5 Reasons Protestants Should Care Who the Pope Is

A very close friend of mine was in a conversation recently with a Protestant friend. Her friend insisted that she has no reason to care who was elected Pope, as "[she's] Protestant and it doesn't affect her." My friend suggested I write a blog post about it and, both because she's a dear friend and because it's my spring break, I have.

The list I've created focuses solely on secular reasons to care about who has been elected Pope. There are obvious religious reasons, such as the fact that the Pope is the Vicar of Christ, that the Pope is the Successor of St. Peter, that the Pope is infallible, etc. Most of these reasons, however, would require a much longer discussion on why they are True (incidentally, check out here, here, and here if religious arguments on the Pope are what you want).

I see, at a minimum, 5 reasons why Protestants should care who the Pope is, what he's like, and what atmosphere he creates:

Habemus Papam!

Cardinal Protodeacon Jean-Louis Tauran announced today:

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam! Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum Jorge Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Bergoglio qui sibi nomen imposuit Pope Francis I."

Let us pray for our new Pontiff, the 266th Pope (*266th, including St. Peter)!

Here's some video!
Here's the text of his greeting and speech

Read a little about the man who would become Pope from WIKIPEDIA

What Does this Abdication Theologically Teach Us?

There is something very important hidden in the big news today. While a lot of people will be talking about the fact of Pope Benedict XVI abdicating, and while a lot of people will be talking about why a Pope can abdicate, few if any will be talking about what it tells us.

The Papal Office is just that, an office. We give great honor to the man who holds the Keys of the Kingdom, but it is really the Keys that we are honoring.

Pope Benedict XVI Abdicating

Read the full text of Pope Benedict's letter here.

Only the Holy Father could wake me up early this morning, and only the Holy Father could get this busy law student to actually post something since late October.