[Campion]

Conversely, if there had been a pope between the writer and the Lord, you’d think he would pay homage

Because, of course, no Catholic has ever written a personal letter to a family member without "paying homage" to the Pope. /s /s /s

Stop and think a bit about the silliness of what you're writing.

[Buckeye McFrog]

The Pope in 243 A.D. would have been more like the lead elder in a big megachurch. Not the crowned head of European royalty he would become later.