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GCSE Religious Studies · key term
The Bishop of Rome, successor of St Peter and head of the Catholic Church.
Used by AQA and Edexcel
Specification 3.1.5.2 · Paper 1
Revise: Church Hierarchy and the Second Vatican CouncilThe Pope is the successor of St Peter, whom Jesus gave a particular responsibility for the Church. In Matthew 16:18–19, Jesus tells Peter, “on this rock I will build my church” and promises him “the keys to the kingdom of heaven”. Catholics interpret this as a foundation for the Pope’s authority.
Specification 3.7 · Paper 1, Paper 2
Distinguish authority from importance: lay people do not have the Pope’s teaching authority, but they have an important role in the Church’s mission.
Do not say Vatican II abolished Latin or that the bishops could make decisions independently of the Pope.
Name the Christian tradition when explaining a disputed leadership role: the pope is not the head of all Christians.
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The Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church, understood by Catholics as the successor of Peter.
Many Protestant Christians place greater emphasis on leaders' gifts for preaching and caring for a community under the authority of Scripture. These differences explain why some churches have priests, bishops and a pope, while others have pastors and elders or no ordained clergy.
