There exists many Christian sects that disagree. Usually they’re evangelical in nature. The argument I’ve heard is that a Christian only answers to the authority of Christ but Catholics answer to the pope

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

That's a really nonsensical argument. Most non-Catholic churches have authorities – Bishops, Conventions, whatever – just because they don't accept the authority of the Pope doesn't mean they don't accept have other ecclesial authorities which they do accept.

Also, Eastern Orthodox theologians–and even some Protestant theologians–have said they accept the Pope's authority in principle, but they cannot accept it in practice because the Popes have abused their power and given themselves far more power than they were ever meant to have – but, in principle, if the Catholic Church turned over a new leaf, and adopted a much more limited view of papal power, and if their other theological disputes with Catholicism could be satisfactorily resolved – then they'd be able to go back to accepting the Pope's authority, not just in principle, but in practice too.

>> 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.

The four "marks" of the Church that are listed in the Nicene Creed are that it is one, holy, catholic (that is, universal), and apostolic. The hierarchy of bishops and the Pope (the Bishop of Rome) are the apostolic part; Catholics consider them the successors of the apostles.

na I think he meant "to be a Catholic in particular, or even a Christian in general"

Thank you. I assumed it was clear as Catholics are a subset of Christians.

In Spanish at least, Christian usually refers to evangelical.