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Originally the Pope was the guy who ran the meetings when the different church heads(patriarchs) got together, because the churches were all Christian but served different kinds of poeple in different geographical locations. The would get together and decide about doctrine and dogma, make proclamations, etc. Eventually the Pope of Rome decided he was in charge, and the schism happened. Because times change and people change, the pope became the spokesperson for ideas and doctrines and dogma that developed along the way. My church is one of the 22 churches that fall under the pope of Rome. Roman Catholics are the largest one, but there are many others. Some even have their own patriarchs, more like in the original church councils. I belong to one of 12 (I think) churches that call themselves Byzantine or Greek Catholic. Many have their roots in Slavic or Middle Eastern Churches, and they were under the Patriarch in Constantinople, hence the "Greek". Our worship and praxis is more like an Orthodox church. One of these churches is the Melkite Church, and another is the Ukrainian Catholic Church. You may have heard of them. Our churches were forced to Latinize or become like the Roman Church for a long period of time. Pope John Paul II was very interested in encouraging our churches to reclaim their traditions, including a more Orthodox woship (no pews) and a married priesthood (he looked the other way and said nothing when they began this in the Ukrainian churches in Canada). The new Pope may not be so kind to our churches and traditions. zsorry this is so long, but for many people who are in essence Catholic, but not Roman Catholic, the role of the Pope is very different.
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