Does the Catholic church need a pope?
Yes, the Pope is very essential to the Catholic Church. He is the man chosen by God to lead the people. He is the “Shepard” of Christ’s flock for the current generation. Many people think the pope is like the queen of england, a face to represent something larger but does very little to influence the world. This is not true, for instance, Pope John Paul II wrote “Theology of the Body” to explain to our society the importance of purity and chastity and to abstain from lust. It is a message that would have been lost otherwise without his leadership. In addition, he works with all the Cardinals to ensure that the Catholic faith, standards and morals survive beyond our very lives and into the next generations. Catholics believe the faith has been handed down from Jesus Christ himself and like a REALLY long marathon, we must be ready to pass the baton to the next man running. Catholicism can also be viewed like a family heirloom, (something that has been around over 2000 years) it is our duty to keep it in the best shape we can so we can give it to our children and our grandchildren without altering it too much from its original shape. But you wouldn’t give it to your two year old baby sister to play with, it might stay in the care of your parents or someone who can handle responsibility of caring for it and preventing it from being damaged… but still keeping you interested so you don’t neglect it when you inherit it. Hope this helps