The Pope, on being or not being Catholic.

Is the Pope Catholic?

You've heard this rhetorical question. Maybe plenty of times. It's a smart-ass comeback to assert to someone that the answer to what they asked is so obviously a yes, it needs no further introspection. Whatever they wanted to know is undeniably… so, just as the Pope is undeniably Catholic. It's not up for debate.

But actually…

Is it so indisputable that the Pope is Catholic?

After all, think about just how much time the Pope has devoted to pondering religion in the first place. His Holiness is so enveloped in the world of Catholicism that every facet of his waking life revolves around religion in some way. He has probably talked, thought about, and practiced the faith more than most other Catholics in the history of the world.

With that, he's had the biggest opportunity to investigate his beliefs. Not deny them, necessarily, but the opportunity to think it over — way more than the average Catholic.

The average Catholic — say, someone who goes to church twice a year — might actively think about religion so infrequently that they never even give themselves the chance to question their faith. But a highly-educated, studious arbiter of the world's biggest religion? He must know a fair amount about other religions, too. He's meeting other religious leaders, hearing stories, studying history, and above all, constantly putting himself in situations where he would undoubtedly have to reaffirm his faith (to himself, at least). He knows so much about all possible paths to God that it would be unusual for him to not consider the others.

Imagine what it would be like to be a Catholic priest, bishop, deacon, or cardinal who actually was having a crisis of faith. They may have built up their careers over so many decades that to come out as questioning would sacrifice everything they've built and known about themselves. They might be driven insane by the thought of walking away from the only lifestyle they've ever had.

At that point, it might only make sense to dig deeper. In an effort to rid the voices of doubt, a devoted Catholic (such as the Pope) might actually commit themselves even further into the religion. But faced with the same scenario, a “casual” Catholic might be content to just stop practicing altogether.

And considering the question, “Is the Pope Catholic?” — The Pope might have a stricter definition of who is considered a Catholic than the average person. If he was having the crisis of faith, he might be harsher on himself, and (even privately) think that he cannot honestly call himself one.

It may not be a very strong chance. It might be infinitesimal. But it's not zero. I don't think it's an absolute truth that the Pope MUST be Catholic. It doesn't seem like it should be the go-to retort to assert a previous statement is so obvious that it doesn't deserve questioning.

It stands to reason that the person who has to think, talk, and practice a religion more than anyone else in the world might actually have a higher chance than the average person of not truly considering themselves a member of that religion.

“Is the Pope Catholic?” — It's a phrase that, if anything, should be used to prompt serious questioning of established truths… not to outright affirm them without a second thought.

Urine. ✍︎