skylights
i love
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2010
- Messages
- 7,756
- MBTI Type
- INFP
- Enneagram
- 6w7
- Instinctual Variant
- so/sx
I was raised Catholic by vaguely theist parents, and even though I self-identify as agnostic/panentheistic, I still kind of have a degree of affection for the pope. I guess it's weird, but he's a father figurehead, a symbol of striving for good in the world, of human cooperation on a massive scale, and there's a lot of intrigue surrounding the Vatican. He's a little grandpa-looking guy who wields incredible power, and upon whom an incredible burden lies. That's a lot of world (and otherworld) on the hands of one small, elderly man. I guess I feel compassion for him. He's a human trying to live up to the divine expectations of billions, not to mention his own.
Yeah. Even tangible hope, every now and then. John Paul had some moments.
Someone else has already mentioned this being more complex than a temperament thing, but I wanted to add that I think it's actually very human in general to look to authority and leadership. It's not even so much because of security-seeking as it's a natural function of a large population, where triangular power structures tend to form. Because it's not efficient to have everyone disagreeing and holding the same level of power, power is delegated in growing stages to increasingly smaller groups. Even democracies and republics, with rejection of a monarch, typically have a singular figurehead.
Specifically in Catholicism, the role of Pope is as the successor of Peter, who Jesus appointed to be the founder of his Church. He is also, and perhaps most importantly, the "Vicar of Christ" - the representative of Christ in the world. So his importance is incredibly magnified for believers, who see him not just as a leader and symbol, but also as a simulacrum of Jesus himself.
They provide illusionary hope for a better future.
Yeah. Even tangible hope, every now and then. John Paul had some moments.
Nice info. I can't really wrap my head around this mindset, but I guess these SJ types have a valid perspective which is useful for something.
Someone else has already mentioned this being more complex than a temperament thing, but I wanted to add that I think it's actually very human in general to look to authority and leadership. It's not even so much because of security-seeking as it's a natural function of a large population, where triangular power structures tend to form. Because it's not efficient to have everyone disagreeing and holding the same level of power, power is delegated in growing stages to increasingly smaller groups. Even democracies and republics, with rejection of a monarch, typically have a singular figurehead.
Specifically in Catholicism, the role of Pope is as the successor of Peter, who Jesus appointed to be the founder of his Church. He is also, and perhaps most importantly, the "Vicar of Christ" - the representative of Christ in the world. So his importance is incredibly magnified for believers, who see him not just as a leader and symbol, but also as a simulacrum of Jesus himself.