christianity would still be under the auspices of a severely unreformed and even dare I say evil version of the RCC that hadn’t had the benefit of subsequent Reformation and Counter Reformation.
 
The benefit was that the RCC was not exactly its best self in the late 1400’s and early 1500’s. Most of the popes in that era were corrupt, deranged, or outright evil. And they were taking western Christianity down the rabbit hole with them. It wasn’t until Leo pushed people like Luther and his contemporaries over the edge that hey forced the issue.
 
There were plenty of “heresy pals” that came around before Luther.

I think the only reason why it really expanded when it did in the 16th Century was due to the invention of the printing press in the 15th Century. A lot easier for people to communicate and get the word out.
 
If you say so… but frankly I’d say the abuse of indulgences, popes fathering scores of illegitimate children, popes starting wars, sex orgies in the Vatican, etc… weren’t exactly in keeping with Christ’s message.
 
Ok, not including Peter, I would say Hildebrand, Pope Gregory VII 1073 -1085. The church was in dire need of reform, especially the Episcopate and priesthood. The Grgorian reforms were the reason why I think he was the best.
 
Paul VI tied with Pius XI for their pro-life encyclicals in a century that badly needed them, to a world of minds, good Catholic or otherwise, that can barely begin to understand pro-life at all – Humanae Vitae and Casti Connubii.
 
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Pope Leo XIII! He began to take interest in the Eastern Churches not in communion with Rome and began the process of “de-Latinization” of the Eastern Churches in communion with Rome. Of course there was his encyclical Orientalium Dignitas which he stated, “The Churches of the East are worthy of the glory and reverence that they hold throughout the whole of Christendom in virtue of those extremely ancient, singular memorials that they have bequeathed to us.”

ZP
 
Lots of good answers here. A fun, if impossible, question to pose to the forum.
 
If the Holy Spirit isn’t picking popes, I want out! Even the 5 or 6 who were corrupt were picked to teach us something.
 
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