Pontifex Maximus.. title of a Roman Emperor...
You know... dictator..
The Pope is bishop of Rome and has the ultimate responsibility for the preservation of the faith. He cannon alter anything in the doctrines of the Church, but he can augment and clarify. This is consistent with the St. Peter of the New Testament.
Some imperial trappings of modern papacy might be off-putting to the outsiders, but they are not the essence of the Papacy.