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The Pope

The Bishop of Rome and Successor of Peter

Definition and Latin origin

The pope is the bishop of Rome and the principal spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The ancient title of pope comes from the Latin papa - a term of affection for father. Originally referring to bishops in the West and to priests in the East, after the sixth century papa began to be applied to the bishop of Rome. It was only by the eight century in the West that the usage of the title was restricted solely to the bishop of Rome.

Peter's successor

When Christ gave the keys of His Church to Peter, He instituted Peter to be the chief shepherd of the Church. This institution belongs to the very foundation of the Church and is continued by the bishops under the leadership of the pope. The pope therefore "is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful." (Catechism #881-882)

Other papal titles

According to the Annuario pontifico, the other titles of the pope are: Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Chief of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of Vatican City, and Servant of the Servants of God. The last title was made popular by the late John Paul II. But the most significant of these titles is that which refer to the pope as the Successor of Peter (the Chief of the Apostles).

Important role of the pope

The most important role of the pope is the preservation of unity within the Universal Church. He is the point of unity among all the local churches. As a shepherd is important to his flock of sheep so they will not scatter, so is the pope important to the Catholic Church. He serves as the bishop of all bishops and the pastor of all the faithful.

Papal succession

The early Christians recognized the importance of having a leader in each local Church. Also, the universal Church gradually came to see the value and necessity of recognizing the authority of one of the bishops. Increasingly, the other bishops and the Christians looked up to the bishop of Rome for guidance and direction. It was St. Irenaeus of Lyons who attested to this in history and traced the successors of Peter as bishop of Rome: Linus, Anacletus, Clement, Evaristus, Alexander Evarestos, Sixtus, Telesphorus, Hyginus, Pius, Anicetus, Soter and Eleutherius (12th successor of Peter). These successors of Peter have special authority or pre-eminence because of their direct linkage to Peter.

A majority of Italian popes

Many are asking if the pope must be an Italian. The answer is negative. In Church history, there have been Syrian, Greek, Dutch, English and French popes (Pope John Paul II was Polish and now Pope Benedict XVI is German). The reason why most of the popes in history were Italians was because the pope is Bishop of Rome and must live in Italy. Therefore, the Italian cardinals have many natural qualifications for the papacy.

Conclave and consistory

Conclave refers to the meeting of the cardinals and to the place where they gather to elect a new pope. In the conclave small cells were constructed for the accommodations of the cardinals participating in the conclave. The history of the conclave can be traced to Pope Gregory X in 1274 A.D. He created the conclave in such a way so that there would be no interfering communication between the cardinals and the outside world. In our modern times, the conclave takes place at the Sistine Chapel. One of the known customs is the burning of the ballots that produces white smoke to signify that a new pope has been elected.

Consistory, on the other hand, refers to a church count. Before the consistories were governing bodies of the church, meeting regularly, to tackle topics such as discipline, faith, and policy. Presently, these governing bodies have been replaced by the Sacred Congregation of the Roman Curia. Today, when the pope calls an assembly of cardinals to discuss very important Church matters, this is called a private consistory.

Papal letters

The encyclical is a papal document sent by the pope to the bishops. The content of this document deals with matters related to the general welfare of the Church.
The bull is the most solemn and weighty form of papal letter. This is used by the pope in appointing a bishop and defining a dogma.
All documents issued by the pope are, generally speaking, apostolic letters. But more specifically, apostolic letters are used for lesser appointments, establishing or dividing mission territories, designating basilicas, and approving religious congregations.
The papal instruction is a papal document that tells the faithful how they are to carry out or put into practice some directives in worship or spirituality - example is infant baptism or children's Masses.
The apostolic constitution is a papal document that deals with matters of faith and affairs of the universal Church - example are On the Sacrament of Penance and On the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.
The apostolic exhortation is a papal document which enjoins everyone to put into living pastoral practice the indications, suggestions, and directives contained in the document itself.
The papal blessing is given by the pope on certain occasions such as the Urbi et Orbi blessing during Easter and Christmas, and at the end of liturgical or even non-liturgical functions. A papal blessing is accompanied by a plenary indulgence.

References used in this article

Questions and Answers on the Pope and the Papacy, by Rev. Fr. Ruperto C. Santos
The New Dictionary of Theology, by editors Komonchak, Collins and Lane
Catechism of the Catholic Church