It is fitting that Pope John XXIII be canonized a saint by Pope Francis -- they share a focus on humility, prayer, the surprises of the Holy Spirit and breaking papal protocol to draw near to the simple people, Catholics and non-Catholics, believers and non-believers....
The origins of the Papacy can be found in the dialogue between Jesus and Simon Peter in John 21, a gospel traditionally read during Eastertide. The question,"Peter, do you love me?" is followed by the command "Feed my sheep." The pope,...
[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']O[/dropcaps]n many occasions I’ve heard non-Catholics object to the papacy. Often, they say something like this: “I just can’t believe that one man on earth, the Pope, is holier than everyone else.” So who ever said that being sinless is...
When we think about the Pope, we often think of the Vatican. But the roots of the Papacy are in the Old Testament as well as in the Gospel story of Jesus changing Simon's name to Peter and giving him the keys of the...
Leo the Great on the famous passage from Matthew 16 in which Jesus gives Cephas the new name of Peter, meaning rock, along with the keys to the kingdom of heaven. It is read each year on the Feast of the Chair of...
No sooner does Jesus praise Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi and dub him "the Rock" than he rebukes him as the devil or Satan. Peter had confessed Jesus to be the Messiah. But his idea of what it meant to be the Christ...
The papacy is an institution of that both Catholics and non-Catholics typically misunderstand. This papal primer provides an overview - What is the true job description of the Pope and what’s the origin and nature of his authority?...
The teaching authority of the Church, and especially the Papacy, are seen by some as competing with the authority of the Bible. This essay explains the Catholic position that the Pope and all Church authority are under the authority of God's Word coming to...
A brief overview of what happens from the time of the death or resignation of a pope to the public announcement of his successor, elected by the cardinals. The papal election takes place in a secret conclave held in the Sistine chapel. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color=''...