The head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, issued a frank statement in support of the gay community. The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church: his place and role in history Who is the head of the Catholic Church

Have you ever wondered why for centuries the Roman Catholic Church fought in Europe mainly with women, burning them at the stake as witches? Moreover, the number of women killed and burned alive is in the hundreds of thousands!

Medieval engraving: "burning of witches".

The reason for this misogyny of Catholics became clear only now.

Catholics are a bunch of pederasts!

This is the secret why Catholics automatically labeled any beautiful woman in the Middle Ages as a "witch"!

The previous pope, Benedict XVI, allowed me to draw such a conclusion. In February 2013, he left his high post for life voluntarily, in protest against the dominance of homosexual priests in the bosom of the Roman Catholic Church.

Benedict XVI (Joseph Alois Ratzinger)

Benedict XVI was head of the Vatican from April 19, 2005 to February 28, 2013. He was remembered by millions of believers by the fact that for many years led relentless struggle against pederasts in the robes of priests.

And Benedict XVI left with a high life position heads of the Vatican, in order to somehow awaken and sober up the world community. Unfortunately, few people were impressed and awakened by his act.

To appreciate the scale of the tragedy that has now befallen Europe, in which hundreds of millions of Catholic believers live, it is enough to recall what questions this righteous pontiff raised in different years.

In 1986, Cardinal Joseph Alois Ratzinger (futureBenedict-XVI) beinghead of the "Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith" (in the old "Holy Inquisition") made a public statement condemning pederasty and same-sex marriage.« Pederasty is a perversion» , he said then.

In 2004, as dean of the College of Cardinals, he made another public statement in the same vein: “We need to purge the church of pederasts. Only a tough conservative Christian policy can stop the decay of the Church and the Christian population. Otherwise it's over."

In April 2005, Joseph Ratzinger was elected head of the Vatican, and from that moment he became Benedict XVI. At the end of November 2005, the Congregation for Catholic Education, headed by the Polish cardinal Zenon Groholevsky, published a special instruction approved by the new pontiff, which was dedicated to the problem of homosexuality among the clergy.

At the end of December 2008, on Christmas Eve, in his annual speech to the highest clergy of the Vatican, Pope Benedict-XVI again considered it necessary to touch on the topic of pederasts, thereby showing its importance and relevance. “Too much danger from pederasts for the population of Europe and the whole planet”, the pontiff said. No one among the highest figures of the Church has spoken like this before.

Pope Benedict XVI compared the offensive of pederasts "with dangerous climate change from the destruction of tropical forests."

“Adoration of God's creation should not be limited to protecting the environment. The highest creation of God is man, humanity. It is necessary to save man, mankind from themselves, from the growth of the infected, diabolical part - millions or tens of millions of pederasts. In fact, the offensive of pederasts is a terrible "environmental disaster." The task of the Roman Catholic Church is not only to preserve the natural creations of the Creator, but, first of all, to save man, for man destroys himself,” said the Pope. "If the rainforests deserve our tutelage, then people need it just as much." .

When in 2012 the pontiff instructed his trusted people to collect dossiers on cardinals, patriarchs, supreme archbishops, primates, metropolitans, archbishops and bishops, and when it turned out that so many of these "God's servants" were in fact "servants of the devil", he decided to announce the resignation of the head of the Vatican...

In February 2013, Benedict-XVI left his life post, and soon the Argentine Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who chose his church name, was appointed the new pope. — Francis.

What did the new head of the Vatican begin to do, in what direction did he begin to develop his activities?

As it turned out, diametrically opposite!

Francis immediately stated that gay(buggers), even if they are priests, there is no need to fight. They must be loved and accepted as they are!

What does Europe have today as a result of the "policy of tolerance" that the new head of the Roman Catholic Church has embarked on?

I suggest you read the article below.Kirila Myamlina

"Catholics are taught resignation to mortal sins and acceptance of sodomy"

The Vatican spoke about the benefits of sodomites for the church.
Document prepared by the Synod of 200 Bishops,
states that Catholics "should challenge themselves"
to find "brother space"
For"non-traditional families".

With the election of the Pope Francis The Vatican is slipping more and more towards the recognition of sodomy, although he covers up ( in Jesuit) this action with words about "immutability of the Catholic doctrine of family and marriage».

And now— “homosexuals have talents and virtues to offer the Christian community: are we ready to accept these people and guarantee them a place in our community? Often they aspire to the Church, wishing to see in it a hospitable home.", - the text of the document says" Relatio ante desceptationem ”, prepared after a week of the Synod meeting, in which 200 bishops take part. "Are our communities unable to prove that recognizing and valuing their sexual orientation will not harm the Catholic doctrine of family and marriage?».

"Ministry of the New Way"— leading American Catholic group for the rights of sodomites» (sic!),— but, simply speaking, for the spiritual justification of one mortal sin— called the act "an important step forward", praising it for being deprived of "supreme sadness and sadness of apocalyptic horror». London-based yet another "Catholic gay rights group"— QUEST — called the adopted document "a breakthrough in recognizing that such alliances have intrinsic goodness and represent a valuable contribution to the common good».

