What Do Catholics Believe About the Pope?

The meaning of "pope"

"Pope" comes from the Latin papa, "father." The pope is the spiritual father and servant leader of the universal Church (Matthew 23:11). As Bishop of Rome he holds the highest teaching authority, protected by the Holy Spirit when teaching definitively.

Peter and the keys

Jesus made Peter the rock on which he would build his Church and promised it would endure (Matthew 16:18). He set up a visible leadership founded on Peter and the apostles (Ephesians 2:19-20) that continues in their successors (Acts 1:15-26; see Isaiah 22:15-25). He gave Peter the keys of the kingdom, symbolizing primacy (Matthew 16:19), prayed that Peter's faith would not fail so he could strengthen his brethren (Luke 22:31-32), and told him to feed his sheep (John 21:15-17). The pope carries on this mission, safeguarding unity in teaching and protecting the faith from error (see John 14:6; 17:20-23).

Infallibility

The pope is infallible when he defines a doctrine of faith or morals for the whole Church, and when he teaches definitively with the bishops, whether gathered in an ecumenical council or dispersed throughout the world. This does not mean he is sinless. It means that, guided by the Spirit, he and the bishops are protected from error when teaching definitively (see CCC 889-891).

Election and death of a pope

When a pope dies or resigns, the College of Cardinals meets in conclave in the Sistine Chapel, prays for the Spirit's guidance, and votes in secret; a two-thirds majority is required. When the one elected accepts, white smoke rises, he chooses a name, and he is announced with "Habemus papam!" When a pope dies, the Cardinal Camerlengo verifies the death and arranges the funeral; no major decisions are made until a new pope is elected. Popes are traditionally buried in St. Peter's Basilica.

Authority and unity

As Peter's successor, the pope has supreme authority over the Church (Lumen Gentium), a belief held by the early Church. He maintains the unity of more than a billion Catholics and, despite his own imperfections, the Church remains faithful to Christ (John 8:31-32). He advances the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), reminding all of the end God calls them to (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). The pope does not invent or change doctrine; he proclaims, explains and applies Christ's teaching (Acts 2:42; Matthew 28:20) as visible head of the Church Jesus founded (Matthew 16:18-19). The Church prays for the pope not because he is perfect but because his task is immense. Concerns about "bad popes" are addressed by Joe Heschmeyer's Pope Peter.

Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago, is the 267th pope and the first born in the United States, the successor of Peter who leads the Church's mission (Matthew 28:18-20; CCC 882; see CCC 815). An Augustinian, he served as a missionary in Peru, prior general of his order, Bishop of Chiclayo and, from January 2023, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. His motto, In Illo uno unum, means "In the One [Christ], we are one" (see John 17:20-23). He took his name in honor of Leo XIII, whose Rerum Novarum addressed the first industrial revolution, as the Church now faces another, including artificial intelligence. He is not a political figure: his task is to proclaim Christ, "the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6), whose teaching sets us free (John 8:31-32; see John 3:16-17).