• • • The pope (: papa from: πάππας pappas, a child's word for 'father'), also known as the supreme pontiff (from 'greatest bridge-builder'), is the of, and therefore the leader of the worldwide. The is largely derived from his role as the supposed to, to whom is said to have given the and the powers of 'binding and loosing', naming him as the 'rock' upon which the church would be built. The pope is also of, a sovereign entirely within Rome. The current pope is, who was on 13 March 2013, succeeding.

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The office of the pope is the papacy. His, the Diocese of Rome, is often called 'the ' or 'the ', the latter name being based on the belief that the Bishop of Rome is the apostolic successor to Saint Peter.

The pope is considered one of the world's most powerful people because of his diplomatic and cultural influence. The papacy is one of the most enduring institutions in the world and has had a prominent part in. The popes in ancient times helped in the spread of Christianity and the resolution of various doctrinal disputes. In the, they played a role of secular importance in, often acting as arbitrators between Christian.

Currently, in addition to the expansion of the Christian faith and doctrine, the popes are involved in and, charitable work, and the defense of. Popes, who originally had no, in some periods of history accrued wide powers similar to those of temporal rulers. In recent centuries, popes were gradually forced to give up temporal power, and papal authority is now once again almost exclusively restricted to matters of religion. Over the centuries, papal claims of spiritual authority have been ever more firmly expressed, culminating in 1870 with the proclamation of the of for rare occasions when the pope speaks —literally 'from the '—to issue a formal definition of. Main article: Title and etymology The word pope derives from πάππας meaning 'father'. In the early centuries of, this title was applied, especially in the east, to all bishops and other senior clergy, and later became reserved in the west to the Bishop of Rome, a reservation made official only in the 11th century. The earliest record of the use of this title was in regard to the by then deceased, (232–248).

The earliest recorded use of the title 'pope' in English dates to the mid-10th century, when it was used in reference to in an Old English translation of 's. Position within the Church The Catholic Church teaches that the pastoral office, the office of the Church, that was held by the apostles, as a group or 'college' with as their head, is now held by their successors, the bishops, with the bishop of Rome (the pope) as their head. The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus personally appointed Peter as leader of the Church, and the Catholic Church's dogmatic constitution makes a clear distinction between apostles and bishops, presenting the latter as the successors of the former, with the pope as successor of Peter, in that he is head of the bishops as Peter was head of the apostles. Some historians argue against the notion that Peter was the first bishop of Rome, noting that the episcopal see in Rome can be traced back no earlier than the third century.

The writings of the who wrote around AD 180 reflect a belief that Peter 'founded and organized' the Church at Rome. Moreover, Irenaeus was not the first to write of Peter's presence in the early Roman Church. Wrote in a letter to the Corinthians, c. 96, about the persecution of Christians in Rome as the 'struggles in our time' and presented to the Corinthians its heroes, 'first, the greatest and most just columns', the 'good apostles' Peter and Paul. Wrote shortly after Clement and in his letter from the city of Smyrna to the Romans he said he would not command them as Peter and Paul did.

Given this and other evidence, many scholars agree that Peter was martyred in Rome under, although some scholars argue that he may have been martyred in Palestine. The New Testament offers no proof that Jesus established the papacy, nor even that he established Peter as the first bishop of Rome. Some theologians argue, using Peter's own words, that Christ intended himself--and not Peter--as the foundation of the church. Others have argued that the church is indeed built upon Jesus and faith, but also on the disciples as the roots and foundations of the church on the basis of Paul's teaching in Romans and Ephesians, though not primarily Peter. First-century Christian communities would have had a group of presbyter-bishops functioning as leaders of their local churches. Gradually, episcopacies were established in metropolitan areas.

Antioch may have developed such a structure before Rome. In Rome, there were many who claimed to be the rightful bishop, though again Irenaeus stressed the validity of one line of bishops from the time of St.

Peter up to his contemporary and listed them. Some writers claim that the emergence of a single bishop in Rome probably did not occur until the middle of the 2nd century. In their view, Linus, Cletus and Clement were possibly prominent presbyter-bishops, but not necessarily monarchical bishops. Documents of the 1st century and early 2nd century indicate that the bishop of Rome may have had some kind of pre-eminence and prominence in the Church as a whole, though the detail of what this meant is unclear. Early Christianity (c. 30–325) It seems that at first the terms 'episcopos' and 'presbyter' were used interchangeably. The consensus among scholars has been that, at the turn of the 1st and 2nd centuries, local congregations were led by bishops and presbyters whose offices were overlapping or indistinguishable.

Some say that there was probably 'no single 'monarchical' bishop in Rome before the middle of the 2nd century.and likely later.' Other scholars and historians disagree, citing the historical records of (d 107) and who recorded the linear succession of Bishops of Rome (the popes) up until their own times. [ ] They also cite the importance accorded to the Bishops of Rome in the, including the early ones.

In the early Christian era, Rome and a few other cities had claims on the leadership of worldwide Church., known as 'the brother of the Lord', served as head of the church, which is still honored as the 'Mother Church' in Orthodox tradition. Had been a center of Jewish learning and became a center of Christian learning. Rome had a large congregation early in the apostolic period whom Paul the Apostle addressed in his, and according to tradition Paul was martyred there. [ ] During the 1st century of the Church (c. 30–130), the Roman capital became recognized as a Christian center of exceptional importance., at the end of the 1st century, wrote an epistle to the Church in intervening in a major dispute, and apologizing for not having taken action earlier.

