# The Pope is a prophet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 23, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323 "2015-09-23T17:39:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/1 "2015-09-23T17:39:55Z")
Heard on NPR this AM in an interview with the President of St. Mary’s college in Moraga, CA: _The Pope is a priest, a pastor, a prophet, a politician…_ I grew up going to Catholic schools and can never remember the Pope being referred to as “a prophet”. In fact, it sounds very OT or even Mormon. Does the RCC actually recognize modern day prophets, and is the Pope generally considered one? Or, did this guy just get carried away with alliteration? Being the president of St Mary’s, I assume he’s no slouch in the theology dept… ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/2 "2015-09-23T18:14:11Z")
At a guess, here, the speaker was mixing the titles “[Priest, Prophet, King](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threefold_office)” applied to Jesus with either the concept of pope as Vicar of Christ or the somewhat recent theology that calls all Christians to exercise the roles of priest, prophet, king in immitation of Jesus. The “politician,” then might have been a way to avoid “king” in an Amerian political context. To be really sure what he meant, you might have to ask the original speaker. The RCC has not picked up the habit from the Church of Jesus Christ of latter Day Saints of referring to their leader as “prophet” and does not expect him to make specific (foretelling) prophecies. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/3 "2015-09-23T18:27:34Z")
The specific words were probably chosen for their alliteration. That said, “prophecy” does not necessarily have to mean predictions of the future. A prophet, strictly speaking, is nothing more nor less than one who speaks the word of God, and in fact most of the Old Testament prophets were mostly concerned with what was going on in their here-and-now. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/4 "2015-09-23T20:28:58Z")
John Mace: what does “prophet” mean to you? If you think it means a clairvoyant or a Nostradamus-style predictor of the future, then I can see why it sounds odd. But if you use the dictionary definition of “a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God,” it seems to fit. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/5 "2015-09-23T20:39:19Z")
Yeah, I definitely remember middle school religion classes talking about how christ, the priest in their role as christ on earth and us regular schmoes as christians are to be priests, prophets, and kings. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/6 "2015-09-23T21:10:34Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The specific words were probably chosen for their alliteration. > > That said, “prophecy” does not necessarily have to mean predictions of the future. A prophet, strictly speaking, is nothing more nor less than one who speaks the word of God, and in fact most of the Old Testament prophets were mostly concerned with what was going on in their here-and-now. :rolleyes: Except for the fact that you can open pretty much any Prophetical book at random and have a good chance of finding something that deals with the future. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/7 "2015-09-23T21:15:41Z")
I just overheard this 2 minutes ago on the TV and wondered the same as OP. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/8 "2015-09-23T21:41:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Except for the fact that you can open pretty much any Prophetical book at random and have a good chance of finding something that deals with the future. Well, sure, but you can find something that deals with the future in _every_ book. Doesn’t mean that’s the focus. When a prophet says “You’d better stop sinning, or God’s gonna be pissed!”, they’re talking about the present sin, not the future pissedness. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/9 "2015-09-24T00:26:48Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > [Priest, pastor, prophet, politician] were probably chosen for their alliteration… Made me think of another job description: Joker, smoker, midnight toker. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/10 "2015-09-24T00:48:05Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > :rolleyes: > > Except for the fact that you can open pretty much any Prophetical book at random and have a good chance of finding something that deals with the future. Yes, but you can open any newspaper and find economic and political commentators prognosticating about the future on the op-ed page. “We’re all going to hell in a handbasket!” is not a belief that only the religious can express. There may be passages in the OT prophecy books than can be read as Nostrodamus-type predictions, if you are minded to read them that way. But that’s not really the core of the biblical notion of prophecy. A prophet reads the signs of the times, points out the gap between how people are behaving and how they are called to behave, and opines that This Will Not End Well. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/11 "2015-09-24T06:49:50Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > There may be passages in the OT prophecy books than can be read as Nostrodamus-type predictions, if you are minded to read them that way. But that’s not really the core of the biblical notion of prophecy. A prophet reads the signs of the times, points out the gap between how people are behaving and how they are called to behave, and opines that This Will Not End Well. And when they tried to get really specific and particular with future predictions, they didn’t always get it right either. They didn’t even get the Messiah’s name right. (Emanuel who?) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/12 "2015-09-24T14:04:51Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > John Mace: what does “prophet” mean to you? The definition from wikipedia works for me: _In religion, a prophet is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and to speak for them, serving as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people. The message that the prophet conveys is called a prophecy._ I don’t think the Pope qualifies. > [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > I just overheard this 2 minutes ago on the TV and wondered the same as OP. I predicted that! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/13 "2015-09-24T14:07:59Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The definition from wikipedia works for me: > > _In religion, a prophet is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and to speak for them, serving as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people. The message that the prophet conveys is called a prophecy._ > > I don’t think the Pope qualifies. You don’t think that the Pope receives enlightenment or at least guidance from the Holy Spirit? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/14 "2015-09-24T14:23:10Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I don’t think the Pope qualifies [as a prophet]. I believe you’ll find that the Roman Catholic Church deems him a prophet by virtue of his office. And doesn’t care what you or I think about it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/15 "2015-09-24T15:08:58Z")
Benedict is not the first to be referred to this way. [Pope Saint John Paul II: Prophet AND Poet](http://aleteia.org/2014/10/22/pope-saint-john-paul-ii-prophet-and-poet/) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/16 "2015-09-24T15:27:44Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > You don’t think that the Pope receives enlightenment or at least guidance from the Holy Spirit? I don’t believe that he has been “contacted” by a divine entity. > [@Gary\_T](#): > > I believe you’ll find that the Roman Catholic Church deems him a prophet by virtue of his office. Do you have a cite for that? I’m not saying I don’t believe you, but I grew up Catholic, went to Catholic schools, and we never, ever were taught this. But I could have been snoozing in Religion class… > [@](#): > > And doesn’t care what you or I think about it. 🙂 Yep. I’m just wonder what THEY think about it. And by “they”, I mean Church doctrine, not what your average Catholic on the street thinks. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/17 "2015-09-24T16:10:37Z")
Bear with me because I’m going from memory here, but I seem to recall that a “prophet” in the OT was not so much a predictor of the future as one sent by the Lord to keep Israel true to the Covenant and goad it back when it strayed (which was frequently). In that sense I think the term fits the Pope rather well. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/18 "2015-09-24T16:28:43Z")
Sounds like a Catholic academic over-excitedly gushing in sheer relief that he doesn’t have to feel embarrassed by this particular member of the hierarchy. I doubt if there’s any theological significance to it. ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/19 "2015-09-24T16:34:23Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The specific words were probably chosen for their alliteration. > > That said, “prophecy” does not necessarily have to mean predictions of the future. A prophet, strictly speaking, is nothing more nor less than one who speaks the word of God, and in fact most of the Old Testament prophets were mostly concerned with what was going on in their here-and-now. Exactly right. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323/20 "2015-09-24T16:35:28Z")
He’s a poet, he’s a picker He’s a [prophet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ATNElWL8G4), he’s a pusher He’s a pilgrim and a preacher, and a problem when he’s stoned [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-is-a-prophet/732323.md?page=2)