Say Hello to the Pope by Mike Trn
The name alone exudes confidence and power, commands and entails reverence, awe, and obedience and universally impresses Children of God – “papa” or the clergyman (Bishop of Rome) more commonly known as “pope” is a heavily influential individual who has shaped the course of history and paternally directed the Church since the time of St. Peter. Peter was an interesting and almost surprising choice to be the first pope, but despite the astonishing selection the Pontiff’s authority has grown and prospered at times throughout the centuries. It has floundered at others times, though, most notably when the church dissolved during the Great Schism. Still Peter’s legacy moves forward, now in the form of Benedict XVI.
The choice of Peter might come as a surprise to some who have not considered both Christ’s infinitive wisdom as well as rather logical motives for His doing so. When Peter was called to be an apostle he was just a simple fisherman and an ordinary, sinful, and doubting man who also had problems controlling his temper. A few instances where such characteristics are associated with and are befitting Peter include: when he attempted to walk on water after Jesus’ miraculous amble and sunk due to his wavering faith (Matthew 14:22-33), his prophesized denial of Jesus three times before morning on Easter (Matthew 26: 69-75), and the instance during which he drew his sword and cut off the ear of Malchus in defense of Jesus during the Betrayal by Judas (John: 18:10). These seemingly negative attributes and actions are exactly why Jesus would have chosen him to lead His people. Biblical scholar and author Daniel Harrington notes, “Peter was an unlikely symbol of stability. While he was one of the first disciples called and served as the spokesman for the group, Peter is also the exemplar of "little faith" in Matthew 14, will soon have Jesus say to him, "Get behind me, Satan," and will eventually deny Jesus three times. In light of the Easter event, then, Peter became an exemplar of the forgiven sinner” (30). The other disciples, early followers of Christ, and modern Christians or Bible patrons can easily identify with Peter and not feel threatened or be scared away from the Church. He was and continues to be a champion for the common man within the Church.
Because it is considered to have started with Jesus imparting the position to Peter (who himself by Catholics is now considered a saint and therefore a revered person), the first vicar of the Church, the papacy’s edicts and the man holding down the job is considered to be infallible. As not only an infallible individual, but also as the leader of one of the most important institutions in the world (the Catholic Church), the pope often has the unique opportunity to have a say in almost all global events. One of the main leadership functions and paradoxes of the papacy is sanctification and political power, or as Anthony Mansueto, a professor at University of new Mexico-Gallup states it, “Sanctification [is] helping others to cultivate virtue - and governing in the narrower sense of the term. [However,] the pope must not just have his own economic and political base, so that he is not dependent on the very ruling classes he must confront, but that he must have a distinctly different sort of economic and political base, which does not depend on the systematic exploitation of the poor, so that he does not himself become an oppressor even as he defends the poor against others who would oppress them. If the pope lacks the economic and political resources to affect policy on a global scale, then there is very little point in having a pope at all. But if the pope’s economic and political base either ties him to the ruling classes or makes him a member of the ruling classes, then he is unlikely to be very prophetic at all. Historically, this has turned out to be a very difficult problem to solve” (1). Here again, some popes have fared better than others, but as the role of politics and the media in the everyday lives of humans continues to expand (and oftentimes decides if those lives are worthwhile at all) popes have had more responsibility and accountability. In terms of media visibility and likeability couple with political outspokenness one of the most influential popes was the very recent John Paul II. Having been born in Poland and having an ardent affinity for his country and his family still living there, John Paul II spoke out against Communism on numerous occasions. Solidarity is a well known trade union that developed in Poland under Communism and brought about its demise through a peaceful revolution. Its founder, Lech Walesa, cites John Paul II as being instrumental in that peace and as an inspiration for the country by saying, “"Before his pontificate, the world was divided into blocs. Nobody knew how to get rid of Communism. In Warsaw, in 1979, he simply said: "Do not be afraid", and later prayed: "Let your Spirit descend and change the image of the land... this land" (Dominguez). John Paul II was even nominated for a Nobel Prize in 2004 for his lifelong candor against Communism. He was more perhaps audacious, though, in speaking out against various forms of what he considered to be “murder” such as euthanasia, capital murder, and especially abortion. In his work called Theology of the Body, which was actually a series of lectures, John Paul II stated, "All human life, from the moments of conception and through all subsequent stages, is sacred,” and continued by denouncing American stances on legal abortion and the widespread use of capital punishment calling the country and global culture emanating from it, “A culture of death” (John Paul II). Many people refer to John Paul II as the first modern pope, and while he was one of the more in-touch and well informed popes, everything he did was keeping in line with the example set by Peter, which is why he, like Peter, will most likely be canonized a saint.