However, there are only a few other references of that time to recognition of the of the outside of Rome. In the of 13 October 2007, theologians chosen by the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches stated: '41. Both sides agree.

That Rome, as the Church that 'presides in love' according to the phrase of St, occupied the first place in the taxis, and that the of Rome was therefore the protos among the patriarchs. They disagree, however, on the interpretation of the historical evidence from this era regarding the prerogatives of the Bishop of Rome as protos, a matter that was already understood in different ways in the first millennium.' [ ] In the late 2nd century AD, there were more manifestations of Roman authority over other churches. In 189, assertion of the primacy of the Church of Rome may be indicated in 's (3:3:2): 'With [the Church of Rome], because of its superior origin, all the churches must agree.

And it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the apostolic tradition.' In AD 195,, in what is seen as an exercise of Roman authority over other churches, excommunicated the for observing Easter on the 14th of, the date of the Jewish, a tradition handed down by (see ).

Celebration of Easter on a, as insisted on by the pope, is the system that has prevailed (see ). Nicaea to East-West Schism (325–1054) The in 313 granted freedom to all religions in the Roman Empire, beginning the.

In 325, the condemned, declaring dogmatic, and in its sixth canon recognized the special role of the sees of Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch. Great defenders of Trinitarian faith included the popes, especially, who was exiled to by for his Trinitarian faith,, and several other bishops.

In 380, the declared to be the state religion of the empire, with the name 'Catholic Christians' reserved for those who accepted that faith. While the civil power in the controlled the church, and the, the capital, wielded much power, in the, the Bishops of Rome were able to consolidate the influence and power they already possessed. After the, tribes were converted to or Catholicism;, king of the, was the first important barbarian ruler to convert to Catholicism rather than Arianism, allying himself with the papacy.

Other tribes, such as the, later abandoned Arianism in favour of Catholicism. Gregory the Great ( c 540–604) who established medieval themes in the Church, in a painting by, c. After the, the pope served as a source of authority and continuity.

( c 540–604) administered the church with strict reform. From an ancient senatorial family, Gregory worked with the stern judgement and discipline typical of ancient Roman rule. Theologically, he represents the shift from the classical to the medieval outlook; his popular writings are full of dramatic, potent,,,, and the. Gregory's successors were largely dominated by the, the 's representative in the. These humiliations, the weakening of the in the face of the, and the inability of the emperor to protect the papal estates against the, made turn from Emperor. He appealed to the to protect his lands. Subdued the Lombards and donated Italian land to the papacy.

When crowned (800) as, he established the precedent that, in, no man would be emperor without being crowned by a pope. The low point of the papacy was 867–1049.

This period includes the, the era, and the. The papacy came under the control of vying political factions. Popes were variously imprisoned, starved, killed, and deposed by force. The family of a certain papal official made and unmade popes for fifty years. The official's great-grandson,, held orgies of debauchery in the. Had John accused in an ecclesiastical court, which deposed him and elected a layman as.

John mutilated the Imperial representatives in Rome and had himself reinstated as pope. Continued, and eventually dukes in league with the emperor were buying bishops and popes almost openly. In 1049, became pope, at last a pope with the character to face the papacy's problems. He traveled to the major cities of Europe to deal with the church's moral problems firsthand, notably and and.

With his long journey, he restored the prestige of the papacy in. From the 7th century it became common for European monarchies and nobility to found churches and perform or deposition of clergy in their states and fiefdoms, their personal interests causing corruption among the clergy. This practice had become common because often the prelates and secular rulers were also participants in public life.

To combat this and other practices that had corrupted the Church between the years 900 and 1050, centres emerged promoting ecclesiastical reform, the most important being the, which spread its ideals throughout Europe. This reform movement gained strength with the election of in 1073, who adopted a series of measures in the movement known as the, in order to fight strongly against and the abuse of civil power and try to restore ecclesiastical discipline, including. The conflict between popes and secular autocratic rulers such as the Holy Roman Emperor and, known as the, was only resolved in 1122, by the, in which decreed that clerics were to be invested by clerical leaders, and temporal rulers by lay investiture. Soon after, began reforms that would lead to the establishment of.

Since the beginning of the 7th century, the had conquered much of the southern, and represented a threat to Christianity. In 1095, the Byzantine emperor,, asked for military aid from in the ongoing. Urban, at the, called the to assist the Byzantine Empire to regain the old Christian territories, especially. East–West Schism to Reformation (1054–1517). A historical map of the Mediterranean states in 1400. The lasted from 1378 to 1417.

With the, the and the Catholic Church split definitively in 1054. This fracture was caused more by political events than. Popes had galled the Byzantine emperors by siding with the king of the Franks, crowning a rival Roman emperor, appropriating the, and driving into Greek Italy.

In the, popes struggled with monarchs over power. From 1309 to 1377, the pope resided not in Rome but in.

