role of pope
... Pope. To establish this type of system would take work and time, and it was only gradually personified in the principle. The Catholic Church acted cautiously and in the year 76 AD, the first pope was selected. St. Linus succeeded St. Peter and began the office of the Holy Pontiff. The position of the Pope, has transformed throughout history. The office began as a light of hope, and doorway for lost souls to step though and be reborn. The Pope was in charge of encouraging people to joined and practice a new understanding of life. People started believing, excited by the new forms of prayer, sacrifice, and church. The Pope and the Catholic Church went through many transitions updating and strengthening positions. However, before these reforms took place a period of shame, and regret materialized. It was a period in which the office of the Pope was used for secular ambitions. The office of the Pope was strongest during the reign of Constantine and his successors. In the 300’s AD Christianity took a great leap forward. It was the first time a nation identified the Catholic practice as a religion, and not a cult. Constantine continued in his religious agenda and declared Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire. This was the catalyst for a long and profound relationship between the pope and Roman emperor. For the first time the Pope had control over affairs in a nation. The Donation of Constantine was a document supposedly written by Constantine granting vast territories within the Roman Empire to the Catholic Church. This was...