Quote:
Originally posted by 6_INCH_HEELS
Are people really surprised. Why is there even still a Pope and why do people take them seriously. I'm asking. I admit my ignorance of the subject regarding Catholicism and its history.
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The papacy is considered the unbroken line of historical apostolic succession which stretches back to Saint Peter in the 1st century. So the Pope is basically seen, by his followers, as the successor of Saint Peter and that makes his word authoritative especially on morality issues. He is also a religious figurehead for more people than any other religious leader in the world (1.2 billion people). If he said something and statistically "no one" obeyed, say less than 1% of his followers, that would still be more people than in any other religion in the US. The Pope is very influential. In fact, he's always ranked inside the top 10 of the most powerful people in the world every year.