The was notorious for greed and corruption. During this period, the pope was effectively an ally of the, alienating France's enemies, such as the. The pope was understood to have the power to draw on the built up by the saints and by Christ, so that he could grant, reducing one's time in.

The concept that a monetary fine or donation accompanied contrition, confession, and prayer eventually gave way to the common assumption that indulgences depended on a simple monetary contribution. The popes condemned misunderstandings and abuses, but were too pressed for income to exercise effective control over indulgences. Popes also contended with the, who sometimes attempted to assert the authority of over the pope's. Holds that the supreme authority of the church lies with a General Council, not with the pope. Its foundations were laid early in the 13th century, and it culminated in the 15th century. The failure of Conciliarism to gain broad acceptance after the 15th century is taken as a factor in the. Various challenged papal authority, especially during the (1378–1417).

In this schism, the papacy had returned to Rome from Avignon, but an antipope was installed in Avignon, as if to extend the papacy there. [ ] The Eastern Church continued to decline with the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, undercutting Constantinople's claim to equality with Rome. Twice an Eastern Emperor tried to force the Eastern Church to reunify with the West. First in the (1272–1274) and secondly in the (1431–1449). Were a sticking point in reunification, which failed in any event. In the 15th century, the captured.

[ ] Reformation to present (1517 to today). As part of the Catholic Reformation, (1534–49) initiated the (1545–63), which established the triumph of the papacy over those who sought to reconcile with Protestants or oppose Papal claims.

Criticized the papacy as corrupt and characterized the pope as the. Popes instituted a (1560–1648), which addressed the challenges of the and instituted internal reforms. Initiated the (1545–1563), whose definitions of doctrine and whose reforms sealed the triumph of the papacy over elements in the church that sought conciliation with Protestants and opposed papal claims. Gradually forced to give up secular power, the popes focused on spiritual issues. In 1870, the proclaimed the of for those rare occasions the pope speaks when issuing a solemn definition of faith. Later the same year, from the pope's control and substantially completed the. In 1929, the between the and the established as an independent, guaranteeing papal independence from secular rule.

In 1950, defined the as dogma, the only time that a pope has spoken ex cathedra since papal infallibility was explicitly declared. The is still controversial as an issue of doctrine that continues to divide the eastern and western churches and separate Protestants from Rome. Saint Peter and the origin of the papal office. See also: The teaches that, within the Christian community, the bishops as a body have succeeded to the body of the apostles ( ) and the Bishop of Rome has succeeded to Saint Peter.

Scriptural texts proposed in support of Peter's special position in relation to the church include: •: I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. •: Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. •: Feed my sheep. The symbolic keys in the are a reference to the phrase ' in the first of these texts. Some Protestant writers have maintained that the 'rock' that Jesus speaks of in this text is Jesus himself or the faith expressed by Peter.

This idea is undermined by the Biblical usage of 'Cephas,' which is the masculine form of 'rock' in, to describe Peter. The comments that 'the consensus of the great majority of scholars today is that the most obvious and traditional understanding should be construed, namely, that rock refers to the person of Peter'.

Election, death and resignation Election. The Giving of the Keys to Saint Peter painted by (1492) The pope was originally chosen by those senior resident in and near Rome. In 1059 the electorate was restricted to the of the Holy Roman Church, and the individual votes of all Cardinal Electors were made equal in 1179. The electors are now limited to those who have not reached 80 on the day before the death or resignation of a pope. Since the pope is Bishop of Rome, only those who can be ordained a bishop can be elected, which means that any male baptized Catholic is eligible.

The last to be elected when not yet a bishop was in 1831, and the last to be elected when not even a priest was in 1513, and the last to be elected when not a cardinal was in 1378. If someone who is not a bishop is elected, he must be given episcopal ordination before the election is announced to the people.

The was convened on 7 May 1274, to regulate the election of the pope. This Council decreed that the cardinal electors must meet within ten days of the pope's death, and that they must remain in seclusion until a pope has been elected; this was prompted by the three-year following the death of in 1268. By the mid-16th century, the electoral process had evolved into its present form, allowing for variation in the time between the death of the pope and the meeting of the cardinal electors. [ ] Traditionally, the vote was conducted by, by selection (by committee), or by plenary vote. Acclamation was the simplest procedure, consisting entirely of a voice vote.

The conclave in where was elected The election of the pope almost always takes place in the, in a sequestered meeting called a ' (so called because the cardinal electors are theoretically locked in, cum clave, i.e., with key, until they elect a new pope). Three cardinals are chosen by lot to collect the votes of absent cardinal electors (by reason of illness), three are chosen by lot to count the votes, and three are chosen by lot to review the count of the votes. The ballots are distributed and each cardinal elector writes the name of his choice on it and pledges aloud that he is voting for 'one whom under God I think ought to be elected' before folding and depositing his vote on a plate atop a large chalice placed on the altar. For the, a special urn was used for this purpose instead of a chalice and plate. The plate is then used to drop the ballot into the chalice, making it difficult for electors to insert multiple ballots. Before being read, the ballots are counted while still folded; if the number of ballots does not match the number of electors, the ballots are burned unopened and a new vote is held. Otherwise, each ballot is read aloud by the presiding Cardinal, who pierces the ballot with a needle and thread, stringing all the ballots together and tying the ends of the thread to ensure accuracy and honesty.