Martin Luther, Thomas Cranmer, and other would argue that the pope (at the time of Martin Luther, Leo X) is the antichrist. In the Smalcald Articles, written by Martin Luther, this position is summed up when Luther posits, “The Pope is the very Antichrist, who has exalted himself above, and opposed himself against Christ because he will not permit Christians to be saved without his power, which, nevertheless, is nothing, and is neither ordained nor commanded by God. The Pope, however, prohibits this faith, saying that to be saved a person must obey him. This we are unwilling to do, even though on this account we must die in God's name. This all proceeds from the fact that the Pope has wished to be called the supreme head of the Christian Church by divine right. Accordingly he had to make himself equal and superior to Christ, and had to cause himself to be proclaimed the head and then the lord of the Church, and finally of the whole world, and simply God on earth, until he has dared to issue commands even to the angels in heaven” (Article 4). Those calling for reformation thusly believed and the Church desperately employed a counter-reformation. Pope Paul III, the first to be elected in response to the Reformation formed the Council at Trent. Hubert Jedin, a German author and Council of Trent historian/expert said, “The council issued condemnations on what it defined as Protestant heresies and defined Church teachings in the areas of Scripture and Tradition, Original Sin, Justification, Sacraments, the Eucharist in Holy Mass and the veneration of saints. It issued numerous reform decrees. By specifying Catholic doctrine on salvation, the sacraments, and the Biblical canon, the Council was answering Protestant disputes,” and most importantly, “The Council entrusted to the Pope the implementation of its work.” The Church rejected Luther and others, excommunicating them and strengthening the position of the pope. Their declaration was essentially that Christ laid foundation for the Church and had handed the Keys of the Kingdom over to an earthly individual, Peter, as noted in Matthew 16:18 - And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And so, the Council said, it shall continue.
Into the 21st century the papacy has continued and remains influential. With the death of John Paul II on 2 April, 2005 a new pope had to be selected. Joseph Ratzinger took over the vacant seat on 19 April, 2005 and has held it ever since, for better or for worse. Although his time so far has been criticized due to sex scandals, potential sexism, and the like, only time will tell whether Benedict the XVI is remembered as one of the great popes and great people the world has ever known (he has the power and thusly the opportunity). One thing is for certain, though: the foundation laid by Jesus upon the rock of Peter is still standing firm and as long as Benedict and future popes look or pray to Peter for strength, they will find it. I believe in one Holy Catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Works Cited
Dominguez, Juan. "Pope John Paul II and Communism." Religion-cults.com. 4 Apr. 2005. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. <http://religion-cults.com/pope/communism.htm>.
Harrington, Daniel J. "Peter the Rock." America, August 18–25, 2008. Accessed Nov. 15, 2010: p. 30.
Jedin, Hubert. Entstehung Und Tragweite Des Trienter Dekrets über Die Bilderverehrung. 1935. Print.
John Paul II. "Theology of the Body." Holy Year of Redemption. Pope Paul VI Hall, Vatican City. Lecture.
Luther, Martin. "Smalcald Articles." (1537). Print.
Mansueto, Anthony. "Journal of Religion and Society." Journal of Religion & Society. 2005. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. <http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/2005/2005-3.html>.
The New Jerusalem Bible. Susan Jones, gen. ed. New York: Doubleday, 1985.