Pope

PopeLeoX The last Pope elected who was not a priest was Pope Leo X. Today, all elected Popes must have been a Cardinal over the age of thirty-five and speak at least three languages. 313 A.D. is when it is believed to be the first real Pope to be elected In over 2000 years and 266 Popes elected one Pope stood out to me, Pope Leo X. Pope Leo X's first three years as Pope were uneventful. But looking back, before he was "Pope Leo X", he received awards as young as the age of seven and followed in…

election of the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and the first pope from the Americas. When the new Pope stepped out onto the balcony on March 13, 2013, no one could have envisioned how this man in basic white vestments, a traditional liturgical garment, would catch the world’s attention. Before he pronounced the traditional blessing on those gathered in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City, Rome, he bowed his head and asked the people to pray for him (“Official Text of Pope Francis’…

what start wars and shape nations as well as the history of nations. One piece of history which has brought such controversy even into modern times is the story of Rodrigo Borgia more famously known as Pope Alexander VI. Pope Alexander IV has been written into history as one of the most scandalous popes of the Renaissance era. His legacy is tarnished with alleged murders, incestuous relationships, and nepotism. Many biographies have been written about Rodrigo chiming in on the scandal involved…

Pope Francis: An Effective Leader in a Multicultural Society Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Italian immigrant parents. According to Biography.com, he initially trained as a chemist and has taught literature, philosophy, psychology and theology. Before being elected pope, Bergoglio was a Jesuit from 1960-1992. He served the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires from 1998 until 2013 and also served as cardinal of the Roman Catholic…

It is unquestionable that the reign of King Henry VIII was more duplicitous than the reign of Pope Alexander VI, due to Henry’s extremely loathsome and reprehensible behavior during his reign. Henry’s actions took the lives of thousands, as well emotionally traumatized the lives of thousands more. His wives primarily fell victim to Henry’s duplicitous acts as they were the closest to him during his periods of unrest. They regularly feared for their lives, which was a true suspicion for Anne of…

Pope Francis Leading a Modernized Society The world is ever changing, and this persistent evolution is due in part to the creation of revised leadership, beliefs, and ideals by each generation. The Catholic Church is a pivotal example of evolving change and perspective. While the Church has always been steadfast in holding to tradition, some people believe she is shifting her laws to fit those of modern culture. This shift started when Jorge Mario Bergoglio become Pope Francis and established…

Pope Francis Stresses Immigration in Address to Congress Pope Francis in his historic address to the U.S. Congress referenced immigration, gay marriage, abortion and death penalty. He addressed a joint meeting of the Congress and he is the first pope ever to do so. He was invited to the address the lawmakers by House Speaker John Boehner. Being a native Spanish speaker, he addressed the U.S. Congress in English reading from the remarks he had prepared. He told the Congress that the country must…

In his speech to Congress, Pope Francis issued a call to action to lawmakers that would initially challenge the moral boundaries of federal spending, along with other moral issues. These other issues include climate change, the environment, immigration and the death penalty. Of course he addressed the issues in a Catholic view, but he also lectured in a political sense. He knew what he was going into and knew exactly what the issues in our country were. Pope Francis offers suggestions on how we…

Pope Francis is known for many things, chief among them his work towards acceptance and tolerance for difference and change within the Catholic religion. While not everybody agrees with his views, he has strongly influenced the Catholic community. This openness creates a huge positive impact for Catholics and society. Pope Francis is continuously making great strides in his work. The Pope holds many controversial views that the Catholic religion traditionally is against. Some of the…

In 1209 AD, Pope Innocent III called a crusade to eradicate the heretical Cathars in southern France. The Catharis religious movement began in the town of Albi, which is why the twenty-year period of fighting became known as the Albigensian Crusade. The Catholic Church condemned Cathars as being heretics because of their dualistic beliefs; however, Cathars considered themselves to be “true” Christians since the term Cathar comes from the Greek katharos, which means pure or clean. The religion…