Balloting continues until someone is elected by a two-thirds majority. The formal declaration of ' after the election of Pope Martin V One of the most prominent aspects of the papal election process is the means by which the results of a ballot are announced to the world. Once the ballots are counted and bound together, they are burned in a special stove erected in the Sistine Chapel, with the smoke escaping through a small chimney visible from. The ballots from an unsuccessful vote are burned along with a chemical compound to create black smoke,. (Traditionally, wet straw was used to produce the black smoke, but this was not completely reliable. The chemical compound is more reliable than the straw.) When a vote is successful, the ballots are burned alone, sending white smoke ( ) through the chimney and announcing to the world the election of a new pope. Starting with the, are also rung as a signal that a new pope has been chosen.

[ ] The then asks two solemn questions of the cardinal who has been elected. First he asks, 'Do you freely accept your election as Supreme Pontiff?' If he replies with the word 'Accepto', his reign begins at that instant. If he replies not, his reign begins at the inauguration ceremony several days afterward. The Dean asks next, 'By what name shall you be called?' The new pope announces the he has chosen.

If the Dean himself is elected pope, the Vice Dean performs this task. [ ] The new pope is led through the 'Door of Tears' to a dressing room where three sets of white papal vestments ( immantatio) await: small, medium, and large. Donning the appropriate vestments and reemerging into the Sistine Chapel, the new pope is given the ' by the, whom he first either reconfirms or reappoints. The pope assumes a place of honor as the rest of the cardinals wait in turn to offer their first 'obedience' ( adoratio) and to receive his blessing. [ ] The announces from a balcony over the following proclamation: Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum!!

('I announce to you a great joy! We have a pope!' He announces the new pope's along with his newly chosen regnal name. [ ] Until 1978 the pope's election was followed in a few days by the, which started with a procession with great pomp and circumstance from the to, with the newly elected pope borne in the. After a solemn, the new pope was crowned with the (papal tiara) and he gave for the first time as pope the famous blessing ('to the City [Rome] and to the World').

Another renowned part of the coronation was the lighting of a bundle of at the top of a gilded pole, which would flare brightly for a moment and then promptly extinguish, as he said, ('Thus passes worldly glory'). A similar warning against papal made on this occasion was the traditional exclamation, 'Annos Petri non videbis', reminding the newly crowned pope that he would not live to see his rule lasting as long as that of St. According to tradition, he headed the church for 35 years and has thus far been the longest-reigning pope in the history of the Catholic Church. [ ] A belief that lacks reliable authority claims that a was sworn, at their coronation, by all popes from to and that it was omitted with the abolition of the coronation ceremony. [ ] The term, ('while the see is vacant'), refers to a papal, the period between the death or resignation of a pope and the election of his successor. From this term is derived the term, which designates a category of dissident Catholics who maintain that there is no canonically and legitimately elected pope, and that there is therefore a sede vacante. One of the most common reasons for holding this belief is the idea that the reforms of the, and especially the reform of the with the, are heretical and that those responsible for initiating and maintaining these changes are heretics and not true popes.

[ ] For centuries, from 1378 on, those elected to the papacy were predominantly. Prior to the election of the cardinal as Pope John Paul II in 1978, the last non-Italian was of the, elected in 1522.

John Paul II was followed by election of the, who was in turn followed by, who is the first non-European after 1272 years and the first Latin American, despite having an Italian ancestry. Funeral of at the Vatican in April 2005, presided over by Cardinal Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI The current regulations regarding a papal —that is, a ('vacant seat')—were promulgated by in his 1996 document. During the 'sede vacante' period, the is collectively responsible for the government of the Church and of the Vatican itself, under the direction of the; however, specifically forbids the cardinals from introducing any innovation in the government of the Church during the vacancy of the. Any decision that requires the assent of the pope has to wait until the new pope has been elected and accepts office.

[ ] In recent centuries, when a pope was judged to have died, it was reportedly traditional for the Cardinal Camerlengo to confirm the death ceremonially by gently tapping the pope's head thrice with a silver hammer, calling his birth name each time. This was not done on the deaths of popes and John Paul II. The Cardinal Camerlengo retrieves the and cuts it in two in the presence of the Cardinals. The pope's seals are defaced, to keep them from ever being used again, and his is sealed. [ ] The body for several days before being interred in the of a leading church or cathedral; all popes who have died in the 20th and 21st centuries have been interred in.

A nine-day period of ( novendialis) follows the interment. [ ] Resignation. Main article: It is highly unusual for a pope to resign. The states, 'If it happens that the Roman Pontiff resigns his office, it is required for validity that the resignation is made freely and properly manifested but not that it is accepted by anyone.'

, who vacated the on 28 February 2013, was the most recent to do so since 's resignation in 1415. Titles Styles of The Pope Spoken style Your Holiness Religious style Holy Father Posthumous style See Official list of titles The official list of titles of the pope, in the order in which they are given in the, is: Bishop of,, Successor of the, of the Universal Church, of Italy, of the, of the,. The best-known title, that of 'Pope', does not appear in the official list, but is commonly used in the titles of documents, and appears, in abbreviated form, in their signatures. Thus signed as 'Paulus PP. VI', the 'PP.' Standing for ' papa' ('pope'). The title 'Pope' was from the early 3rd century an honorific designation used for any bishop in the West.

