The Pope is the leader of the Church, and the most powerful person in the clergy, and has been in both the Middle Ages and today. The Pope has several powers.

• The Pope can say what all Catholics are supposed to believe.
  
• The Pope can pass laws for the Church.
  
• The Pope can establish dioceses.
  
• The Pope can tax the clergy and the faithful for the purposes of the Church. (Ecclesiastical purposes)
  
• The Pope can excommunicate people from the Church.
  
• The Pope has many more powers.
  

The Pope used to be very powerful in the Middle Ages because of his power to excommunicate, or kick people out of the Church. In the Middle Ages, the Pope was more powerful than the king because of this power. For example, Pope Gregory VII made a document saying that he was more powerful than kings. When King Henry IV heard about that, he ordered Pope Gregory VII to step down. Instead, he excommunicated King Henry, and threatened that anybody who tried to help him would also get excommunicated. King Henry gave up and had to wait outside of his castle, dressed as a beggar, for three days before the Pope would let him in. Today the Church is not just in Europe, but is all over the world. In the countries that the Church is in today, there are other religious groups, unlike in the Middle Ages. This takes away much of the Pope's power because any non-Catholics would not care if they were excommunicated or condemned to hell.