One of the few who is not afraid to raise his voice against vice in Geyrop,— John Smeaton, co-founder of the normal "conservative" group "Voice of the Family"— rightly said thatthose who control the synod have betrayed catholic families all over the world". He defined the document as "one of the worst official documents prepared in the history of the Church».

The Vatican document will form the basis for the second week of the Catholic synod meeting. Its results will become a "program" for Catholics in all countries of the world. One of the tasks— remove from Catholic sermons censure in relation to couples of buggers and avoid such expressions in relation to them as " internally disordered e",— phrase used by ex-dad Benedict 16 when he was still a cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and head of the doctrinal department of the Vatican. As we remember, his departure was associated both with pressure on the Vatican Bank and with scandals with cardinals convicted of sodomy . These operations took place with the active participation of the Mondialist Zionist lobby based in Washington.

THE FALL OF ROME

In 1822-26. Rome to a fewand justified usury by acts. In 1848, after an organized Rothschild Revolution, Rome entered into a banking union with them - giving them the opportunity to create the "Bank of Rome" (Central Bank of Italy), and then the Santander Bank, which became a "Catholic bank" mainly for Spain and Latin American countries.

In 1965, with Paul VI At the Second Vatican Council, the Roman Catholic Church published the tract Nostra Aetate. It points out that the death of Christ cannot be associated with the entire Jewish people, either in the past or now. After that, a significant part of the “traditionalist” Catholics broke away from Rome, entering mainly into the Society of St. Pius X(SSPX).

In April 1986, John Paul II the first of all the Catholic hierarchs visited the Roman synagogue, calling the Jews "elder brothers in faith."

On January 18, 2008, the Milanese newspaper Il Giornale published information about the decision of Benedict XVI to “cut out” from the text of the prayer the words regarding the “darkness and blindness” of Jews who refuse to recognize Jesus Messiah. In the traditional version, adopted by the Council of Trent in the 16th century, valid until 1962 and renewed by decree of the Pope in July 2007, the text of the “Latin prayer” included a request for the Jews to God: “ Send down Your mercy on the Jews, hear the prayer that we lift up for people who do not understand, so that Your light, which is in Christ, will illuminate them and dispel their darkness.».

In the spring of 2009, Benedict 16 toured the Holy Places, and there praying with the Jews and also worshiped their idols. In many photographs, the Catholic Pope is depicted on Mount Nebo, where he prayerfully held out his hands to the image Nahashona — copper serpent, which Moses made to the Jews in the desert to protect them from snake bites.

In the spring of 2011, Benedict XVI removed the accusation of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ from the Jews, offering a new understanding of the famous lines of the 27th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. The head of the Roman Catholic Church gave his interpretations of the Gospel in the book “ Jesus of Nazareth: From the Entry into Jerusalem to the Ascension».

We are talking about the events described by Matthew in the 27th chapter, when in response to the question of the judge Pilate about whether to crucify Christ or let him go, the assembled crowd shouted: "Let him be crucified". "And answering, all the people said, His blood is on us and on our children.» (Matt. 27:25). Based " denial of discrimination» Benedict 16 justified their spiritual curse. After which he was exposed from his post.

In return for him, using pressure on the capital of the Vatican, a Jesuit was elected— Francis.

You need to know that the archbishopJorge Mario Bergoglio(dad Francis), has not just friendly relations with the "liberal rabbi"Abram Skorky, but is also a co-author of a book shared with him— "dialogue", published in 2010 in Spanish under the title "Sobre el Cielo y la Tierra". The ambiguity is revealing— because the word "sobre" has a double meaning— « O" And " higher».

It turns out that the dialogue of the Jesuit archbishop with the liberal rabbi is "Above Heaven and Earth." Those. Jesuits and rabbis are "above God". With all this, Rabbi Skorsky is an active promoter of homosexual marriages.

Francis ascended the Roman throne today declares that 1.2 billion Catholics should "develop your attitude' to pederasty as 'important educational part of globalization". At the same time, the crafty Jesuit does not directly deny “moral problems”, but he does not condemn mortal sin either, covering it up with the words that “if a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?».

As we can see, the fall of Rome was gradual, but its speed is accelerating more and more.As for the final justification of sin,— as we have already said, the non-recognition of homosexuality as a disease generated by social, that is, spiritual vices, only multiplies the epidemic of both spiritual degradation and physical degeneration . Those. degeneration of the human race.Fall of course— to the very bottom. Those. before death— spiritual and physical.

To make it clear to the reader where the heyday of pederasty took place, which resulted in a monstrous misogyny I suggest you take a look at the map Holy Roman Empire.

