{"id":38102,"date":"2013-02-28T08:00:51","date_gmt":"2013-02-28T14:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=38102"},"modified":"2013-02-27T22:08:47","modified_gmt":"2013-02-28T04:08:47","slug":"where-do-popes-come-from-a-parents-guide-to-adorable-and-bizarre-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/02\/where-do-popes-come-from-a-parents-guide-to-adorable-and-bizarre-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Where do Popes come from? A parent’s guide to adorable and bizarre questions."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Today is our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI’s last day in office. Like so many of us, my little family has been praying over the future of our Church. We have even “adopted” a cardinal for whom we are praying. We’ve been digging up old pictures of our trip to Rome, explaining the\u00a0hierarchy<\/a>\u00a0of our Church to our kids and delving into its beautiful universality.<\/p>\n

And answering questions about the Pope’s (possibly) secret holy superpowers.<\/p>\n

Interesting and hilarious conversations have come up. Such as, “does the Pope live in a tower high in the sky so he can be close to God?” “Which special powers does the Pope have? Like, can he fly out of his window from place to place?” “Is the Pope-mobile for real???” Sigh. When we were explaining the Church’s age old hierarchy, our eldest asked if there were any knights and pawns at the Vatican. \u00a0He wasn’t joking, he is just really<\/em> into chess.<\/p>\n

Obviously, we discovered fairly quickly that we have not adequately discussed this aspect of our Catholic heritage with our young children. While we weren’t expecting to have to let go of our beloved Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI so soon, his resignation does present a unique opportunity to share this historical moment with our children, and that part is exciting.<\/p>\n

It would be impossible for me to do justice to 2,000 years of history. But if you are looking for a basic way to explain things, this may help!<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 5 Things to Teach Children about the Papacy<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) The Pope is the earthly father of the Catholic Church worldwide. \u00a0The name “Pope” comes from Latin “Papa” and Greek “Papas” for Daddy. His position is designed to last for the rest of his life on earth. \u00a0This tradition began with St. Peter when Jesus said to him “You are the Rock on which I build my Church.” The Pope’s job is to guide the Church in matters of faith and morality in an ever changing world.<\/p>\n

2) The Pope lives in\u00a0Vatican City<\/a>, which is its own country. Even though it is inside of Rome, it is not part of Rome. \u00a0(Cool fact: St. Peter’s square is in the shape of a key, signifying the “keys” given to St. Peter to the Kingdom of heaven).<\/p>\n

3) He is chosen from the College of Cardinals who form a\u00a0Papal Conclave<\/a>\u00a015-20 days after a Pope dies or resigns. Here\u00a0the Cardinals pray for many days together. They require a 2\/3 majority in order to elect the next Pope. They meet in the\u00a0Sistine Chapel.<\/a><\/p>\n

4) If a candidate does not receive enough votes, the Cardinals apply a chemical to their voting ballots and send black smoke out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. \u00a0If a candidate succeeds in obtaining enough votes, they apply a chemical to their ballots to send white smoke out of the chimney, signifying that a new Pope has been chosen. Bells ring, too!<\/p>\n

5) The winning candidate will be asked if he will accept his role as the Supreme Pontiff, and when he accepts, he chooses a new name for himself, and is lead into a room where he changes into his Papal garb for the very first time. It is then when the senior Cardinal deacon announces from St. Peter’s square the following speech:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum:
\nHabemus Papam!
\nEminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum,
\nDominum [First Name] Sanct\u00e6 Roman\u00e6 Ecclesi\u00e6 Cardinalem [Last Name],
\nQui sibi nomen imposuit [Papal Name].<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And for those of us with rusty Latin:<\/p>\n

\n
\n

I announce to you a great joy:
\nWe have a Pope!
\nThe most eminent and most reverend Lord,
\nLord [First Name] Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church [Last Name],
\nWho takes for himself the name of [Papal Name].<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0And<\/span>\u00a0the whole world cheers and celebrates, “Habemus Papam,” we have a Pope!!!! \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As we draw near the dawn of a new horizon for our Church, let us cherish all that Pope Benedict XVI has taught us, and as we continue to teach our children let us remember this:<\/p>\n

