Who is the Pope?
Pope means father. In ancient Greek it was a child's term of affection (papa), but was borrowed by Latin as a title of honor. Both Greek-speaking Eastern, and Latin-speaking Western, Christians applied it to priests, bishops and patriarchs in the early Church. Even today, the faithful of the Orthodox Churches of Greece, Russia and Serbia call their parish priest pope. Gradually, however, Latin usage became restricted. At the beginning of the 3rd century, papa was a term of respect for churchmen in high positions; by the 5th century, it was applied particularly to the Bishop of Rome; and since the 8th century, as far the West is concerned, the title has been exclusively his.
Does the Pope have other titles?
First and foremost he is the Bishop of Rome. From this office derives all the other offices and titles he holds. As the Roman bishop he is the Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province. He is the Primate (First Bishop) of Italy. He is the Patriarch of the West, that is, of the Western or Latin Church. As Successor of Peter, he is the Vicar of Jesus Christ, the Supreme Pontiff, and Pastor of the Universal Church. He is also known as the Servant of the Servants of God. As spiritual father to all Christians he is called Pope or papa, and Holy Father and Holiness, not because he is holy but because the things of Christ which he administers are holy. In worldly matters, he is the Sovereign of the Vatican City State. All of these offices belong to the man elected Bishop of Rome.
What does the title Supreme Pontiff mean?
A Pontiff, from the Latin pontifex or bridge builder, was the title given in ancient Rome to priests, the mediators between the gods and men. In Christian teaching Christ is the one mediator between God and man. He alone is necessary, since He alone is the God-Man who reconciles mankind to the Father. However, He places human beings in roles of secondary mediation in order to effect His plan of salvation throughout human history. Applied to the Bishop of Rome, Pontiff points to the High Priesthood of Jesus Christ which he exercises as a bishop. As Pope he is said to be the Supreme Pontiff because he is the pastor not only of his own diocese, but of the universal Church, and thus his authority is supreme over the pontiffs, the bishops of the Church.
What are the Keys of the Kingdom?
In the ancient world the keys were associated with the royal office of the Vizier, what we might today call both prime minister and treasurer. He literally carried the keys of the king attached to his belt. Thus, when Jesus said that He would give Peter the Keys of the Kingdom, which would “open and no one could close, and close and no one could open,” this image would have been readily understood. In Scripture only the Messiah and Peter are spoken of as having such authority. Peter is Christ’s Vicar, who with his successors in every age represents Christ, and opens and closes the treasury of heaven in His name.
What is the Papal Tiara?
The Papal Tiara is a tri-layered crown symbolizing the threefold authority of the Pope. The top crown represents universal pastoral authority, the middle crown universal jurisdiction in the Church, and the bottom crown, temporal authority. Of this last, only the Vatican City State remains from the papal states of the medieval era.
The triple tiara can also be understood to have a purely spiritual interpretation, Christ’s three-fold office of Priest, Prophet and King. The Lord communicated these offices to the Apostles, and in a particular way to Peter, so that they could sanctify, teach and govern in His name and by His authority.
While the tiara remains a symbol of the papacy, appearing in the papal crest, the actual crown has not been worn since Pope Paul VI, who set aside many of the imperial trappings of the papacy.
Who is the Vicar of Christ?
The papal title Vicar of Christ is closely associated with Our Lord’s titles Son of David and King of Israel. It was foretold to David that a descendant of his would reign on his throne forever. This King is Jesus Christ, who reigns in an eternal spiritual Kingdom. Every King has a prime minister, a vizier or vicar, who carries out his will and who speaks in his name. Although the Kingdom of God has no material treasures to guard and dispense, it has spiritual treasures: the faith, the sacraments, the unity of the Church. These were committed to Peter by Our Lord under the symbol of the keys, a treasury and responsibility which is passed to those who follow Peter in his office as Vicar of Christ.
What is Papal Primacy?
Papal Primacy refers to the supreme, immediate and ordinary authority of the Pope over everyone in the Church. Although the doctrine was only defined by the First Vatican Council in 1870, this primacy of jurisdiction has been exercised by St. Peter and the Bishops of Rome from the beginning of the Church. This can be seen in the norms announced by the Apostle at the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15, in the letter of his successor, Pope Clement, to Corinth from about 85 AD, in the dictum of St. Cyprian of Carthage “Rome has spoke, the case is closed,” and other examples from the early Church in which the Bishop of Rome acts as the highest authority in the universal Church.
What is the Petrine Charism?
The Petrine Charism refers to the unique grace, or charism, which the Lord promised to St. Peter to assist him in his role as the Chief among the Apostles. In Mt 16:18, the Lord stated that hell would not prevail against the Church He would establish upon Peter. In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus says how He will bring it about that Peter will prevail over the Enemy – He will pray and obtain the grace for Peter to be unwavering in matters of Faith. This charism enables Peter to confirm his fellow apostles in the Faith, and through them us. Without a secure doctrine of the Faith the Church rests on shifting sands. With it, it is secure like a house built upon a Rock.
What is Papal Infallibility?