According to the encyclopedia, The Holy Roman Empire (since 1512 - the "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation"; (Latin "Sacrum Imperium Romanum Nationis Germanicae" or "Sacrum Imperium Romanum Nationis Teutonicae", German "Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation") - a state formation that existed from 962 to 1806 and united many territories of Europe. empires included: Germany, which was its core, northern and central Italy, Netherlands, Czech Republic, as well as some regions France. Since 1134, it formally consisted of three kingdoms: Germany, Italy and Burgundy. From 1135, the kingdom became part of the empire. Czech, whose official status within the empire was finally settled in 1212.

The Holy Roman Empire was founded in 962 East Frankish king Otto I the Great and was seen as a direct continuation of the ancient Roman Empire and the Frankish empire of Charlemagne. The empire throughout its history remained a decentralized entity with a complex feudal hierarchical structure, uniting several hundred territorial-state formations. The emperor was at the head of the empire. The imperial title was not hereditary, but was assigned based on the results of the election by the college of electors. The power of the emperor was never absolute and was limited to the highest aristocracy of Germany, and from the end of the 15th century - to the Reichstag, which represented the interests of the main classes of the empire ... The Holy Roman Empire lasted until 1806 and was liquidated during the Napoleonic wars, when the Confederation of the Rhine was formed, and the last emperor, Franz II, abdicated.

From the foregoing, one conclusion follows - modern EUROPEAN UNION- heir Holy Roman Empire with all its imperial ambitions and long-standing vices.

You can read about the origin of the EU flag .

Continuation of this topic in my earlier post

Organization of the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church has a strictly centralized organization. At the head of the Roman Church is dad which means "father" in Greek. In early Christianity, believers called so ϲʙᴏ their spiritual leaders, monks, priests, bishops. At the turn of II and III centuries. in Eastern Christianity, the title "pope" was given to the patriarch of the Church of Alexandria. In the West, the title was borne by the bishops of Carthage and Rome. In 1073 the pope Gregory VII declared that the right to bear the title "pope" belonged only to the bishop of Rome. At the same time, the word "dad" is not currently used in the official nomenclature. It is replaced by the expression RomanusPontifex(Roman pontiff or high priest), borrowed from ancient Roman religion. This title demonstrates the two main functions of the pope: he will be the bishop of Rome and at the same time the head of the Catholic Church. According to the apostolic heritage thesis, the bishop of Rome inherited all the attributes of power that the apostle Peter had, who headed the college of the twelve apostles. Just as Peter was the head of the church, so his successors have power over the entire Catholic world and its hierarchy. This thesis found its final expression in the Do not forget that the Vatican Cathedral (1870)the dogma of the supremacy of the pope.

The first bishops of Rome were approved by the people and the clergy, with the subsequent approval of the election of bishops of neighboring dioceses. After ϶ᴛᴏth, the chosen one was consecrated as a bishop. In the 5th century the process of excluding the influence of secular persons on the course of the election of the Roman bishop begins, which become the prerogative of the clergy. It is important to note that the approval of the elected candidate by the people has become a pure formality. At the same time, the supreme secular power influenced the election of the pope for a long time. In 1059 the pope Leo IX turned the election of popes into a matter of cardinals. Previously, priests and deacons of parish churches were called cardinals, and in the 11th century. so they began to call the bishops of the Roman ecclesiastical region. In subsequent years, the title of cardinal was also assigned to other church hierarchs, however, from the 13th century. it becomes higher than the title of bishop.

From the 13th century the requirements for the procedure of elective meetings were tightened. At the time of the elections, the College of Cardinals began to be isolated from the outside world. Locked (hence the name conclave- lat. "turnkey"), the cardinals were required to quickly complete the election of a new pope, otherwise they were threatened with a dietary restriction. A requirement was introduced to keep the course of the conclave in complete secrecy. Ballot papers were ordered to be burned in a special stove. If the elections did not take place, then wet straw was mixed with the ballots and the black color of the smoke informed those gathered in front of the cathedral about the negative result of the vote. In the event of an election, dry straw was mixed with the ballots. The white color of the smoke indicated that a new pope had been elected. After the election, the head of the cardinal college made sure that the elected one agreed to take the throne, and then he was given a new name according to his desire.

The Pope exercises this power through a set of institutions called papal curia. The name "curia" comes from the Latin word curia, which meant the seat of the city authorities of Rome on the Capitol. In addition to the curia, there are currently two advisory bodies under the pope: College of Cardinals And synod of bishops created after II Do not forget that the Vatican Council in 1970

The official documents accepted by the pope are called constitutions or bullae. To the second group of documents ᴏᴛʜᴏϲᴙt breve or private rulings. Do not forget that the most important documents are called "decrees". In 1740 the first encyclical. Some documents are sealed with a special seal called " fisherman's ring”, as the figure of Peter the Fisherman is engraved on it. The Pope enjoys the right to award knightly orders for services to the church.

