What's the Big Deal About the Pope Anyway? A Brief Explanation for Curious Non-Catholics

What a fun week to be Catholic! My social media feeds have been full of papal memes, infographics, speculation, and information–it seems the whole world has been watching and wondering what might happen at the conclave, and now all eyes are on Pope Leo. Predictably, however, there have been plenty of negative and even hate-filled comments about the Catholic Church. And while I don’t have any interest in addressing the most severe forms of ignorance and bigotry, I believe that many of our Protestant brothers and sisters and well-meaning non-Christian friends are wondering what all the hype is about. To understand, in part, why Catholics are so invested in the papacy, here is a brief explanation of what a pope is–and what he isn’t.

WHAT IS A POPE?

The pope is a head of state. The pope isn’t just a pastor–he is Head of State of Vatican City (an independent city-state). He is also head of the Holy See, the universal governing body of the Catholic Church. The United States has an ambassador to the Holy See, and the Holy See maintains an Apostolic Nunciature (an embassy) in the United States. In other words, unlike Protestant Christian sects, the Catholic Church has diplomatic relations with the United States. 

The pope is the spiritual leader of over a billion Catholics. There are an estimated 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, and 20 percent of Americans identify as Catholic. This is one of the reasons the pope is such a big deal. No other religious leader has a flock as large, and the pope is the symbol and protector of global Catholic unity. 

The pope is the successor of Saint Peter. Jesus built His Church on the rock of Peter (Matt 16:18). Peter later became the Bishop of Rome. The Catholic Church has been under the guidance of the Bishop of Rome since the time of the apostles. The Catholic belief in the primacy of Peter, and the office of the Bishop of Rome is rooted in scripture (Matt 16:18)  and the writings of the Church fathers.

The pope is infallible. I know that sounds crazy–at least I thought so when I was a protestant. How can any man be infallible? Actually, since Catholics consider the Bible to be the infallible word of God, it makes perfect sense. After all, what good does it do to have an infallible book if we do not have an infallible interpretation of that book?  It is the Catholic Church and papal infallibility that have staved off heresy after heresy over the centuries and kept intact many basic doctrines of Christianity that all modern Christians take for granted.

The pope is a sinner. Just like the rest of us, the pope is a sinner in need of God’s grace and mercy. He would be the first to admit this.

 WHAT THE POPE IS NOT 

The pope is not right about everything all the time. I know I said that the pope is infallible, but that only applies when he speaks ex cathedra or from the Seat of Peter. In other words, papal infallibility only applies in matters of faith and morals and when the pope is speaking in his official capacity as the successor of Saint Peter. It does not apply to anything (even things regarding morals and doctrine) that the pope says in situations like a private conversation or an interview.  

The pope is not God’s only representative on earth.  The pope is Christ’s representative, but so is every baptized Christian. Catholics indeed believe that when administering the sacraments, a priest stands in Persona Christi--in the person of Christ. But in the day-to-day sharing of the gospel, we are all called to be His representatives.

The pope is not divine.  I’ve seen several comments this week from people warning Catholics that the pope can’t save us or that he is just a man. Catholics agree. We believe there is one God in three persons–The Father,  The Son, and The Holy Spirit–and one savior who is Jesus Christ. 

The pope is not always likable. Or so I hear. In all my years of being Catholic, I have yet to dislike a pope. But if it ever happens, they won’t pull my Catholic Card. Some Catholics did not like Benedict. Some didn’t care for Francis. Popes have different styles, so they appeal to different people. As Catholics, we have to obey the pope as the head of our church, but we don’t have to invite him over for dinner.

The pope is not radically changing the Church. The media often labeled Francis a liberal. In reality, he was neither liberal nor conservative. He was Catholic, and Catholicism does not fit neatly into political boxes. Like Francis, previous popes have also spoken out against environmental irresponsibility, unjust treatment of homosexuals, and unbridled capitalism–even Benedict, who was labeled a conservative. 

The pope is not (entirely) chosen by the Holy Spirit. Well, yes and no. Jesus promised that the gates of Hell would not prevail against His church (Matt. 16:18). So we know that even a bad pope cannot destroy the Church. Even the most corrupt popes in history never changed doctrine. But because we all all retain our free will, even after becoming Christians, there's always the posibility that a pope (or any of us) can go off the rails. Fortunately, truely corroupt papacies have been rare. As Pope Benedict put it, ...[the Spirit] like a good educator.. leaves much freedom without entirely abaondoning us...That said, countless of faithful Catholics prayed fervently for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in the days leading up to the conclave, and we know that the cardinals themselves were steeped in prayer. So, while it can't be said that the Holy Spirit entirely bypasses human will and weakness and hand selects the pope, we can trust that the selection of our new Holy Father is the fruit of those prayers, and we can rejoice in God’s generous provision for His Church.

Habemus Papam! Deo Gratias!