Why do Roman Catholics give this authority to the Pope?

The Pope is a Bishop who is the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

In The Bible, Matthew chapter 16 verses 18-20, Jesus says to Peter:

"Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means 'rock'), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven."

Roman Catholics believe that this passage describes Jesus giving the authority to be the leader of the Church to Peter, one of Jesus' disciples. Many Christians consider that he was the first Bishop of Rome. Catholics believe that the Pope is the successor of Peter and they believe that the authority to be the leader of the Church has been passed down, through all the Popes to the present Pope. All Bishops are considered to be successors of the Apostles.

Roman Catholics believe the Pope is God's representative on earth. The Pope is always male as he has to be a priest and Roman Catholics only allow men to be priests.

The Pope is the spiritual guide for Roman Catholics. He exercises Magisterium, together with the bishops.

The law of the Church (called Canon Law), says that the Pope has 'supreme, full, immediate and universal ordinary power in the Church' and he can always freely exercise this authority.

The Pope has the authority to pronounce infallibly (this means it can't be wrong, it is completely free from error) on matters of faith and morals. However, in practice this authority is very rarely used.

When a Pope gives guidance on matters of faith or morals, he writes an Encyclical , a statement written to all Catholics. The contents of Encyclicals are really important, but they are not considered to be infallible.

The Pope may call a General Council . All Bishops are members of the General Council. General Councils are not called very often. The last one was the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and the one before that was the First Vatican Council (in 1869-1870).

When a Council is called, the Council's decisions are considered as having Magisterium (or the highest authority). If all the Bishops together pronounce something to be true, they can be infallible.

When Bishops meet together in particular areas of the world to have a conference, their decisions are considered to be very important. They often discuss matters of local concern and interpret the teachings of the church in the light of local circumstances. They ensure local customs are respected by the Church.

All Roman Catholics together can also make infallible statements. If all members of the Church agree on something, this teaching can be infallible.

In summary, Catholics believe:

i) That the Pope can speak infallibly about issues of faith or doctrine. It is very rare that this happens. The Pope can communicate to the Church by Encyclical. These statements are very important, but not infallible.

ii) That the Bishops, altogether, can make infallible statements at a General Council. What is said at a General Council is very important, but not considered to be infallible.

iii) That if the whole body of the Church (i.e. all Roman Catholics) agree in matters of faith and morals, their belief is infallible too.

Roman Catholics base their teachings on the Bible and what the Church has said in the past. They believe that God has been guiding the church through the ages, helping the Bishops and Popes understand more deeply how to apply the teachings of the Bible. They believe that it is God who is ensuring the Bishops and Pope acts infallibly, not because the Pope is anything supernatural, rather because God's hand and guidance is on the Pope and the Church as a whole.

Other Christians do not accept the Pope as the Head of the Church and whilst they respect his Encyclicals and the statements of the church, they disagree that the Pope and Bishops can be infallible. In The Bible, 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 9 it says:

"But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession."

Some Christians interpret this to mean that we are all to be considered as priests. No-one is more important than anyone else. These, mainly Protestant, believers believe that all believers are equal. Some Christians do not have priests leading worship and anyone who is a Christian can lead the worship.