The Death of a Pope

Roman Catholics throughout the world are mourning the death of John Paul II. He has proven to be the most popular Pope in modern times. Since his ascendancy to the papacy in 1978 he has won the admiration of Catholics and many non-Catholics by his moral courage, congenial manner, intelligence, and ecumenical bridge-building. The praise that has been heaped upon him since his death reflects more than mere media over-speak. Pope John Paul II was liked by many. One thing that has especially endeared him to so many was his willingness to stand up to tyrannical, atheistic Communism. He is credited, along with Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, as contributing to the demise of the Potemkin Village of the former Soviet Union. The façade of the “worker’s paradise” needed some international leaders who were willing to stand up to the bullying tactics of the Soviet leaders.

The non-stop news regarding John Paul II has exposed the viewing public to Catholic teachings, tradition, and rituals. While much of it is somewhat curious to the non-Catholic, one thing is patently clear. The Roman Catholic Church believes in the primacy of the papacy. According to its teachings the Pope is the visible head of the church, Jesus Christ being its invisible Head. The word “pope” comes from the Latin word “papa”, which means father. He is also known as the Bishop of Rome. The succession of popes through the centuries has lent itself to the appearance of an unbroken authority of the Roman Catholic Church. This sense of tradition, stability, and authority has appealed to many who are dismayed over the moral, spiritual, and ecclesiastical anarchy of our age. Even some well-known evangelical Christians have renounced their Protestant heritage to join the Roman Catholic Church.

How did the papacy arise in the church? The Roman Catholic Church claims that the Apostle Peter was the first Pope. This special authority given to Peter is said to be taught in Matthew 16:17-19 and John 21:15-17. This is obviously no inconsequential assertion for it serves as a basic doctrinal plank in Roman Catholicism’s belief regarding authority. Catholic dogma says the Church is the final authority and the Pope is the Vicar of Christ, the “divinely appointed guide to the faithful.” The Pope is considered to be infallible in matters pertaining to faith and morals when he speaks ex cathedra (out of the chair of Peter). The Roman Catholic doctrine of papal infallibility was defined in 1870 and is part of a fundamental difference between Roman Catholicism and Protestants, namely, the matter of authority. To understand Rome’s view of ecclesiastical authority one must picture a pyramid with the authority of the Church at its apex and the Bible and tradition in the lower two corners. According to this view the Church has given us the Bible and claims the right to interpret the Bible for us. This is in total contradiction to what the Bible teaches about itself and the matter of doctrinal authority. Belief in matters of faith and morals resides in the Scriptures, not in popes, church councils, or tradition (2 Tim. 3:16, 17).

The doctrine of papal infallibility and the attendant belief in the final authority of the Church over the Bible is theological fiction. It is in glaring contradiction to “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). The Word of God stands over the Church. The Scriptures are the infallible authority for the Pope and everyone else. It is the Bible that is to bind the conscience, not the Church, councils, traditions, or popes. The grand gospel truth of justification by faith alone is a testimony to the fallibility of the Church. It was the Roman Catholic Church and Pope Leo X that anathematized Martin Luther and his followers for championing the truth that salvation is found in Christ alone, by grace alone, by faith alone, and not in the sacramental system of Rome. This one doctrine alone stands as a continental divide between those who believe the gospel and those who do not. Roman Catholics, Protestants, and anyone else who desires to be the friend of God and enter into His heaven at death must repent of all attempts to gain a righteous standing before God by baptism, going to Mass, penance, indulgences, or any other works. At the moment of faith in Christ one is declared righteous, “clothed with the righteousness of Christ.” Any pope, pastor, theologian, church member, or idol worshiping pagan who wishes to pass through the gates of heaven into God’s holy presence must come the same way, by the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ and the infinite worth of His all-sufficient atonement.

The death of Pope John Paul II with all its pageantry, ritual, and lines of mourners is a window through which every candidate for death must look. We will all die. Millions may not attend our funeral, but the one final assessment of our standing before God that matters most, is that of God Himself. If you died today are you clothed in the righteousness made possible by the finished work of Jesus Christ? Only those properly attired may enter into His presence.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church