In the East, it was used only for the. 304) is the first Bishop of Rome shown in sources to have had the title 'Pope' used of him. From the 6th century, the imperial chancery of normally reserved this designation for the Bishop of Rome. From the early 6th century, it began to be confined in the West to the Bishop of Rome, a practice that was firmly in place by the 11th century, when declared it reserved for the Bishop of Rome. [ ] In, where the title 'Pope' is used also of the Bishop of Alexandria, the Bishop of Rome is often referred to as the 'Pope of Rome', regardless of whether the speaker or writer is in communion with Rome or not. [ ] Vicar of Jesus Christ 'Vicar of Jesus Christ' ( Vicarius Iesu Christi) is one of the official titles of the Pope given in the Annuario Pontificio. It is commonly used in the slightly abbreviated form 'Vicar of Christ' ( Vicarius Christi).

While it is only one of the terms with which the pope is referred to as 'Vicar', it is 'more expressive of his supreme headship of the Church on Earth, which he bears in virtue of the commission of Christ and with vicarial power derived from him', a vicarial power believed to have been conferred on Saint Peter when Christ said to him: 'Feed my lambs.Feed my sheep' (). The first record of the application of this title to a Bishop of Rome appears in a synod of 495 with reference to. But at that time, and down to the 9th century, other bishops too referred to themselves as vicars of Christ, and for another four centuries this description was sometimes used of kings and even judges, as it had been used in the 5th and 6th centuries to refer to the.

Earlier still, in the 3rd century, used 'vicar of Christ' to refer to the sent by Jesus. Its use specifically for the pope appears in the 13th century in connection with the reforms of, as can be observed already in his 1199 letter to. Other historians suggest that this title was already used in this way in association with the pontificate of (1145–1153). This title 'Vicar of Christ' is thus not used of the pope alone and has been used of all bishops since the early centuries.

The referred to all bishops as 'vicars and ambassadors of Christ', and this description of the bishops was repeated by in his encyclical 95. The difference is that the other bishops are vicars of Christ for their own local churches, the pope is vicar of Christ for the whole Church. On at least one occasion the title 'Vicar of God' (a reference to Christ as God) was used of the pope. The title 'Vicar of Peter' ( Vicarius Petri) is used only of the pope, not of other bishops. Variations of it include: 'Vicar of the Prince of the Apostles' ( Vicarius Principis Apostolorum) and 'Vicar of the Apostolic See' ( Vicarius Sedis Apostolicae). Described as vicar of Peter in the oath of fealty that he took in 722.

In today's, the description 'vicar of Peter' is found also in the of the for a saint who was a pope. Supreme Pontiff.

The signature of during his pontificate. Pope Francis signs some documents with his name alone, either in Latin ('Franciscus', as in an dated 29 June 2013) or in another language. Other documents he signs in accordance with the tradition of using Latin only and including, in the abbreviated form 'PP.' , the description 'Papa'. Popes who have an ordinal numeral in their name traditionally place the abbreviation 'PP.' Before the ordinal numeral, as in 'Benedictus PP.

XVI' (Pope Benedict XVI), except in of canonization and decrees of ecumenical councils, which a pope signs with the formula, 'Ego N. Episcopus Ecclesiae catholicae', without the numeral, as in 'Ego Benedictus Episcopus Ecclesiae catholicae' (I, Benedict, Bishop of the Catholic Church). The pope's signature is followed, in bulls of canonization, by those of all the cardinals resident in Rome, and in decrees of ecumenical councils, by the signatures of the other bishops participating in the council, each signing as Bishop of a particular see. [ ] are headed N. Episcopus ('Name, Bishop, Servant of the Servants of God'). In general, they are not signed by the pope, but introduced in the mid-1980s the custom by which the pope signs not only bulls of canonization but also, using his normal signature, such as 'Benedictus PP. XVI', bulls of nomination of bishops.

[ ] Regalia and insignia. Main article: •, also called the 'tiara' or 'triple crown', represents the pope's three functions as 'supreme pastor', 'supreme teacher' and 'supreme priest'. Recent popes have not, however, worn the triregnum, though it remains the symbol of the papacy and has not been abolished.

In liturgical ceremonies the pope wears an episcopal (an erect cloth hat). [ ] • topped by a, a custom established before the 13th century (see ). [ ] •, or pall, a circular band of fabric worn around the neck over the.

It forms a yoke about the neck, breast and shoulders and has two pendants hanging down in front and behind, and is ornamented with six crosses. Previously, the pallium worn by the pope was identical to those he granted to the, but in 2005, Pope Benedict XVI began to use a distinct papal pallium that is larger than the primatial, and was adorned with red crosses instead of black. [ ] • 'Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven', the image of two keys, one gold and one silver. The silver key symbolizes the power to bind and loose on, and the gold key the power to bind and loose in. [ ] •, a gold or gilt ring decorated with a depiction of St. Peter in a boat casting his net, with the pope's name around it. [ ] • (better known in the Italian form ombrellino) is a canopy or umbrella consisting of alternating red and gold stripes, which used to be carried above the pope in processions.