The Pope will be not only a spiritual mentor, but also the head of the city-state Don't forget that the Vatican, which arose in 1929 as a result of the Lutheran agreements with the government of Mussolini. The goal of the ecclesiastical state is to ensure the independence of the pope and the Catholic Church from secular authorities, its unimpeded communication with bishops and believers of the whole world. Note that the area Do not forget that the Vatican is 44 hectares and is located in Rome. Do not forget that the Vatican has the symbols of political sovereignty - the flag and anthem, the gendarmerie, financial authorities, communications and the media.

The current state of the Catholic Church

The modern Catholic Church in its structure and administration has a distinct legal nature. The regulation of all ecclesiastical affairs will be Code of Canon Law, which contains the ϲʙᴏd of all ancient ecclesiastical ordinances and the innovations that followed them.

Hierarchy in the Catholic Church

In the Catholic Church there was a strict centralization of the clergy. At the top of the hierarchical pyramid stands the pope as the source of all spiritual authority. It is worth noting that he bears the title of “Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the City-State Do not forget that the Vatican, the servant of the servants of God. The pope is elected for life by a special meeting of the college of cardinals - the conclave. The election may be made unanimously and orally; by compromise, when the right to elect is transferred in writing to the participants in the conclave - seven, five or three cardinals, and the latter must come to a unanimous opinion. Elections are usually held by secret ballot based on prepared ballots. The person who receives two-thirds plus one vote is considered elected. The one elected to the throne can also renounce power. If the election is accepted by him, then from the balcony of St. Petra the new pope blesses the City and the World.

The Pope has unlimited power. It is worth noting that he appoints the highest church hierarchs. The appointment of cardinals by the Pope shall be approved by consistory- Assembly of the College of Cardinals. The Pope also implements the function of the sovereign city-state Do not forget that the Vatican. Do not forget that the Vatican maintains diplomatic relations with more than 100 countries and is represented in the UN. General management is carried out by the Roman curia- the totality of the central institutions located in Rome, the governing bodies of the church and the state Do not forget that the Vatican. According to the Apostolic Constitution « pastorbonus», entered into force in 1989, the most important institutions are the State Secretariat, 9 congregations, 12 councils, 3 tribunals, 3 offices. The Cardinal, Secretary of State, is subject to papal envoys, incl. nuncio(from lat. - "messenger") - permanent representatives of the pope to the governments of foreign states. All the priests of the country to which the nuncio is sent, except for the cardinals, are under his control, all the churches must be open to him. A new advisory body was introduced into the Roman Curia - synod of bishops, to which the conferences of national episcopates delegate ϲʙᴏ their representatives.

Recently, the rights of the laity in the church have been expanded and strengthened. It is worth noting that they are involved in the activities of collective governing bodies, in the Eucharistic service, and in managing the finances of the church. Diverse cultural and educational activities are practiced in the parishes, circles and clubs are created.

Activities of the Catholic Church

There are many non-official organizations in the Catholic Church. Their activities are determined by the personality of the leader. This may be reading and studying the Bible, or it may be an activity of a mystical nature. Such organizations are referred to as "Emmanuelle", "Community of Bliss", "Knights of Columbus", etc.

Since the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church has attached great importance to missionary activity. Material published on http: // site
Today, most Catholics live in Third World countries. The church incorporates elements of the ancestral cult that is widespread in these countries into worship and refuses to consider ϶ᴛᴏ as idolatry, as ϶ᴛᴏ used to be.

It should not be forgotten that monasticism, organized into orders and congregations subordinate to the pope, occupies an important position in the Catholic Church. Orders are divided into "contemplative" and "active" and live according to the charter, in which prayer, worship are combined with physical and mental labor. The statutes of the contemplative orders are more strict, requiring that the monks devote themselves to prayer, and work only to maintain life.

Any Catholic from the age of 15 can be a member of the order, if there are no canonical obstacles for him. After two years of novice vows are taken - solemn (monastic) or simple. Traditionally, vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience are given, as well as vows prescribed by the rules of the order. Solemn vows are recognized as eternal, for their removal requires the permission of the pope. Lay members of orders are called brothers, monastic priests are called fathers. Women who have taken an eternal vow are called nuns, others are called sisters. The “first orders” are male, the “second orders” are female, the “third orders” consist of lay people who strive to realize the ideals of this order.

On II Do not forget that the Vatican Council began the process "adjarnamento" - renewal, modernization of all aspects of church life, aimed at simplifying rituals and worship, adapting them to specific conditions.

Significant Attention It should not be forgotten that the Vatican devotes itself to spreading and strengthening the positions of Catholicism in Russia. There are more than 2 million Catholics on the territory of the Russian Federation. Recently, new parishes are opening. There is an official body of the apostolic administration in Moscow, and Catholic educational institutions are being opened. From the beginning of 1990, the monastic orders of the Dominicans, Franciscans, and Jesuits began to show activity. Catholic nuns appeared: Carmelites, paulins, and others. The leadership of the Catholic Church in Russia has a benevolent attitude towards the Russian Orthodox Church and is ready to cooperate with it.