\u201cDear friends, may no adversity paralyze you. Be afraid neither of the world, nor of the future, nor of your weakness. The Lord has allowed you to live in this moment of history so that, by your faith, his name will continue to resound throughout the world.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pope Benedict XVI, pray for us!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Me at St. Peter’s basilica in 2005. I told you I was digging up old photos.<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today is our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI’s last day in office. Like so many of us, my little family has been praying over the future of our Church. We have even “adopted” a cardinal for whom we are praying. We’ve been digging up old pictures of our trip to Rome, explaining the\u00a0hierarchy\u00a0of our Church… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-blog","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1591332,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2019\/03\/the-crowning-of-st-joseph\/","url_meta":{"origin":38102,"position":0},"title":"The Crowning of St. Joseph!","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"March 12, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cThus should he be honored whom the King desires to honor!\u201d The Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary is on Tuesday, March 19, 2019.\u00a0 This year is also the 61st anniversary of the church approved apparitions of St. Joseph in America in which Sr. Mary Ephrem\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/image4-550x392.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/image4-550x392.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/image4-550x392.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":529565,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2017\/11\/thanksgiving-year-long\/","url_meta":{"origin":38102,"position":1},"title":"Thanksgiving All Year Long","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"November 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Thanksgiving is one of the biggest national holidays that our country celebrates. Everything comes to a standstill while families gather together around a meal to thank God for all the many blessings they have received throughout the year. Thanksgiving does not need to be a one-time, once a year event\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/image22-550x342.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/image22-550x342.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/image22-550x342.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":196661,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/01\/garden-mercy-meditation-misericordiae-vultus-pope-francis\/","url_meta":{"origin":38102,"position":2},"title":"Garden of mercy: a meditation on Misericordiae Vultus (The Face of Mercy by Pope Francis)","author":"Shawn Rain Chapman","date":"January 12, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"In \u00a0Misericordiae Vultus, (\"The Face of Mercy,\") the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy\u00a0from Pope Francis, he has given us new seeds, a bright and verdant diagram, a vision of joy, a plan of hope for the renewal of the \"oasis of mercy\" that is the Church,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"11014687_10205420240358310_67969404638646009_n","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/11014687_10205420240358310_67969404638646009_n-e1452541649280-550x326.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/11014687_10205420240358310_67969404638646009_n-e1452541649280-550x326.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/11014687_10205420240358310_67969404638646009_n-e1452541649280-550x326.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1156073,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2018\/09\/angels-dragons-xii-st-michaels-flaming-sword\/","url_meta":{"origin":38102,"position":3},"title":"Angels & Dragons XII: St. Michael\u2019s Flaming Sword!","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"September 15, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"St. Padre Pio did spiritual battle with demons to free souls, and at his shrine, there is a mosaic of the Archangel Michael handing Padre Pio a sword. In the book \"Deliverance Prayers For Use by the Laity,\" exorcist Fr. Chad Ripperger uses the sword of St Michael, together with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/D8WK4yu5lb4\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":163894,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/10\/my-father-friend-jesus-my-guide-pilgrimage-journey-to-philadelphia-world-meeting-of-families-2015\/","url_meta":{"origin":38102,"position":4},"title":"My father & Friend Jesus, My Guide: Pilgrimage Journey to Philadelphia World Meeting of Families 2015","author":"ATX Catholic","date":"October 22, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The following is a guest post by Michelle Mata from Austin, TX sharing\u00a0her experience for the visit of Pope Francis to the US in September 2015. Jesus\u2019 representative on earth, the \u201cPope of the People\u201d, as\u00a0he is often called, inspires me; he inspired me to go all the way to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"WMF2015","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/WMF2015-550x209.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/WMF2015-550x209.jpeg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/WMF2015-550x209.jpeg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":106016,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/04\/pope-francis-holy-year-of-mercy-message\/","url_meta":{"origin":38102,"position":5},"title":"Pope Francis’ Holy Year of Mercy Message","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"April 17, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Pope Francis released the Papal Bull of Indiction of the Year of Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy titled Misericordiae Vultus\u00a0on Saturday April 11, 2015. [powerpress] This homily was given by Deacon Guadalupe at St Mary Cathedral in downtown Austin, TX. https:\/\/youtu.be\/b2-HfQZL1h0 \u00a0 https:\/\/youtu.be\/cbw1aSz165Q","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pope Francis Papal Bull of Mercy","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/PapalBullofMercy-550x366.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/PapalBullofMercy-550x366.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/PapalBullofMercy-550x366.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38102"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38102\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}