[ ] •, a mobile throne carried by twelve ( palafrenieri) in red uniforms, accompanied by two attendants bearing (fans made of white ostrich feathers), and sometimes a large, carried by eight attendants. The use of the flabella was discontinued. The use of the sedia gestatoria was discontinued.

The of the Holy See. That of the State of Vatican City is the same except that the positions of the gold and silver keys are interchanged. Download Game Monopoly Versi Indonesia Gratis For Pc. In, each pope has his own. Though unique for each pope, the arms have for several centuries been traditionally accompanied by two keys in (i.e., crossed over one another so as to form an X) behind the (shield) (one silver key and one gold key, tied with a red cord), and above them a silver triregnum with three gold crowns and red infulae (—two strips of fabric hanging from the back of the triregnum which fall over the neck and shoulders when worn). This is: 'two keys in saltire or and argent, interlacing in the rings or, beneath a tiara argent, crowned or').

The 21st century has seen departures from this tradition. In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI, while maintaining the crossed keys behind the shield, omitted the papal tiara from his personal coat of arms, replacing it with a with three horizontal lines. Beneath the shield he added the pallium, a papal symbol of authority more ancient than the tiara, the use of which is also granted to metropolitan as a sign of communion with the See of Rome. Alhough the tiara was omitted in the pope's personal coat of arms, the coat of arms of the Holy See, which includes the tiara, remained unaltered. In 2013, Pope Francis maintained the mitre that replaced the tiara, but omitted the pallium. He also departed from papal tradition by adding beneath the shield his personal pastoral motto:. [ ] The most frequently associated with the pope is the yellow and white, with the arms of the Holy See (blazoned: 'Gules, two keys in saltire or and argent, interlacing in the rings or, beneath a tiara argent, crowned or') on the right-hand side (the 'fly') in the white half of the flag (the left-hand side—the 'hoist'—is yellow).

The pope's escucheon does not appear on the flag. This flag was first adopted in 1808, whereas the previous flag had been red and gold.

Although Pope Benedict XVI replaced the triregnum with a mitre on his personal coat of arms, it has been retained on the flag. [ ] Papal garments (reigned 1566–1572), is often credited with having originated the custom whereby the pope wears white, by continuing after his election to wear the white of the.

In reality, the basic papal attire was white long before. The earliest document that describes it as such is the Ordo XIII, a book of ceremonies compiled in about 1274. Later books of ceremonies describe the pope as wearing a red mantle,, and shoes, and a white and stockings. Many contemporary portraits of 15th and 16th-century predecessors of Pius V show them wearing a white cassock similar to his. Status and authority. To maintain contacts with local clergymen and Catholic communities, the popes grant private audiences as well as public ones. Here the from (Netherlands) are received.

First Vatican Council The status and authority of the Pope in the Catholic Church was by the on 18 July 1870. In its Dogmatic Constitution of the Church of Christ, the Council established the following canons: If anyone says that the blessed Apostle Peter was not established by the Lord Christ as the chief of all the, and the visible head of the whole, or, that the same received great honour but did not receive from the same our Lord Jesus Christ directly and immediately the primacy in true and proper jurisdiction: let him be. If anyone says that it is not from the institution of Christ the Lord Himself, or by divine right that the blessed Peter has perpetual successors in the primacy over the universal Church, or that the Roman Pontiff is not the successor of blessed Peter in the same primacy, let him be anathema. Wearing the traditional 1877, is carried through St. Peter's Basilica on a c. In its (1964), the declared: Among the principal duties of bishops the occupies an eminent place.

For bishops are of the faith, who lead new disciples to Christ, and they are authentic teachers, that is, teachers endowed with the authority of Christ, who preach to the people committed to them the faith they must believe and put into practice, and by the light of the illustrate that faith. They bring forth from the treasury of Revelation new things and old, making it bear fruit and vigilantly warding off any errors that threaten their flock.

Bishops, teaching in communion with the Roman Pontiff, are to be respected by all as witnesses to divine and Catholic truth. In matters of faith and morals, the bishops speak in the name of Christ and the faithful are to accept their teaching and adhere to it with a religious assent. This religious submission of mind and will must be shown in a special way to the authentic of the Roman Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra; that is, it must be shown so that his supreme magisterium is acknowledged with reverence, the judgments made by him are sincerely adhered to, according to his manifest mind and will. His mind and will in the matter may be known either from the character of the documents, from his frequent repetition of the same doctrine, or from his manner of speaking. This infallibility with which the Divine Redeemer willed His Church to be endowed in defining doctrine of faith and morals, extends as far as the deposit of Revelation extends, which must be religiously guarded and faithfully expounded. And this is the infallibility which the Roman Pontiff, the head of the, enjoys in virtue of his office, when, as the supreme shepherd and teacher of all the faithful, who confirms his brethren in their faith, by a definitive act he proclaims a doctrine of faith or morals.

And therefore his definitions, of themselves, and not from the consent of the Church, are justly styled irreformable, since they are pronounced with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, promised to him in blessed Peter, and therefore they need no approval of others, nor do they allow an appeal to any other judgment. For then the Roman Pontiff is not pronouncing judgment as a private person, but as the supreme teacher of the universal Church, in whom the of infallibility of the Church itself is individually present, he is expounding or defending a doctrine of Catholic faith.

