The Pope

The Pope.

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome and the Supreme Head of the Catholic Church. It was Jesus who appointed Peter and his successors as leaders of the Church, when he said: “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16: 18-19). Since St. Peter was martyred and buried in Rome, the Bishop of Rome is by right the Pope of the Church. The word Pope comes from the Latin word papa, which means “father”.

The Pope is also called: 

Vicar of Jesus Christ,

Bishop of Rome, 

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, and 

Sovereign of the State of Vatican City. 

However, the best title was given by St. Gregory the Great: Servus Servorum Dei, meaning Servant of the Servants of God.

The newly elected Pope assumes a new name to signify his vision and mission. Even Simon had his name changed into Kefa, or Peter, to signify stability. Out of respect for the Prince of the Apostles, never in history there was a Peter the Second.

Prepared and updated by: Jonathan Fabian, Sabah Malaysia