The pope was and is still the head of the Roman Catholic Church. The church viewed the pope as “its visible head and Jesus Christ as its invisible and supreme head.” (World Book Online) Once elected, the pope has the position for life. They can resign, but cannot be kicked out of office. Only current Roman Catholic men are eligible to be elected. Typically, after the 1300’s all popes have been picked out of cardinals. They hold a high position in the church. The cardinals come together and construct the Sacred College of Cardinals; they are the pope’s highest advisers. Throughout certain parts of the Middle Ages the pope executed a substantial amount of temporal and spiritual power. Temporal power deals with the administration of Vatican City,