Yesterday, Pope Francis made a statement that, against the background of the statements of the previous head of the Roman Catholic Church, can be called almost revolutionary. In particular, speaking about the existence of a "gay lobby" in the Vatican, he said: "If someone is gay, but seeks God, and he has good intentions, who am I to condemn him?" At the same time, the Pope clarified that, according to church laws, homosexual contacts are a sin, but not orientation.

Many saw the pope's words as an attempt to take a more liberal stance on homosexuals than his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who signed a document in 2005 stating that "men with deep-seated homosexual inclinations cannot be priests." Francis also said that "gay priests should be forgiven and forgiven for their sins."

This call is in step with the times, signifying a serious reform in the Christian world, bringing even more corruption.

The latest news from the Vatican confirms the subordination of the Roman Catholic Church to the "new world government" and the desire to create a single religion under the rule of an infallible Pope.

First, in June 2013, Pope Francis issued a statement in support of atheists. So, during a sermon, he said that unbelieving people who do good deeds will be redeemed by Jesus. Thus, he publicly promised salvation to atheists without their personal decision to be reconciled to God, which is contrary not only to the teachings of Holy Scripture, but also to common sense. The words of the pontiff have become headlines around the world. After Francis' words received such international media attention, the Vatican reaffirmed that atheists are still going to hell.

As we can see, all the latest statements of the Jesuit Pope prove that all the work on the “departure” of Benedict XVI was not done in vain. Recall that his abdication occurred as a result of unprecedented pressure on the Holy See from supranational financial clans, who organized an information war against him, which took on a comprehensive character and spread to all aspects of his activities - financial, administrative, political and religious. The goal was the same - to build the papal power into the "new world order", to prove the inconsistency of the leadership of the Holy See and the need for "fundamental changes" in the Church. In practice, this means transferring the finances of the Vatican under the total control of the global banking group, which hits the most closed and untouchable structure of the Holy See - the Vatican Bank. As a result, Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope, became head of the Holy See.

We all remember how he washed his feet with AIDS patients, always and everywhere remained fundamentally poor, went to work in the temple by bus, and when he became pontiff, he refused a limousine ... But in the shadow of sentimental details about the noble Francis, the main sensation remains - for the first time in history, the Throne of St. Peter was occupied by a Jesuit. Under very mysterious circumstances.

According to Olga Chetverikova, Candidate of Historical Sciences, author of the book Treason in the Vatican: The Conspiracy of the Popes Against Christianity, “today we see a repetition of the same scheme that was applied to the Holy See during the period of deprivation of its secular power in September 1870. Then the deposition of Pope Pius IX by the revolutionary Italian army was a kind of spectacle that concealed the plan to deprive the pontiff of power over the Papal States. It was to be transferred to the new rulers Italy with all the lands. And at the same time with all the debts that the Pope could not pay the Rothschilds (about 30 million skudos). It was impossible to bankrupt the Pope by status. So they developed a plan for such a restructuring of debts so that the wolves (Rothschilds) were fed, and the sheep (the Pope and his entourage) were safe, only shorn baldly. The Pope compensated for the loss of secular power by accepting at the same time on the First Va in the Council of Tican in 1870 the dogma of one's own infallibility.Today, the sovereignty of the Pope is again called into question."

O. Chetverikova also notes: "What is happening now in the West suggests that a "new evangelization" is coming, with the goal of forming a single world religion under the leadership of the Pope, who himself is under the control of the "big brother".... The new Pope, a flexible Jesuit, approaches this ecumenical mission ideally." The new Pope clearly demonstrated his "openness" to dialogue with everyone during the celebrations on the occasion of the inauguration. Among the Pope's guests were representatives of various Jewish organizations, Muslim communities (Italian, Bulgarian and Serbian) and Buddhists.

The unaccustomed new style of behavior of the pontiff, which is so admired by the media and which is so reminiscent of the behavior of the perestroika Gorbachev, with his ostentatious modesty and democracy, informality and even familiarity (take, for example, his last phone call to his “old friend” Nicholas bypassing the secretary), all this is an integral part of the Jesuit methodology, which implies maximum cultural adaptation to any socio-cultural conditions. The main feature of the Jesuits was the famous Jesuit morality, which allows one to arbitrarily interpret the basic religious and moral requirements, adjust to the views and customs of people of any time and place, and justify any immoral act. It is in the system of "moral theology" of the Jesuits that one can find the origins of that "double morality", which has become one of the key principles of diplomacy and a convenient weapon for defending the interests of the ruling circles of the West in world politics. Suffice it to recall that former CIA leaders W. Casey, D. Tenet, R. Gates, L. E. Panetta and the current director John Brennan graduated from Jesuit private higher educational institutions.

In the context of the widespread brewing of a social explosion, the powerful of this world really need a "poor Pope", who lulls the moral vigilance of believers. The main task of the Jesuits is to ensure the strengthening of the power of the transnational class of owners by creating illusions of its miraculous rebirth as the savior of mankind. And while the Pope will create a "poor church", the rich will complete the robbery of nations in order to establish their total dominance over the world.

