A Comparative Study of the Role and Positionof People in the System of the Popein Catholicism and Velāyat-e Faqih in Shi'ism

Guardianship in Catholicism and Shi'ism and the analysis of people's position as the recipients of guardianship are important issues in the evaluation of these two ideologies. Using a documentary-analytic method, the present research reviews the concept of and sphere of guardianship of the pope and the just jurist. The results indicate that the existing gospels confirm the religious authority of Jesus Christ (AS) and his apostles but reject any political authority for them and consequently for the pope so he just has religious guardianship and people should be his absolute obedient in this regard. Yet for some centuries, the pope introduced himself as the guardian of political affairs and by recourse to the idea of his infallibility, deemed that people have no position in this regard and made a reference to some verses in the gospels to substantiate this process. However, although in the Shi'ite thinking, the important majesty of the Dear Prophet (AS), Saint Imāms (AS), and then the just jurist are in charge of religious and worldly guardianship, the legitimacy of this position comes merely from Almighty God so people have a significant role in the objective realization, continuation, reinforcement, and supervision in this regard.