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To: Hodar
Silly Question time.
Is the Pope (according to Catholic doctrine) "God's voice on Earth"? If so, then to openly question the Pope is tanamount to blasphemy, isn't it?

Not a silly question, but the answer is, "No." If the pope were, simply, "God's voice on earth," he would be a kind of all-purpose oracle, even a kind of "medium," robot, or radio receiver --- which he is not.

To get a fuller idea of what Catholic doctrine says about the pope and the general question of authority in the Church, I recommend these links to Catholic Answers.

Briefly, all of what we know about Christ comes from the evangelists and the Apostles; and all of what we know of the Apostles' teachings is found in the New Testament and in the teachings of their immediate disciples and successors, who are known as the Fathers of the Church.

The pope, as successor to the Apostle Peter, has the special ministry of confirming or strengthening his brethren (Luke 22:32), and that's what the pope basically does: he strives to guarantee the faithful transmission of the Faith as it was handed down by the Apostles. He is the chief shepherd (john 21:17), feeding the sheep with these ancient and timeless truths (not his own inventions!); he is not a fount of new revelation.

5 posted on 01/20/2007 5:40:38 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Ubi Petrus, Ibi Ecclesia)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

Thank you; that answers a lot of questions.


14 posted on 01/20/2007 11:25:59 PM PST by Hodar (With Rights, come Responsibilities. Don't assume one, without assuming the other.)
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