One of the most powerful persons endowed with exclusive powers in modern sovereign international law is the Pope. The uniqueness of this position lies in its deep historical meaning and status. The person who holds this office is both the Supreme Catholic Pontiff and the Head of the Holy See, and also acts as the Sovereign of the Vatican City State. The position of the Supreme Roman Pontiff was established in the days of the Roman Empire and is considered today the most ancient political figure.

In different historical periods, the status of the head of the Catholic Church was ambiguous. In the first years of its existence, the papacy fully experienced all the delights of persecution and persecution to which the followers of the teachings of Christ were subjected. Many pontiffs from among the first popes were brutally tortured by the pagans, others were constantly under physical pressure from the ruling sovereigns of Europe at that time. However, despite all the difficulties, the papacy managed not only to survive all the hardships of the struggle of Christianity against paganism, but also contributed to the establishment of Christianity as the main religion on the European continent.

The essence of the papacy, the rights and duties of the pope

The Pope, he is also the Monarch and sovereign of the Holy See, the living and real head of the Catholic Church. The special status of the pope is determined by the church hierarchy. In fact, this is the successor of the Apostle Peter, the first bishop of Rome. The power of the pope and his sovereignty as head of the Holy See has no territorial limits. In addition to ecclesiastical authority, the supreme pontiff is the head of the Vatican city-state, in whose territory the Holy See is located.

The meaning of the papacy is clearly seen from the titles that the pope bears:

vicar of Christ;
bishop of Rome;
successor of the Prince of the Apostles St. Peter;
servant of God's servants;
Great Pontiff;
supreme high priest of the Universal Church;
Primate of Italy;
archbishop and metropolitan of the Roman province;
sovereign of the Vatican City State.

Most of the titles belonging to the Pope have a spiritual meaning, defining the meaning, place and role of the pope in the Christian world. With regard to powers of authority, the spiritual and legal authority of the supreme pontiff extends to the entire Catholic Church, to the administrative structure of the church community. In international law, the pope is an independent subject, his spiritual, legal power and sovereignty cannot be limited by secular power. The main duty of the pope is to observe the Christian faith, to promote its establishment and dissemination. The Pope is not only responsible for questions of spiritual morality and faith. The Supreme Pontiff exercises the administrative control of the Catholic Church.

From the point of view of Catholicism, the pope is a direct descendant of the apostle Peter, to whom Jesus in a special way entrusted the service of the Lord. The right to be a high priest is successive and is transferred to a clergyman who is worthy of this title. As a rule, the vicar of Christ on Earth is elected from among the highest spiritual persons who are members of the college of bishops (conclave). With the election, the pope acquires the fullness of the supreme ecclesiastical and administrative power, becoming the absolute monarch of the Holy See. Decisions and decrees of the Supreme Roman Pontiff have the status of law and are not subject to appeal. The competence of the Pope of Rome includes the right of legislative initiative within the framework of the Catholic Church, the right to interpret the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils, amend existing edicts and cancel previous decisions.

The pope determines ecclesiastical discipline by issuing canons, which are summarized in canonical reference books and codified. Performing administrative functions, the supreme Roman pontiff is engaged in conferring ecclesiastical rank, making appointments, and giving orders within the framework of the system of church government.

The meaning of the papacy is displayed in the coat of arms of the Vatican city-state. It depicts all the papal regalia, symbols and insignia.

The crossed keys symbolically display the keys of the Apostle Simon Peter. The silver key means the connection of the authority given by the Church with the right to authorize (the golden key) to rule in the name of the Lord. Tiara - triple crown - symbolizes the three main functions of the papacy:

to be the supreme shepherd for all Christians;
to be the supreme teacher;
be the High Priest.

The golden cross crowning the tiara signifies the dominion of the Lord, Jesus Christ. The tiara was placed on the head of the pontiff at the time of the papal coronation - a solemn ceremony reminiscent of its function inauguration of the head of state.

The history of the formation of the papacy

There is very little information about the first bishops who led the first Christian communities. The archives of the Vatican contain ancient manuscripts dating back to the 1st-2nd century, which mention spiritual persons who bear the title of high priests among Christians. The institution of the papacy itself appeared much later, at the end of the 4th - beginning of the 5th century. The papacy was formed within the Roman province, where the Roman episcopate was created. The privileged position of the Roman bishops was explained by the fact that it was in Rome, in the very center of the Roman Empire, that there were lands belonging to the Christian community. Subsequently, already bearing the title of popes, the Roman bishops expanded their possessions. In fact, already in the VI century, Rome becomes the main center of the apostolic power of the Catholic Church.

The final formalization of the papal throne as a sovereign ruler took place in the 8th century, when the Frankish king Pepin the Short granted the Roman episcopate a Roman province. Rome with the adjacent territory becomes the Papal Region - a state administrative entity with universal status. Now the pope represented the highest ecclesiastical authority and at the same time was a sovereign secular ruler.

