The veneration of the faithful toward the Holy Father has been a constant trace of Catholicism. This is understandable, considering his dignity as Vicar of Christ on earth and successor of Peter, who ‘presides over the Church in charity,’ with the power to bind and loose received from the very Redeemer of humanity.
In our days, however, some within the flock prefer a strange relationship with their shepherd – one no longer based on the admiration, respect and devotion that his elevated figure should inspire, but rather on a rapport between equals such that the person of the Supreme Pontiff is rebased to that of a populist leader, simultaneously and paradoxically a type of spokesman and slave of today’s masses. At first sight, one might think that this radical change of ‘image’ could not but involve profound alterations in some fundamental doctrines of our Holy Religion, for does this novelty have precedents in Christian tradition?
Let’s take a look at some elements of our history…Read more…
