Pope heads up more than the Catholic Church
When Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States in April, he was received as a visiting head of state. Benedict is not only bishop of Rome - the 233rd since Peter, and thus leader of 1 billion Catholics - but he is also head of the Vatican City state recognized under international law.
In this capacity, he has ambassadors all over the world, except for in a few Muslim and communist countries. Archbishop Pietro Sambi is the papal nuncio to the U.S. with the rank of ambassador and he resides in Washington, D.C.
Tradition has it that Peter was the first bishop of Rome. He was executed in the year 67 by crucifixion, positioned upside down. At that time, however, Jerusalem was the center out of which Christianity emerged. The bishop of Jerusalem during Peter's lifetime was James, the brother of Jesus, and other centers of Christianity seemed to defer to him.
With the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in the year 70 and again in 135, Jerusalem declined as a major center. But there were other important cities where Christianity was well established: Antioch, Ephesus, Alexandria and Rome. Only gradually did Rome emerge as the one to which the others looked for leadership. In the fourth century after Christianity became a legal religion under the Emperor Constantine, Constantinople was built on the Bosporus and the Emperor moved his palace there, at the same time, bequeathing much property and wealth to the bishop of Rome.
The role of pope as secular ruler started as the Roman Empire in the West began to fall to pieces in the mid-fifth century. The bishop of Rome was Leo 1, who assumed office in 440. Leo stressed that since Peter was the "rock" on which the church was founded, the bishops of Rome were his natural successors and should have supremacy over the rest.
At the same time, barbaric tribes were attacking Rome and there was a hiatus in leadership. Leo stepped into the role and went out to meet Attila the Hun to dissuade him from destroying the city. Attila acquiesced - it helped that Attila died of a heart attack on his wedding night soon after. A few years later, Leo persuaded the vandal Gaiseric to at least sack Rome peacefully. Thus, the bishop of Rome acquired a political role. Leo also managed to solve several problems of a spiritual nature and was looked up to by the other bishops.
The Roman bishop gradually acquired more and more land and power. When Gregory the Great was elected in 592, he became civic protector of Rome and Italy, and was now the ruler of the lands that had once been part of the Roman Empire. Gregory is credited with the conversion of the English and the spreading of Christianity in Europe.
Within a century, the other centers of Christianity (all but Constantinople) had been taken over by the Muslims. The Muslim encroachment into Europe was stopped in 732 by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours.
Martel's grandson, Charlemagne, established the Holy Roman Empire in the late eight century. Although it is often said that it was not holy or Roman or an Empire, it encompassed most of Europe. The Papal States, most of what is now Italy, were given to the pope. He had his own army. Throughout the Middle Ages, the pope was a powerful secular leader and the papacy was often sought by unscrupulous men. It is often pointed out that a corrupt papacy led to the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.
With the unification of Italy in 1860, the Papal States were reduced to one square mile, the smallest country in the world. The pope has full and absolute executive, legislative and judicial power over it.
Cardinals are prelates whose functions are to elect a pope, advise him and help him in governing the church. There are presently more than 150 cardinals. Seven cardinals are appointed by the pope for five-year periods to the Pontifical Commission who see to legislation. The state's foreign relations are entrusted to the secretariat of state and diplomatic service.
While the pope is legally entitled to an army and a navy, he has neither. Vatican City maintains the Swiss Guards, a voluntary military force, as well as a modern security corps. It has its own post office, radio station, daily newspaper, bank, railway station, television center and publishing house. It issues its own coins and stamps.
From it, the message goes out to the entire world.
(Source: By Elizabeth McNamer is an adjunct professor of religion at Rocky Mountain College, Published on Saturday, April 26, 2008. For The Gazette)
When Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States in April, he was received as a visiting head of state. Benedict is not only bishop of Rome - the 233rd since Peter, and thus leader of 1 billion Catholics - but he is also head of the Vatican City state recognized under international law.
In this capacity, he has ambassadors all over the world, except for in a few Muslim and communist countries. Archbishop Pietro Sambi is the papal nuncio to the U.S. with the rank of ambassador and he resides in Washington, D.C.
Tradition has it that Peter was the first bishop of Rome. He was executed in the year 67 by crucifixion, positioned upside down. At that time, however, Jerusalem was the center out of which Christianity emerged. The bishop of Jerusalem during Peter's lifetime was James, the brother of Jesus, and other centers of Christianity seemed to defer to him.
With the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in the year 70 and again in 135, Jerusalem declined as a major center. But there were other important cities where Christianity was well established: Antioch, Ephesus, Alexandria and Rome. Only gradually did Rome emerge as the one to which the others looked for leadership. In the fourth century after Christianity became a legal religion under the Emperor Constantine, Constantinople was built on the Bosporus and the Emperor moved his palace there, at the same time, bequeathing much property and wealth to the bishop of Rome.
The role of pope as secular ruler started as the Roman Empire in the West began to fall to pieces in the mid-fifth century. The bishop of Rome was Leo 1, who assumed office in 440. Leo stressed that since Peter was the "rock" on which the church was founded, the bishops of Rome were his natural successors and should have supremacy over the rest.
At the same time, barbaric tribes were attacking Rome and there was a hiatus in leadership. Leo stepped into the role and went out to meet Attila the Hun to dissuade him from destroying the city. Attila acquiesced - it helped that Attila died of a heart attack on his wedding night soon after. A few years later, Leo persuaded the vandal Gaiseric to at least sack Rome peacefully. Thus, the bishop of Rome acquired a political role. Leo also managed to solve several problems of a spiritual nature and was looked up to by the other bishops.
The Roman bishop gradually acquired more and more land and power. When Gregory the Great was elected in 592, he became civic protector of Rome and Italy, and was now the ruler of the lands that had once been part of the Roman Empire. Gregory is credited with the conversion of the English and the spreading of Christianity in Europe.
Within a century, the other centers of Christianity (all but Constantinople) had been taken over by the Muslims. The Muslim encroachment into Europe was stopped in 732 by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours.
Martel's grandson, Charlemagne, established the Holy Roman Empire in the late eight century. Although it is often said that it was not holy or Roman or an Empire, it encompassed most of Europe. The Papal States, most of what is now Italy, were given to the pope. He had his own army. Throughout the Middle Ages, the pope was a powerful secular leader and the papacy was often sought by unscrupulous men. It is often pointed out that a corrupt papacy led to the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.
With the unification of Italy in 1860, the Papal States were reduced to one square mile, the smallest country in the world. The pope has full and absolute executive, legislative and judicial power over it.
Cardinals are prelates whose functions are to elect a pope, advise him and help him in governing the church. There are presently more than 150 cardinals. Seven cardinals are appointed by the pope for five-year periods to the Pontifical Commission who see to legislation. The state's foreign relations are entrusted to the secretariat of state and diplomatic service.
While the pope is legally entitled to an army and a navy, he has neither. Vatican City maintains the Swiss Guards, a voluntary military force, as well as a modern security corps. It has its own post office, radio station, daily newspaper, bank, railway station, television center and publishing house. It issues its own coins and stamps.
From it, the message goes out to the entire world.
(Source: By Elizabeth McNamer is an adjunct professor of religion at Rocky Mountain College, Published on Saturday, April 26, 2008. For The Gazette)