Page 471 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

POPE

Pope Adrian I (772-795 A.D.) is said to be the “real Roman pontiff, the successor of Peter, the Prince of the
founder” of the pope’s sovereignty (Ibid., Vol. I, p. 156). Apostles, and the Vicar of Jesus Christ” (“Rome and
Pope St. Nicholas I (855-867) claimed absolute Unity,” Trinitarian Bible Society Quarterly Record, Oct.-
power (Ibid., Vol. V, p. 779). Dec. 1978, pp. 14-15).
Pope John XV (985-996) was the first to canonize Pope Pius IX (1846-1878) declared himself to be
saints (Ibid., Vol. VIII, , p. 428). infallible in 1870 (Catholic Encyclopedia, XII, p. 135).
Pope John XIX (1024-1032) seems to have been the Also during the papacy of Pius IX the first Vatican
first pope to grant an indulgence in return for alms council was held, during which it was proclaimed that
bestowed (Ibid., Vol. VIII, p. 429). the pope is infallible when he declares ex cathedra
Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085) prescribed that the (from the throne) on a matter of faith and morals. It
also insisted on the pope’s direct jurisdiction over each
title pope should be confined to the successors of Peter and every believer on earth.
(Ibid., Vol. XII, p. 270). Pope is a Latin word meaning
“Father” and is a title forbidden by the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus we see that the Catholic doctrine of papal
The Italian equivalent to pope is “papa,” and the pope is supremacy came into being gradually through the
often called papa. Religious leaders who allow centuries.
themselves to be called “father,” and those who call Papal supremacy was reaffirmed by the Second
them by this title are in rebellion to Christ’s command. Vatican Council, which was held in the mid-1960s and
Matthew 23:9—”And call no man your father upon the attended by 2,400 bishops. The official pronouncements
earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” which were issued by this Council changed the face of
Pope Innocent III (1198-1216). From the time of Roman Catholicism in many superficial ways, but the
Innocent III the popes called themselves “The Vicar of foundational dogmas regarding the papacy, the mass
Christ” (Ibid., Vol. XV, p. 403). Vicar of Christ means and the other sacraments, Mary, the priesthood, etc.,
representative of Christ, and is blasphemy because only remain unchanged. It is not true that the Second Vatican
the Holy Spirit is the true Vicar of Christ on earth. Council rejected Rome’s heresies or that it turned the
Pope Boniface VII (1294-1303). One of the Catholic Church toward the Bible. Following are some
statements from Vatican II illustrating the truth of this
proclamations of Boniface VII said this: “Listen to the claim:
Vicar of Christ, who is placed over kings and kingdoms.
He is the keeper of the keys, the judge of the living and “The Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of
the dead, and sits on the throne of justice, with power Christ, namely, and as pastor of the entire Church, has
full, supreme and universal power over the whole
to extirpate all iniquity. He is the head of the Church, Church, a power which he can always exercise
which is one and stainless, and not a many-headed unhindered” (Vatican Council II—The Conciliar and Post
monster, and has full divine authority to pluck out and Conciliar Documents, 1975, p. 344).
tear down, to build up and plant. Let not the king “This loyal submission of the will and intellect must be
imagine that he has no superior, is not subject to the given, in a special way, to the authentic teaching
highest authority in the Church” (Catholic Encyclopedia, authority of the Roman Pontiff, even when he does not
II, p. 666). speak ex cathedra in such wise, indeed, that his
Pope Benedict XII (1334-1342). It was during the supreme teaching authority be acknowledged with
reign of Benedict XII over the Catholic Church that the respect, and sincere assent be given to decisions made
earliest representation of the tiara (which the pope by him, conformably with his manifest mind and
intention” (Ibid., p. 348).
receives at his coronation) with three crowns appeared.
Before that it had only two crowns. “The first circlet “The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops,
enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as
symbolizes the pope’s universal rule in the church, the supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful ... he
second, his supremacy, and the third, his temporal proclaims in an absolute decision a doctrine pertaining
influence ... father of princes and kings, ruler of the to faith or morals. For that very reason his definitions
world, Vicar of Our Saviour Jesus Christ” (New Catholic are rightly said to be irreformable by their very nature
Dictionary, Vatican edition, p. 955). and not by reason of the assent of the Church ... as a
Pope Pius IV (1559-1565). During the papacy of Pius consequence they are in no way in need of the
IV Catholics were forbidden to read the Bible—even approval of others, and do not admit of appeal to any
Catholic versions of the Bible! Pius IV also issued a other tribunal. For in such a case the Roman Pontiff
does not utter a pronouncement as a private person,
creed in 1564 which stated in its eleventh and twelfth but rather does he expound and defend the teaching of
articles: “I acknowledge the Holy Catholic and Apostolic the Catholic faith as the supreme teacher of the
Roman Church to be the mother and mistress of all the universal Church, in whom the Church’s charism of
churches ... I vow and swear a true obedience to the infallibility is present in a singular way” (Ibid., p. 349).

Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity 471