As for the official title, during the period of the approval of the Christian doctrine, all priests who had the right to bless were called pope. Later, during the period of the formation of the papacy as the spiritual center of Christianity, the title of pope applied to all bishops. After the division of the Christian Church into Roman and Constantinople, the procedure for conferring the papal rank also changed. With the establishment of Rome as the main episcopate, the papal rank was assigned only to Roman or Alexandrian bishops. In Constantinople there was an archpope - the main pontiff of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople.

Until 1059, the election of the pope in Rome was carried out by a joint assembly of secular and spiritual nobility. This practice was put to an end by the Lateran Council, at which it was decided to choose the pope by a meeting (conclave) of cardinals from among the first bishops of the Catholic Church. With the election, the pope publicly announces under what name he will lead the Catholic Church. If there were already persons with similar names in the history of the papacy, then a serial number is added to the chosen name. From that moment on, the pope has a throne name, which he wears throughout his pontificate.

The tradition of changing worldly names dates back to the early Middle Ages, when ancient Roman and ancient Greek names were in use, correlated with a pagan cult. The first pope to change his worldly name Mercury was John II, who occupied the Holy See in the 6th century. Officially, the procedure for changing the name has never been regulated by anyone, however, since the 11th century, this rite has become traditional in the ceremony of electing the pope. In the entire subsequent history of the papacy, only two Supreme High Priests did not change their names: Adrian VI, in the world Adrian Florence and Marcello Cervini, who became Pope Marcellus II.

The election of the Head of the Holy See did not always proceed smoothly and in accordance with the approved procedure. The papacy often became a hostage to the political situation in Europe. In the era of the early Middle Ages, the powerful monarchs of Europe quite often used the Catholic Church as a convenient tool for socio-political manipulation, making the secular power of the pope a hostage to a difficult military-political situation. This state of affairs is vividly illustrated by the period of the Middle Ages, when the papacy fought hard for the supremacy of spiritual power over secular rule. Despite significant progress in this direction, in contrast to spiritual authority, the sovereignty of the pope was constantly under threat.

Each of the political forces sought to subordinate the papal throne to its influence, introducing a split into the unity of the Catholic Church. The result of such a policy is the practice of electing an antipope. In the history of the papacy, there are many cases when spiritual power was divided among themselves by several persons at once, who bore the title of Supreme Roman Pontiff. The question of the election of the head of the Holy See could be decided in different places, with the participation of various secular persons and clergy. The right to legally bear the title of Supreme High Priest usually remained with the clergy whose adherents won a political victory. Despite the fact that in medieval Europe the existence of antipopes was a common practice, the official Vatican does not recognize their existence.

Only legitimate popes are listed in the official register, each of which has its own serial number.

The most famous personalities in the history of the papacy

The entire history of the papacy is closely connected not only with the process of the formation and establishment of Christianity, but also largely reflects the political events that in one way or another affected the international order. The existence of the institution of the papacy can be divided into the following periods, which reflect the political situation on the political map of the world at that time:

The Donicean period conditionally occupies the II-III century - the time of the spread of Christianity before the accession of Emperor Constantine;
the period of the establishment of Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Empire (313-493);
Ostrogothic period - the fall of the Roman Empire and the formation of the Ostrogothic kingdom (493-537);
Byzantine period of the papacy (537-752);
The Frankish period spans a whole century from 756 to 857;
the era of papal humiliation by secular rulers (1044-1048);
the imperial era (1048-1257) - the period of the greatest prosperity and power of the papacy;
transitional period - the time of instability of papal power (1257-1309).

From the time of the formation and approval of the papacy as the Head of the Catholic Church until 1309, when the pope and his entire residence moved to Avignon (France), the Holy See was headed by 194 persons. The countdown comes from the Apostle Peter, who is supposedly the founder of the Holy See. In the period of the formation of the Christian faith, it was mainly the Romans who became the supreme pontiff. Eight of this number represented the Greek dioceses. Three popes were from African provinces. Twice the Holy See was headed by the French. Once each, the head of the Catholic Church was a Syrian, a German and an Englishman, Adrian IV, who transferred Ireland to the English crown.

In the pre-Nicene period, being a pope meant subjecting oneself to persecution and persecution by a pagan cult and authorities, so many high priests died a martyr's death. Relative security and stability came to the institution of the papacy with the accession of Emperor Constantine to the throne of the Roman Empire, who gave Christianity the status of the state religion.

The first title "pope" was used by Saint Siricius, reigned 384-399. The only decretals that have survived to this day are associated with the period of his reign. Of all the popes who became famous in history during this period, it is worth noting the High Priest Leo I (440-461), who personally managed to convince Attila not to invade Italy. Pope Gregory II, who occupied the Holy See in 715-731, actively fought against iconoclasm. In the Middle Ages, the sovereign monarchs of Europe often used force to assert their power. So it was with Pope John XII, who was expelled from Rome by the troops of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I.

