# how does the Pope communicate with God? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 30, 2005, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-pope-communicate-with-god/287405 "2005-01-30T08:03:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WpgTriniman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a88e4f/32.png) [@WpgTriniman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WpgTriniman)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-pope-communicate-with-god/287405/1 "2005-01-30T08:03:09Z")
Catholics believe that the Pope is God’s representative on Earth. Fair enough. How, exactly, does the Pope communicate with God? How often does this happen? Are these communications made public? Jehovah Witnessses have some kind of Board of Directors who also apparently communicate with God. Does anyone know how this is done, exactly? ---
**Author:** ![Avenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Avenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avenger)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-pope-communicate-with-god/287405/2 "2005-01-30T08:31:39Z")
He tries to avoid using his satellite phone anymore in case the CIA is monitoring it. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-pope-communicate-with-god/287405/3 "2005-01-30T08:43:31Z")
The default answer: He communicates by praying. 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**_ ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-pope-communicate-with-god/287405/4 "2005-01-30T09:43:18Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-pope-communicate-with-god/287405/5 "2005-01-30T11:52:43Z")
> [@WpgTriniman](#): > > Catholics believe that the Pope is God’s representative on Earth. Fair enough. > > How, exactly, does the Pope communicate with God? How often does this happen? Are these communications made public? > > Jehovah Witnessses have some kind of Board of Directors who also apparently communicate with God. Does anyone know how this is done, exactly? 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". Monavis ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-pope-communicate-with-god/287405/6 "2005-01-30T12:14:43Z")
By [carrier pigeon.](http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/cgi-bin/WebObjects.dll/CollectionPublisher.woa/wa/largeImage?workNumber=NG665&collectionSection=work) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-pope-communicate-with-god/287405/7 "2005-01-30T12:20:35Z")
The Fancy Gold Hat is an antenna. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-pope-communicate-with-god/287405/8 "2005-01-30T18:26:41Z")
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.