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The term “pope” comes from the ancient Greek word “πάππας” (Latin “papa” = father).
The term “pope” is an honorary title. The title comes from the Greek world, where it initially referred to abbots and bishops, and from the 5th century AD, to both the Bishop of Rome and the other patriarchs. Since the Middle Ages, the term “Pope” has been used as shorthand for the holder of the Petrine office, although the term “Bishop of Rome” is formally the correct term.
As Bishop of Rome and thus successor to the Apostle Peter, the Pope is the Vicar of Christ, leader of the universal Church, head of the College of Bishops, and shepherd of the entire Church. Canon law (CIC) describes his official authority as follows: “Under his office, the Pope possesses the supreme, full, direct, and universal ordinary power in the Church, which he can always exercise freely.” The Pope has this supreme power by his office; it is divine law and is therefore not delegated to him by human bodies, such as the entirety of the faithful or by the bishops. He is above the General Council or the College of Bishops; his decisions do not require confirmation, just as there is no appeal to any other authority.
The Pope’s special position is also reflected in the titles he has held throughout the Church’s history: Holy Father, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Head of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rome, Sovereign of the State of Vatican City, Pontifex Maximus, and Servus servorum Dei (Servant of the Servants of God).
As we understand it today, the papacy has developed over thousands of years. The Bishop of Rome has not always exercised such a dominant influence. Only in the last few centuries has the Pope gained more authority.
The Pope’s episcopal church is the Lateran Church in Rome (not St. Peter’s Basilica).
- hector pascua/picture: Image by Dominique Devroye from Pixabay
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