Since his announcement last week, news agencies have gone bonkers over news that this old man is finally ready for retirement. But was this story really worthy of 24 hour a day news coverage??
The pope is ruler of an extremely small “nation” called The Vatican, although his “nation” extends to millions of Catholics around the world. But having been to The Vatican and having seen the pope up close and personal, it’s mind boggling just how many people treat the man as if he is God himself.
Whatever the pope says, goes. Whatever the pope wants, he gets. If he wants to treat divorcees, gays and women as if they are not equal, it is allowed — all in the name of God. But the pope is still just a man — a man who presided over years of sexual abuse of young children by Catholic priests, while the church covered it up and merely shifted priests to other parishes instead of having them arrested.
In scripture, one of God’s commandments clearly states “Do not place false gods before Me.” But has Catholicism failed by elevating a mere mortal man called “Pope” to god-like levels to the point where he can do no wrong?
