How Much Do You Know About the Papacy?

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Very little is more Catholic than the Papacy. This ancient institution has been the subject of both fascination and scorn from Protestants and Orthodox Christians. While Catholics look to the Pope as the head of the Church, some Protestants claim that the entire Papacy is nothing but a ploy to lure otherwise devout Christians away from Christ.

The Pope was always of interest to Catholics, but for much of the modern era, the Pope was of very little interest to anyone outside of Catholicism. That, however, changed after a number of Popes made it clear they would not sit on the sidelines of events that shaped the world. Though mistakenly labeled a Nazi sympathizer, Pope Pius XII and the Vatican sat at the center of a spy network that worked in Nazi Germany. Pope John Paul II refused to be silent about the horrors that took place behind the Iron Curtain and in the Soviet Union, and he was instrumental in ending the Communist reign in Eastern Europe. Pope Francis has been in the news repeatedly and has become a beloved figure by both Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

For all that the Pope and the Papacy have been in the spotlight in recent years, there is still a great deal of confusion surrounding even the most basic information about this Catholic institution.

How many Popes have there been?

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Over a period of nearly 2,000 years, there have been 266 Popes. Popes generally serve until their death. As such, the retirement of Pope Benedict XVI was very surprising. Benedict XVI resigned from the Papacy in 2013. He cited his deteriorating mental and physical health as his reason for leaving behind the chair of Peter. Before his resignation, Pope Benedict XVI had two strokes and needed a pacemaker.

With his retirement, Pope Benedict XVI became “Pope Emeritus,” literally “retired Pope.” Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the 266th Pope and took on the name Pope Francis. Francis is the first Pope from the Southern Hemisphere and the first to come from the Americas. He has been very popular among many Catholics and non-Catholics, but Francis has also faced increasingly open criticism from those who feel that he is interpreting Catholic doctrine too liberally.

How is the Pope chosen?

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The Pope is chosen by the College of Cardinals, the most senior officials of the Catholic Church. The maximum number of electors is 120. During the election of Pope Francis, there were 203 cardinals from 69 countries, but only 115 cardinals were involved in the election of the Pope. During the time between a Pope’s death or resignation and the election of the next Pope, the College of Cardinals are responsible for governing the church.

Once the cardinals meet they are isolated in the Vatican until they reach an agreement. This process is called the Secret Conclave. During the Conclave, the cardinals discuss the merits of different candidates in complete secrecy. No contact is allowed with the outside world except in a legitimate medical emergency. Newspapers, magazines, radios, televisions and phones are removed.

The cardinals cast their ballots in an anonymous election, and a two-thirds majority is required to appoint a Pope. The ballots are burned after each vote. The smoke is visible to onlookers and signals if a Pope has been chosen. Black smoke means that the cardinals are still in the process of deciding. White smoke means there is a new Pope. The new Pope choses his Papal name and is dressed in the robes of the Pope. From the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the new Pope’s identity is announced using the Latin words “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum…habemus papam!” “I announce to you a great joy…we have a Pope!” The new Pope then steps forward and reveals himself to the world.

What does the Pope do?

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The Pope is the Bishop of Rome and the head of the Catholic Church with its 1.2 billion adherents. As such, the Pope has a great deal of responsibility, especially as the Papacy becomes more involved in politics. The Pope has become the face of Catholicism for non-Catholics as well as the spiritual leader looked up to by hundreds of millions of faithful Catholics.

The Pope’s day usually begins with a private Mass and a morning spent working on various pieces of religious scholarship. He will greet pilgrims at General Audiences and have meetings with bishops and political leaders from around the world. Around important holidays, such as Easter and Christmas, the Pope will deliver liturgies in Rome which can draw crowds of tens of thousands and pack the courtyard in front of St. Peter’s Basilica.

How old is the Papacy?

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The Papacy began with the Apostle Peter during the time of Christ. The most commonly cited verse in support of St. Peter as the first Pope is Matthew 16:18. The verse is a quote from Jesus Christ who says to Peter, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”

Some critics claim that Peter was not the rock Christ spoke of and point to the Greek version of the Bible in which Peter is referred to as petros while the word used for “rock” is petra. Catholic scholars, however, point out that Peter, as a man, would not have a name with a feminine ending, “a,” but a masculine one, “os.” They also explain that Jesus spoke Aramaic, not Greek. In Aramaic, both Peter and the rock were called Kepha which in Greek is petros.

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The Pope is the face of Catholicism for non-Catholics and the leader of the faithful for Catholics. He has both religious and political duties and often works days that do not end until 11:00 p.m. or midnight. The Pope is the latest in the long line of Catholic leaders stretching all the way back to the time of Christ. It is unlikely, however, that Peter, in the time of Rome’s persecution of Christians, could have imagined neither a time when the announcement of a new church leader would be greeted with the screams of joy of tens of thousands of faithful, nor that the seat of the largest denomination of Christianity would be located in the very heart of the city that was once synonymous with Christian persecution: Rome.