The charism of infallibility is the means by which Christ guarantees the unity of faith. Christ committed this task to Peter, when He gave him the responsibility to confirm the brethren in the faith (Lk. 22:31-32). Thus the Pope is preserved from error by the grace of Christ in his handing on of the apostolic faith and especially when he intends to define or clarify its meaning for the good of the Church. This charism of infallibility does NOT mean that he is personally sinless or always prudent in his moral judgments. The First Vatican Council solemnly defined Papal Infallibility in 1870.
What is the Magisterium?
Those to whom Our Lord committed his prophetic office are said to have a Magisterium, from the Latin word for teacher, Magister. This office was given to the apostles, who committed it to their successors, the bishops. Each bishop is the Magister for his own diocese. The entire body of the bishops, acting in union with the Pope, are official Teachers to the whole Church; that is, they have a Universal Magisterium.
Peter, however, was given the charism to teach even his fellow apostles. Thus, the Papal Magisterium is itself a Universal Magisterium. Furthermore, only the Successor of Peter has a personal charism of infallibility which protects him from error in teaching and defining the faith. The same is true of the Magisterium of the College of Bishops collectively, as in an Ecumenical Council.
What is a Papal Encyclical?
An Encyclical is perhaps the most familiar category of papal document. The name indicates a circular letter, after the pattern of the Catholic epistles of the New Testament. It expresses the mind of the Pope on matters of faith or morals. Although Encyclicals may contain fresh insights, they do not typically express new doctrine, but re-state for the entire Church, or a particular people, the Church’s constant teaching. Although an Apostolic Constitution is a higher category of document, it is used primarily for juridical acts, such as promulgating laws or establishing dioceses, and for Solemn Magisterial Teaching, such as a dogmatic definition. Thus, Encyclicals are the highest ordinary form of papal teaching document. Lower forms include Apostolic Letters, Exhortations, Homilies, Audiences, Discourses and Messages.
What is the Holy See or Apostolic See?
A See is a seat of authority, from the Latin sede. Jesus said the Pharisees sat on the chair of Moses (Mt. 23:2f). Judges sit on a bench, representing the authority of the state. Professors hold chairs of academic authority. And in the Church bishops possess chairs of spiritual authority. Thus, a diocese is called a See. The Roman diocese has been called the Apostolic See from ancient times. It is the seat of authority of the chief Apostle Peter and where the Apostles Peter and Paul were martyred. It is the Holy See, since its bishop has Christ’s authority over holy things. These expressions apply not only to the Pope, but also to those who assist him in governing the universal Church. [Code of Canon Law c. 361]
What is Vatican City State?
The Vatican City State is the world’s smallest sovereign state and where the Pope resides. It has its own diplomatic corps, passport, laws, police, stamps, money and head of state, the Pope. The Vatican Concordat with Italy in 1928 established the City State, restoring the political autonomy of the Pope which he had enjoyed for centuries as sovereign of the Papal States. These States, which occupied a large region of central Italy, protected the Church from secular leaders who sought to manipulate her for their own purposes. They were lost to the Church when the forces of Italian unification entered Rome in 1870, causing Pope Pius IX to retreat to the Vatican. The Vatican Concordat settled the unresolved issue of the Pope’s temporal authority, by securing for him sovereignty over the Vatican, and certain other properties in and around Rome.
The Vaticanus is small hill across the Tiber River from the center of Rome. In the first century it contained a palace and circus, belonging to the Emperor Nero. It was in Nero’s Circus (an oblong racetrack) that St. Peter was martyred, crucified upside-down. He was buried in a near-by garden containing other graves. A shrine indicating Peter’s presence was erected over the grave around 150 AD, and Peter’s bones hidden in a wall to protect them from desecration. After the Edict of Milan in 311, the Emperor Constantine gave this imperial property to Pope Sylvester. The first, or Constantinian, Basilica was built on the site. In the 16th century this Basilica was torn down and the current one erected. Excavations under the main altar since the 1940s have revealed the pagan graveyard, the shrine over Peter’s grave, as well as discovered the bones of St. Peter, along with the ancient graffiti Petrus ibi est (Peter is here).
What is the Roman Curia?
Curia is a Latin term for a ruling body and its place of assembly. In ancient Rome the Senate met in the Curia, which can still be seen among the ruins of the Roman Forum. Within the Church the term is used for those who assist a bishop in the governance of his diocese. Thus, with respect to the Bishop of Rome, it applies to the members of the various Roman Congregations, Tribunals, Councils, Offices, Commissions and Committees who assist the Pope in the governance of the universal Church. The current authority, structure, responsibilities and operation of the Roma Curia is established in Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus of 1998, which continued the process of renewal of these institutions begun by Pope Paul VI. [see Code of Canon Law cc. 360-361]
What is a Dicastery?
A Dicastery, from the Latin word dicasterium, is an office or department of the Roman Curia. The mission of the Roman dicasteries is to assist the Supreme Pontiff in his role as the principle of unity in the Church. Among the dicasteries are the Secretariat of State, the Congregations, such as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Tribunals, such as the Apostolic Signature, the Councils, such as the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and the Offices, such as the Apostolic Camera (which administers the goods of the Holy See during a vacancy). Each dicastery is headed by a Cardinal, entitled Prefect or President, or presided over by an Archbishop. In addition they are composed of a body of cardinals (who meet periodically for the more important business), bishops, and other officials, consultors and employees, both clergy and laity.