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The Papacy of the Catholic
Church
The Papacy has a history in the Catholic Church which
harkens back to the apostle
Peter when Jesus tells him that he will be the rock
upon which His church is built. Peter is considered
the first spiritual leader of the Catholic Church. Since
that time there have been numerable Popes who act as
head of state and ruler of Vatican City and the Catholic
Church. The Pope's decisions regarding Church policy
and spirituality are considered infallible by Catholics.
Popular Popes for Today's Catholics
* Pope
Pius XII - Many Catholics today wear a Pope Pius
XII medal in his honor. Pope Pius XII was the spiritual
leader of the Church during WWII. He saw the murder
of tens of thousands of religious murdered in the East
and under Soviet regimes.
* Pope John XXIII - He was pope between 1958 and 1963.
Pope John XXIII convened the Second Vatican Council
which reformed many Catholic rules regarding the liturgy,
ecumenism, and many of the traditional Church ceremonies.
Modern Catholics are still benefiting from his modern
thinking and wear a Pope
John XXIII medal in his memory.
*
Pope John Paul II - He made history in the Catholic
Church by being the first Polish pope. Catholics are
awaiting the canonization of Pope John Paul II and wear
Pope John Paul jewelry as a symbol of support for his
sainthood. Wearing a Pope John Paul medal is also a
reminder of his major role in the fall of Communism
in Europe.
The Papacy Today
Pope Benedict XVI was elected to the papacy in 2005
after the death of Pope John Paul II. During his inauguration
as pope, Pope Benedict XVI inspired Catholics around
the world with his words, "Are we not perhaps all
afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into
our lives, if we open ourselves totally to Him, are
we not afraid that He might take something away from
us?... No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose
nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life
free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship
do we experience beauty and liberation....When we give
ourselves to Him, we receive a hundredfold in return.
Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ - and you will
find true life."
Many Catholics wear pope
medals to remind them of their spiritual leader's
words of opening their hearts to Christ.
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