Does the Pope Speak for God?

I don't know.  I am a confirmed Catholic convert. I started attending the Catholic church when I was in fourth grade: I married a Catholic; I raised my son Catholic, but I did not make my first communion and become confirmed until I was 22. That is another story.

As a child, I was in awe of the Pope, the Holy Father. I believed he spoke for God; I tried to be a "good" Catholic.

I have lived through six Popes.  I saw Pope John Paul II in Denver. I stood only about three feet from his motorcade as it passed on his way to the airport.  The energy emanating from his person was palpable. I loved that man. He was a good man. His story is fascinating. He was married. He was a member of the Polish underground during WWII. He was a published author. He was a humanitarian. He tried to do good in the world.


When he died, my heart broke.  I did not see how he could be replaced. And when Pope Benedict XVI was elected, I felt sorry for him. He looked so old and frail. He looked tired. "Why," I wondered, "couldn't they let him live out his remaining years in peace?" Thank goodness he had the sense to resign. He was just too old and tired for the job. He needs rest.

Who will be our next Pope? Well, there Cardinal Peter Turkson from Ghana; he looks healthy. Africa needs a lot of help. He probably has some solutions.  He would be a good choice. He has a kind smile.  But he would not be the first Black pope.  According to the Liber Pontificalis, three popes-Pope St Victor I (ca186-198), Pope St Miltiades (311-14), and Pope St Gelasius (492-496)-were Africans. (See The Liber Pontificalis. Texte, Introduction et Commentaire. Ed. Abbé L. Duchesne. 3 volumes. Paris: E. de Boccard, Editeurs. 1955.)

Then there is the hockey player from Canada, Cardinal Marc Quellet. I vote for him. Anyone who plays hockey is a fighter who can stand up to any kind of pain.  In today's church, he will need that kind of chutzpah. Besides, do you see that calculating look in his eyes? The man knows strategy.

Back to the original question, does the Pope speak for God? Well, I know that God speaks to all of us, but I do not think that any one man can tell an entire world what God wants.  Jesus did, but he was God in the flesh, and he was, well, Jesus.

 I believe that each individual must get their answer from prayer. That is just my opinion. I believe in the separation of church and state. The Catholic Church and Popes controlled the entire Western world, at one time, and we all know how well that worked out.