Last week I had an article in the bulletin entitled, “Why the Catholic Church Ought Not Select A New Pope.” Biblical reasons were given as to why the papacy is an unscriptural arrangement in the New Testament model of organized church leadership. But as I mentioned, I’m not so na�ve as to think that the Catholic Church will all of a sudden do a 180 and reject the papacy (it would be good if they would, but I’m not holding my breath). There are reasons why they behave the way they do and so this week we will look at why the Catholic Church WILL select a new pope.
First, the Catholic Church will select a new pope because they love the traditions of men more than God’s word. The Bible holds no authority for the elevation of one man, except Jesus himself, into an authoritative leadership role over the church as a whole. One might then wonder from where the Catholic Church gets its justification for such. The answer can only come from centuries of tradition. The concept of a single “bishop” over a local congregation began in the 2nd century A.D. From this concept then sprang the concept that such a one would be the authority over the church for an entire city, then region, then country, and finally the world; that’s how things evolved. Catholicism, however, is proud of their tradition. They believe that tradition is equally authoritative as scripture. The Catholic Encyclopedia states, “Catholics, on the other hand, hold that there may be, that there is in fact, and that there must of necessity be certain revealed truths apart from those contained in the Bible�” (Tradition and Living Magisterium). The Bible, however, teaches otherwise. In rebuking the Pharisees, Jesus said, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:9). Jesus then said that they made “the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye” (Mark 7:13). The point of such passages is this: tradition is not on an equal footing with scripture; those who so proclaim reject Jesus’ words. Nonetheless, because Catholics value tradition higher than scripture, they will select a new pope.
Second, the Catholic Church will select a new pope because they desire an earthly, not a spiritual kingdom. When one surveys the physical wealth and property that the Catholic Church possesses, takes note that the Vatican is it’s own country in and of itself with it’s own diplomatic corps, and watches as world leaders prostrate themselves before a vessel of flesh and blood, it doesn’t take one long to conclude what kind of power the Catholic church desires to have over the affairs of men. And it hasn’t been too many centuries since the Catholic Church actually dictated policy to nation-states. Do any doubt that the Catholic Church would so do if given the opportunity today? All of this evidence points to the fact that the Catholic Church really is more concerned about an earthly kingdom than a heavenly one. Jesus, however, taught that the church would not be such an organization to possess physical wealth, property, and power and to wield such strong political influence in the world. Jesus himself was a pauper, yet the man who would be pope would have billions of dollars in assets at his disposal. What kind of kingdom did Jesus desire? Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence” (John 18:36). On one occasion, the Pharisees demanded of Jesus to tell them when His kingdom would come, Jesus reply was, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20,21). God’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom composed of people who have a spiritual purpose.
Third, the Catholic church will select a new pope because they believe God speaks to the church through the pope. The Catholic Church states regarding the pope’s “ex cathedra” pronouncements:
“We teach and define that it is a dogma Divinely revealed that the Roman pontiff when he speaks ex cathedra, that is when in discharge of the office of pastor and doctor of all Christians, by virtue of his supreme Apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine regarding faith or morals to be held by the universal Church, by the Divine assistance promised to him in Blessed Peter, is possessed of that infallibility with which the Divine Redeemer willed that his Church should be endowed in defining doctrine regarding faith or morals….” (Vatican IV, Constitution of Christ’s Church, c. iv.)
Without a pope, Catholics proclaim that they cannot know what God’s will would continue to be for them in the world today. The Bible, however, teaches that we have everything that we need in order to be pleasing to God through the teaching of the scriptures. Paul wrote to Timothy, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” There is not one good work that man may do what is not set forth for us in the scriptures themselves first. Hence, there is no need for a pope to tell the church how to do as Jesus has, through the Holy Spirit, inspired the scriptures to accomplish that very purpose.
We could enumerate many more “reasons” why the Catholic Church will select a new pope, all of which reasons would be unscriptural, unbiblical, unsound, and anti-Christological. There can be no biblical basis for such an earthly position, which Catholicism states is the “Supreme Head” of the church, and the “Vicar of Christ,” which, says the Catholic Encyclopedia, is “a title of the pope implying his supreme and universal primacy, both of honour and of jurisdiction, over the Church of Christ” (Vicar of Christ). Can such be anything but blasphemy? These three reasons that we have here explored, however, are enough for us to conclude that the Catholic Church really isn’t interested in what the scriptures teach, but in doing their own apostate will. Yes, the Catholics will appoint a new pope and he will occupy the seat in Rome and continue to further Catholic dogma in the world today. It is clear, however, from reading the scriptures, that their dogma is not a product of God, but of man and man’s desire to glorify himself instead of Christ.