Why is the Pope so important ?

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I'm not trying to be controversial, I genuinely want to understand.

I get that's he's head of the church but the Queen is head of the C of E and you don't get people offering her babies to be kissed or in tears that she's touched them. It seems to me that he's almost worshiped, but he's not God or even a prophet?

What's it all about?

he is the head of the Roman catholic church - he is the holiest guy on the planet( according to catholics) a direct link to God - when Jesus was alive he asked his diciple ( st Peter) to build him a church, St Peter became the first Pope so basically anything that he says is "the word" of God as all popes are decendants of Peter ( I think).

The Queen is just head of the church of England ( this title was made when Henry 8th broke from Rome and made the country protestant about 500 or so yrs ago so he could divorce his wife)we were all catholics up to that point.

This s the first time in 500 years that a pope has been invited for a state visit and I don't think it will happen again in our lifetime. x

The Pope is the Successor of St Peter. Papal infallibility doesn't mean that anything and everything he says is the word of God! Papal infallibility is the belief that the Pope is infallible when he is teaching on faith or morals. It's only been used a couple of times - The Assumption of Our Lady and the Immaculate Conception, I think.

Personally I wouldn't be surprised if people just wanted him to kiss their babies just so they can tell them when they're older "you've been blessed by the Pope". This isn't just confined to Popes, but other holy people too - Mother Teresa for instance. I guess to some extent its "being blessed by someone who you perceive to have been blessed by God". I certainly don't think its anything to do with worshipping false gods!!!!

(This is someone whose son asked to meet the Archbishop of York, who then tickled my son to the ground, and then my son kicked him because he was being tickled )

The Pope is a successor to St. Peter who Jesus entrusted to build the church.
Pretty good info here
People want to be blessed by him due to the fact he is their spiritual leader.
Are you Ian Paisley in disguise BeerTricks?