However, I think Joan (of) Osbourne reported that:
What if god was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home
Just trying to make his way home
Like a holy rolling stone
Back up to heaven all alone
Just trying to make his way home Nobody calling on the phone
Except for the pope maybe in rome
Coded advertisements placed in daily newspapers much the way Hannibal Lecter did with the “Tooth Fairy”. I believe Thomas Harris used this device because he was familiar with the Pope/God messages.
I am not Catholic but as I understand it the Pope has no more direct line to God than any one else. In certain things of dogma, he is said to have inspiration from the Holy Spirit,even then he must speak ex-chathedra. Just like non-catholics believe they have inspiration when they read the Bible, or that the writers were inspired. The Pope is said to have his direct line from Peter: who Jesus called to be the first head of his Church. Jesus changed his name from Simon, to Peter, and said" Thow art Peter(rock) and On this Rock I build my Church".
Popes sometimes pray and wait for inspiration and guidance just like other people sometimes do. Sometimes they just do what they think is right. Sometimes they interpret things, like judges do with a law. Just because someone is pope doesn’t mean they have superpowers or have a Batman style godphone. Popes are not demigods, they are more like governors who act as representatives of a king; they are not kings themselves.