The infallibility promised to the Church resides also in the body of Bishops, when that body exercises the supreme magisterium with the successor of Peter. To these definitions the assent of the Church can never be wanting, on account of the activity of that same Holy Spirit, by which the whole flock of Christ is preserved and progresses in unity of faith. On 11 October 2012, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council 60 prominent theologians, (including ), put out a Declaration, stating that the intention of Vatican II to balance authority in the Church has not been realised. 'Many of the key insights of Vatican II have not at all, or only partially, been implemented... A principal source of present-day stagnation lies in misunderstanding and abuse affecting the exercise of authority in our Church.'

Politics of the Holy See. Bishop of Rome, seated, and Caprara.

Residence and jurisdiction The pope's or is the, and his official residence is the. He also possesses a at, situated on the site of the ancient city of. Until the time of the, the residence of the pope was the, donated by the.

[ ] The pope's ecclesiastical jurisdiction (the ) is distinct from his secular jurisdiction (). It is the Holy See that conducts international relations; for hundreds of years, the papal court (the ) has functioned as the government of the Catholic Church. [ ] The names 'Holy See' and ' are ecclesiastical terminology for the of the Bishop of Rome (including the Roman Curia); the pope's various honors, powers, and privileges within the Catholic Church and the international community derive from his Episcopate of Rome in lineal succession from the (see ). Consequently, Rome has traditionally occupied a central position in the Catholic Church, although this is not necessarily so.

The pope derives his pontificate from being Bishop of Rome but is not required to live there; according to the Latin formula ubi Papa, ibi Curia, wherever the pope resides is the central government of the Church, provided that the pope is Bishop of Rome. As such, between 1309 and 1378, the popes lived in, France (see ), a period often called the in allusion to the narrative of of the ancient living as captives in. [ ] Though the pope is the diocesan Bishop of the, he delegates most of the day-to-day work of leading the diocese to the, who assures direct episcopal oversight of the diocese's pastoral needs, not in his own name but in that of the pope. The current Cardinal Vicar is, who was appointed to the office in June 2008.

[ ] Political role. Antichristus, a woodcut by Lucas Cranach of the pope using the temporal power to grant authority to a generously contributing ruler Though the progressive of the in the 4th century did not confer upon bishops civil authority within the state, the gradual withdrawal of imperial authority during the 5th century left the pope the senior imperial civilian official in Rome, as bishops were increasingly directing civil affairs in other cities of the Western Empire. This status as a secular and civil ruler was vividly displayed by 's confrontation with in 452. Free Download Software Video Controller Vga Compatible. The first expansion of papal rule outside of Rome came in 728 with the, which in turn was substantially increased in 754, when the ruler gave to the pope the land from his conquest of the.

The pope may have utilized the forged to gain this land, which formed the core of the. This document, accepted as genuine until the 15th century, states that placed the entire Western Empire of Rome under papal rule. In 800, the Frankish ruler as, a major step toward establishing what later became known as the; from that date onward the popes claimed the prerogative to crown the Emperor, though the right fell into disuse after the coronation of in 1530. Was present at the in 1804 but did not actually perform the crowning. As mentioned above, the pope's sovereignty over the Papal States ended in 1870 with their annexation by Italy. Popes like, an ambitious if spectacularly corrupt politician, and, a formidable general and statesman, were not afraid to use power to achieve their own ends, which included increasing the power of the papacy. This political and temporal authority was demonstrated through the papal role in the Holy Roman Empire (especially prominent during periods of contention with the Emperors, such as during the Pontificates of and ).,, and (or the threat thereof) have been used many times to increase papal power.

The Bull in 1155 authorized to invade Ireland. In 1207, placed England under interdict until made his kingdom a to the Pope, complete with yearly, saying, 'we offer and freely yield.to our lord Pope Innocent III and his catholic successors, the whole kingdom of England and the whole kingdom of Ireland with all their rights and appurtenences for the remission of our sins'. The Bull in 1493 led to the in 1494, which divided the world into areas of Spanish and Portuguese rule.

The Bull in 1570 excommunicated and declared that all her subjects were released from all allegiance to her. The Bull,, in 1582 established the. International position Under international law, a serving has from the jurisdiction of the courts of other countries, though not from that of international tribunals. This immunity is sometimes loosely referred to as ', which is, strictly speaking, the immunity enjoyed by the diplomatic representatives of a head of state. International law treats the, essentially the central government of the Catholic Church, as the juridical equal of a state. It is distinct from the state of, existing for many centuries before the foundation of the latter. (It is common for publications and news media to use 'the Vatican', 'Vatican City', and even 'Rome' as for the Holy See.) Most countries of the world maintain the same form of diplomatic relations with the Holy See that they entertain with other states.

