The Prophetic Authority of Pope Francis

Abstract

The topic of the Pope’s authority has been known for nearly two millennia. To what extent, however, does this authority rely on a prophetic element? The question of prophecy in the Church – ekklesia – was tackled at the Second Vatican Council. This was primarily a response to the problems that had arisen in the relations between ekklesia and the world. These relations began to change from at least the end of the Middle Ages, and were almost lost during the Enlightenment. Papal authority of a prophetic character can be interpreted precisely in such ecclesiological context because the prophetic nature of Christianity is at the foundation of the community as the Church. The prophetic authority of Pope Francis is based precisely on this prophetism of the Church. The terminology of the description of the prophetic authority of the Pope has its origins in biblical prophecy. Its basis is in a tripartite Christian mission, one of which is referred to as prophetic. This prophetic aspect of the mission is closely related to teaching and the Teacher Office which bases in the prophetic mission discussed. Thus the teaching authority of the Pope is also apparent from his participation in the prophetic mission of Christ. The papal authority of the Pope is an element of the fulfillment of the tasks of the ekklesia sent to the world with a mission. It means discovering the problems of this world and, above all, providing their solutions. In view of a world which is simultaneously given and created, the figure of the Pope, and today Pope Francis, expresses the authority of the biblical prophet, discovering the challenges, expressing admonitions, but at the same time giving hope resulting from the realization of the basilea or the Kingdom.