ABSTRACT
In recent years there has been a growth of reflective interest among Christians of all denominations in the role of the Papacy. This is due in part to liberalization within the institutions of Catholic theology which has encouraged members of the Church of Rome to examine critically the standard justifications of doctrine; and also to the recognition by other Christians of the need for a universal human leader of the faith, whose role transcends those of chairman, director or chief spokesman of a single denomination, or even of an association of these — such as is the President of the World Council of Churches. Particularly in an era in which the Christian religion has to compete with powerful rival religious and secular ideologies, it is widely held that the gospel message should be given authoritative expression through the mouth of one chosen (or at least recognized) by the whole Christian community to be its leader.
