>> The argument I’ve heard is that a Christian only answers to the authority of Christ but Catholics answer to the pope I believe the Catholic response to that

>> The argument I’ve heard is that a Christian only answers to the authority of Christ but Catholics answer to the pope I believe the Catholic response to that would be that before Christ returned to heaven he created a church, and he gave that church the authority to preach, to teach, and the forgive sins. It exists the continue Christ's mission on earth. Christ then selected Peter to be the leader of the church and granted him authority over all the faithful ("I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.") At this moment Christ instituted the office of the Papacy. Whoever holds this office has authority over the universal church. This authority does not come from the man who holds the office but comes directly from Christ himself. The Pope is not above Christ, the Pope answers to the authority of Christ. The Pope is just a man like anyone else. So to summarize, why do Catholics answer to the Pope? Because that's what Christ wanted.