Catholic Questions/Issues

[heydaralon]

nmoore and Speaker:

Thank you for the detailed answers! This is good stuff. I kind of packed a bunch of questions into the OP, but I appreciate you taking the time to answer it. Props to both of you!

GloryofGreece has a thread on the Protestant Revolution where we are discussing the idea of faith alone for salvation vs. the idea of faith and good works. The latter concept seems to be a more Catholic idea imo, while the former is more protestant. I am not Biblically knowledgable to answer these questions, but I do have my own opinions on many of these religious debates.

[heydaralon]

It's literally in the Bible. Jesus made St. Peter the leader of the Apostles. In the Council of Jerusalem, he was the ultimate Earthly authority that presided over it. Even St. Paul deferred to him, though St. Paul was intellectually far superior to St. Peter. The Apostolic Succession also is clearly shown in Acts, with St. Barnabas being made an Apostle.

When St. Barnabas died, the other Apostles replaced him with another, and so on, until today. A bishop is just a successor of the Apostles, and the Pope is just the successor of St. Peter.

In your opinion, who is the best pope of all time after the events of the Bible? I'm not talking about Peter, but those who came after him. In the last 100 years, who is your favorite pope?

I do not really know, man. I like Pope Urban II. Uncucked Pope.

But focusing on the Pope is kind of silly. You should focus on the saints.

That is the Pope who did the Clermont Council that set off the first Crusade and the re-taking of Jerusalem for Christians right? Deus Vult on their ass.

Also, what do you mean by focusing on Saints? If the Saint is more spiritually significant and closer to God than the Pope, shouldn't the saint become the Pope? What are some Saints you admire? In the present, is there anyone on Earth who you think deserves sainthood?

[Speaker to Animals]

In your opinion, who is the best pope of all time after the events of the Bible? I'm not talking about Peter, but those who came after him. In the last 100 years, who is your favorite pope?

I do not really know, man. I like Pope Urban II. Uncucked Pope.

But focusing on the Pope is kind of silly. You should focus on the saints.

That is the Pope who did the Clermont Council that set off the first Crusade and the re-taking of Jerusalem for Christians right? Deus Vult on their ass.

Also, what do you mean by focusing on Saints? If the Saint is more spiritually significant and closer to God than the Pope, shouldn't the saint become the Pope? What are some Saints you admire? In the present, is there anyone on Earth who you think deserves sainthood?

The Blessed Mother was holier than all the Apostles, and Jesus did not make her a Pope or Apostle. There were several women in the Gospels that we're holier than the Apostles.

The business of running the Church and the business of becoming a saint are separate things.

[GloryofGreece]

Me personally

Saint Francis of Assisi

Saint Jude

Saint George

[Speaker to Animals]

St. George is my patron.


I like St. Gemma quite a lot as well.

[MilSpecs]

Well, these are things I have always wondered about. Personally, I think John Paul II did some heroic stuff, like leading the resistance to Communism in Poland, but there are many things that bother me about the idea of a pope. Not knocking anyone's faith.

To Catholics, the Pope as a person is different than the Pope as the head of the Church. Even priests get that differentiation when they’re performing a sacrament. When I was Catholic, I could have had a big argument with a priest and then that same priest could hear my confession the next day and we would both be able to separate the person from the spiritual role. It’s one of the reasons the current crisis is so appalling to Catholics. My priest could be a drunk and I still recognized his spiritual authority. Very hard to do that with a child molester.

[C-Mag]

What are some Saints you admire?

St Michael the Archangel, Leads the Army of God against Evil

[nmoore63]

Angels aren’t saints.

[TheReal_ND]

What are some Saints you admire?

St Michael the Archangel, Leads the Army of God against Evil

Best saint

[C-Mag]

Angels aren’t saints.

Meh