According to historians and theologians, the most significant place in the history of the papacy is occupied by Pope Urban II, who opened the era of the Crusades. It was his fiery speech at the Clermont Cathedral in 1095 about the need to liberate the Promised Land from Muslims that became the beginning of a massive military-political movement. In the era of the late Middle Ages, Pope Gregory IX distinguished himself by entrusting the Dominican Order to carry out the Inquisition. The Roman pontiff Gregory X (1271-76) by his decretal introduced a conclave - a council of cardinals involved in the election of the pope, the discussion of important spiritual and administrative issues.

Papacy in times of instability

The most controversial moment in the history of the papacy is the period from 1309 to 1377, called the Avignon Captivity. The growing influence of France in the European arena directly affected the institution of the papacy. As a result of the conflict between Pope Benedict XI and the King of France, Philip the Handsome, the French bishop Raymond Bertrand, who took the throne name Clement V, soon received the title of Supreme Lord of the Universal Church. On his initiative and under pressure from the King of France, the residence of the popes was moved to the French city of Avignon. Rome, considered the cradle of Christianity in Europe, lost the status of the Holy City for almost 70 years.

The role of Pope Clement V in the history of the papacy is ambiguous. It was with his submission that the persecution of the Order of the Templars began, culminating in the complete defeat and prohibition of the Order of the Templars in 1312. Only Pope Gregory XI was able in 1377 to return the papal throne back to the Holy City.

The next period of instability of the institution of the papacy was the Great Western Schism. For 39 years, several people claimed the papal throne at once. Each was supported by one or another political group, relying either on France or on local rich Italian houses. The popes took turns sitting either in the Vatican or in Avignon. The end of the confusion with the popes and the period of dual power was put by the Renaissance, which began with the advent of Martin V to the Holy See in 1417.

In 1517, the papacy experienced another crisis associated with the beginning of the Reformation in Europe. During this period, the religious movement of Martin Luther arose, which fought against the Latinization of Christian doctrine. Some of the high-ranking popes at this time made concessions, reforming the administration of the cult and making changes to the system of ceremonies. During this period, there is a significant weakening of papal power both in Italy itself and in the periphery, in the countries of Central and Northern Europe. However, the reformation quickly ended with the beginning of the counter-reformation - a period when fierce persecution began against the followers of Luther's teachings. During this period, Europe plunged into the abyss of bloody religious wars. All over Europe, from France to the Carpathian Mountains, Catholics and Protestants destroyed each other. Times of unrest and ferment in religious beliefs ended with the transition of the papacy during the Enlightenment (1585-1689).

One of the significant events of this period is the calendar reform carried out by Pope Gregory XIII. The same Supreme Pontiff was the first to issue the Code of Canon Law.

The last period of instability in the history of the papacy was the era of revolutionary wars that engulfed the European continent. At this time, from 1775 to 1861, the Holy See was occupied by popes who had an extremely contradictory position in relation to the events taking place. If the Supreme Pontiff of Rome, Pope Pius VI, condemned the Great French Revolution, for which he was expelled from Rome by French troops, then his successor, Pope Pius VII, had already personally crowned Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor of the French. Napoleon practically destroyed the sovereignty of the papacy by seizing the Papal States and turning the Holy See into its own episcopate.

The revolution that began in Italy led to the fact that in 1848 the Papal States were occupied by Austrian troops. In 1846 Pope Pius IX occupies the Holy See. His merits include the adoption of the dogma on the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary, the submission for approval by the First Vatican Council of the dogma on the infallibility of papal decisions and canons. Pope Pius IX was the longest-serving head of the Catholic Church in the history of the pontificate, from 1846 to 1878. During the era of his reign, the Papal States finally loses its borders, joining, together with the Holy City, part of the new Italian state. Rome becomes the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. From that moment on, the secular power of the Roman pontiffs finally loses its status.

new time

Only in 1929, after the Lateran Agreement, did the pope again become sovereign, regaining the status of Head of the Vatican City State. In the new, modern history of the papacy, there were eight Supreme Pontiffs, each of whom managed to leave a noticeable mark on Christian doctrine. Pope Paul VI in 1962 convened Vatican II Council, which considered the need to renew the Catholic Church in connection with the new realities of our time. The result of the council, which sat for 3 years, was a revision of the Code of Canon Law, which was significantly amended with regard to the reasons for excommunication and a number of other articles.

The new canonical code was approved and signed in 1983 by Pope John Paul II. This Supreme Pontiff, a Pole by origin, for 27 years remained the Head of the Catholic Church. His reign was due to the growing popularity of papal power in the world. Under John Paul II, the Catholic Church regained its status as a serious political force. The current Supreme High Priest of the Ecumenical Church Francis, of Argentine origin, became the first non-European pope. His election took place on 13 March 2013 after his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, abdicated.

The residence of the current pope, like his predecessors, is the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. There is also an archive, the library of the Holy See, St. Peter's Cathedral, the Sistine Chapel, and other places of worship. The main administrative services of the Catholic Church and the institutions of the enclave state are also located here.

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