Even countries without those diplomatic relations participate in international organizations of which the Holy See is a full member. It is as head of the state-equivalent worldwide religious jurisdiction of the Holy See (not of the territory of Vatican City) that the ruled that the pope enjoys head-of-state immunity. This head-of-state immunity, recognized by the United States, must be distinguished from that envisaged under the United States' of 1976, which, while recognizing the basic immunity of foreign governments from being sued in American courts, lays down nine exceptions, including commercial activity and actions in the United States by agents or employees of the foreign governments. It was in relation to the latter that, in November 2008, the in decided that a case over could proceed, provided the plaintiffs could prove that the bishops accused of negligent supervision were acting as employees or agents of the Holy See and were following official Holy See policy. In April 2010, there was press coverage in Britain concerning a proposed plan by campaigners and a prominent to have Pope Benedict XVI arrested and prosecuted in the UK for alleged offences, dating from several decades before, in failing to take appropriate action regarding Catholic sex abuse cases and concerning their disputing his immunity from prosecution in that country. This was generally dismissed as 'unrealistic and spurious'. Another barrister said that it was a 'matter of embarrassment that a senior British lawyer would want to allow himself to be associated with such a silly idea'.

Objections to the papacy. Antichristus, by, from Luther's 1521 Passionary of the Christ and Antichrist. The pope is signing and selling. The pope's claim to authority is either disputed or not recognised at all by other churches.

The reasons for these objections differ from denomination to denomination. Orthodox, Anglican and Old Catholic churches Other traditional Christian churches (, the, the, the, the, the, etc.) accept the doctrine of and, to varying extents, papal claims to a primacy of honour while generally rejecting that the pope is the successor to Peter in any unique sense not true of any other bishop. Primacy is regarded as a consequence of the pope's position as bishop of the original capital city of the, a definition explicitly spelled out in the 28th of the.

These churches see no foundation to papal claims of universal immediate jurisdiction, or to claims of. Several of these churches refer to such claims as.

Protestant denominations. Main article: denominations of Christianity reject the claims of of honor, Petrine primacy of jurisdiction, and papal infallibility.

These denominations vary from simply not accepting the pope's claim to authority as legitimate and valid, to believing that the pope is the from, the from, and the from. This sweeping rejection is held by, among others, some denominations of Lutherans: hold that the pope is the Antichrist, stating that this article of faith is part of a quia ('because') rather than quatenus ('insofar as') subscription to the. In 1932, one of these Confessional churches, the (LCMS), adopted A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod, which a small number of Lutheran church bodies now hold. The, the, the, and the Illinois Lutheran Conference all hold to the Brief Statement, which the LCMS places on its website. The (WELS), another Confessional Lutheran church that declares the Papacy to be the Antichrist, released its own statement, the 'Statement on the Antichrist', in 1959.

The WELS still holds to this statement. The longest-reigning modern pope Although the average reign of the pope from the was a decade, a number of those whose reign lengths can be determined from contemporary historical data are the following: • (c.

30–64/67): c. 37 years (12,410–13,505 days). • (1846–1878): 31 years, 7 months and 23 days (11,560 days). • (1978–2005): 26 years, 5 months and 18 days (9,665 days). • (1878–1903): 25 years, 5 months and 1 day (9,281 days). • (1775–1799): 24 years, 6 months and 15 days (8,962 days). • (772–795): 23 years, 10 months and 25 days (8,729 days).

• (1800–1823): 23 years, 5 months and 7 days (8,560 days). • (1159–1181): 21 years, 11 months and 24 days (8,029 days).

• (314–335): 21 years, 11 months and 1 day (8,005 days). • (440–461): 21 years, 1 month, and 13 days (7,713 days). • (1623–1644): 20 years, 11 months and 24 days (7,664 days). During the, (1394–1423) ruled for 28 years, seven months and 12 days, which would place him third in the above list.

However, since he is regarded as an, he is not mentioned in the list above. Shortest-reigning popes. The shortest-reigning pope There have been a number of popes whose reign lasted about a month or less. In the following list the number of calendar days includes partial days. Thus, for example, if a pope's reign commenced on 1 August and he died on 2 August, this would count as having reigned for two calendar days. • (15–27 September 1590): reigned for 13 calendar days, died before.

• (April 896): reigned for 16 calendar days • (25 October – 10 November 1241): reigned for 17 calendar days, died before coronation. • (December 897): reigned for 20 calendar days • (15 January – 4 February 708): reigned for 21 calendar days • (9 April – 1 May 1555): reigned for 23 calendar days • (17 July – 9 August 1048): reigned for 24 calendar days • (22 September – 18 October 1503): reigned for 27 calendar days • (1–27 April 1605): reigned for 28 calendar days • (22 May – 23 June 964): reigned for 33 calendar days • (26 August – 28 September 1978): reigned for 34 calendar days. (23–26 March 752) died of three days after his election, and before his as a bishop. He is not recognized as a valid pope, but was added to the lists of popes in the 15th century as Stephen II, causing difficulties in enumerating later popes named Stephen. The 's, in its and antipopes, attaches a footnote to its mention of: On the death of the Roman priest Stephen was elected; but, since four days later he died, before his, which according to the of the time was the true commencement of his pontificate, his name is not registered in the Liber Pontificalis nor in other lists of the popes. Published every year by the, the attaches no consecutive numbers to the popes, stating that it is impossible to decide which side represented at various times the legitimate succession, in particular regarding, and some mid-11th-century popes.