Why do we need a pope?

 

I’m not Catholic but I keep seeing this old white guy dressed in white speaking in Latin and have a massive following. He (it is always a he) is not a rock star or a movie celebrity. He is not a writer or journalist but he has opinions and his opinions matter.

I know the history of religion moving politics and even with two Popes, he could convince his following to gather up their serfdom and go battle the infidels in the name of the Lord.

Today he is a little short fat guy who rides around his own city in his Pope-mobile. He’s got his own army. He steps out on a balcony and expounds his words to his followers and then goes and watch daytime television.

When he dies (he is not eternal) the cardinals and bishops and knights and pawns all get around and shuffle the cards to the next Pope. When they finally decide they sit back and have a smoke.

There are many different religion variations in the world (though the Catholics probably have the best pomp and circumstance) but no one else has a ‘Pope’. There are Priest and Preachers and Ayatollahs and even a Dali Lama (but he doesn’t even have a country) but there is no supreme leader of a religion except the Pope. Billy Graham got close. Healing people sidetracked Oral Roberts and Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye were a good show until he cried.

Still there is only ONE Pope. Whether it is John, George, Paul or Ringo, everyone stops to hear what he says.

He can’t change laws. He can’t change the weather. He can’t stop killings. He can’t stop his priest from sin after the confessional.  

The Pope normally presides over religious celebrations of all the major church festivals of the year inside Saint Peter’s, including Christmas and Easter, when he also appears on the same balcony where he was proclaimed pope after his election to deliver his “Urbi Et Orbi” message to the city of Rome and to the world.

The papacy is an additional source of authority for Catholics. While many Catholics often turn to the Bible for guidance, they are also able to turn to the teachings of The Pope. The Pope is important as he represents a direct line back to Jesus. In this sense, Catholics see Jesus as being present in the papacy.

So if the “church” did without the Pope, would the readings of the good book be less revealing? Do the words need interpretations?

I guess we need a Pope just like we need the monarchy as a leftover hierarchy.

We also saved Santa Clause.