Is the pope the antichrist?

No. The pope is not the antichrist. He is the bishop of Rome and successor of St. Peter, charged with strengthening the Church's faith and preserving her visible unity.

What Scripture means by antichrist. St. John uses the term for those who deny that Jesus is the Christ or reject His coming in the flesh (1 Jn 2:18, 22; 4:2-3; 2 Jn 7). The Catechism also speaks of a final Antichrist, a supreme religious deception that offers humanity a false salvation in place of Christ and His kingdom (CCC 675-676). The Church has not definitively identified that final figure with any particular person living today.

What the pope actually confesses. The pope publicly professes that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, crucified and risen for our salvation. His office exists because Christ gave Peter a distinctive pastoral authority: Jesus renamed Simon as Peter, gave him the keys of the kingdom, and commanded him to strengthen his brethren and feed Christ's sheep (Mt 16:18-19; Lk 22:31-32; Jn 21:15-17). The pope's task is therefore directed toward Christ, not against Him. As Peter's successor, he is the visible source and foundation of unity among the bishops and faithful (CCC 880-882).

Why the accusation arose. During periods of political and religious conflict, especially the Reformation, some opponents of Catholicism labeled the pope the antichrist. That charge depends on rejecting the Catholic understanding of Peter's office. It does not follow from the biblical descriptions of antichrist. Christians may criticize a pope's prudential decisions, administration, or personal conduct. Popes are sinners who need confession and salvation like everyone else. Papal authority does not make every statement or action holy, wise, or infallible.

What papal authority does mean. The pope cannot replace Christ, invent a new revelation, or alter the deposit of faith. Christ is the Church's head and supreme shepherd (CCC 792, 937). Papal infallibility applies only under precise conditions when the pope definitively teaches a doctrine of faith or morals for the whole Church (CCC 891). Its purpose is to protect Christ's revelation from error, not to place the pope above God's word.

When someone makes this accusation, read the passages about Peter and antichrist in context. Then compare them with what the Catholic Church actually teaches about Jesus and the limited, servant role of the pope.