Contents

1. Overview
2. Etymology
3. Cultural Impact

Head of the Catholic Church

“Papacy”, “Papal”, “Roman pontiff”, and “Bishop of Rome” redirect here. For the historic state controlled by the pope, see Papal States . For the pontiffs of ancient Rome, see College of Pontiffs . For other uses, see Pope (disambiguation) .

Bishop of Rome

The pope (Latin: papa, from Ancient Greek πάππας páppas “father”) is the bishop of Rome, the head of the worldwide Catholic Church, and the supreme pontiff (in the sense of “chief priest”) of the Church. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope served as the sovereign or chief of state of the Papal States, and from 1929 to present he has held that position over the much smaller Vatican City State.

The current pope is Pope Leo XIV , who was elected on 8 May 2025 during the second day of the 2025 papal conclave .

Styles and titles

Reference style: His Holiness
Spoken style: Your Holiness
Religious style: Holy Father

The pope’s official residence is the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, while his summer residence is the Palace of Castel Gandolfo .

Headquarters

Apostolic Palace – official seat of the pope’s authority
Cathedral: Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran (the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome)
Ecclesiastical province: Rome
Cathedral: Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran

Governance and jurisdiction

Jurisdiction: The Holy See (Latin sedes “seat”) – a sovereign entity under international law, headquartered in Vatican City, an enclave within Rome.
Established: The papal office traces its continuity to the 1st century, when Saint Peter is believed to have founded the community of believers in Rome.
Denomination: Catholic Church
Website: vatican.va/holyfather

Official titles (in order of appearance in the Annuario Pontificio)

Bishop of Rome
Vicar of Jesus Christ
Successor of the Prince 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 Vatican City State
Servant of the servants of God

History

Title and etymology

The English word “pope” comes from the Ancient Greek πάππας páppas “father”. In the early centuries of Christianity the title was applied to all bishops in the West, and later became reserved in the West to the bishop of Rome during the papacy of Pope Leo I (440–461). The earliest recorded use of the title “pope” in English appears in an Old English translation of Bede’s Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum referring to Pope Vitalian (640–672).

Position within the Church

The Catholic Church teaches that the pastoral office held by the apostles—now held by their successors, the bishops—has the pope as its head. This gives rise to the title “supreme pontiff”. The Church holds that Jesus personally appointed Peter as the visible head of the Church, a doctrine reflected in the dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium (1964).

Election, death, and resignation

Election

The pope is elected by the College of Cardinals in a secret process known as a papal conclave. The cardinal electors are those under the age of 80 on the day the see becomes vacant. The voting takes place in the Sistine Chapel, and a two‑thirds majority is required for election. Since the promulgation of Universi Dominici Gregis (1996), a simple majority after twelve days of deadlock suffices; this provision was later reaffirmed by Pope Benedict XVI.

The dean of the College of Cardinals asks two questions of the elected cardinal: “Do you freely accept your election as supreme pontiff?” and “By what name shall you be called?” Upon a positive answer, white smoke signals the election, and the protodeacon announces “Habemus Papam”.

Death

When a pope dies, the cardinal camerlengo confirms the death ceremonially, the papal ring is broken, and the papal apartment is sealed. The body lies in state for several days before burial in St. Peter’s Basilica (or, at the pope’s request, elsewhere).

Resignation

Resignation is rare. The 1983 Code of Canon Law states that a papal resignation is valid if made freely and properly manifested, though it does not require acceptance. Pope Benedict XVI was the most recent pope to resign (28 February 2013).

Papal titles

The official list of titles, as recorded in the Annuario Pontificio, includes:

Bishop of Rome
Vicar of Jesus Christ
Successor of the Prince 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 Vatican City State
Servant of the servants of God

Papal regalia and insignia

Ring of the Fisherman – a gold ring bearing an image of St. Peter.
Umbraculum (ombrellino) – a canopy of alternating red and gold stripes carried in papal processions.
Sedia gestatoria – a portable throne used until 1978.
Triregnum – a three‑tiara papal crown, retained on the coat of arms of the Holy See.
Pallium – a woolen band worn by archbishops, symbolising communion with the pope.

Papal garments

The pope traditionally wears a white cassock, mozzetta, and ferula, along with a red zucchetto and a pallium on certain occasions. The white habit traces its origins to the Dominican habit adopted by Pope Pius V, though white papal dress was in use long before.

Papal infallibility

Defined at the First Vatican Council (1870), papal infallibility applies when the pope speaks ex cathedra—that is, from the chair of Saint Peter—defining a doctrine of faith or morals to be held by the universal Church.

Temporal power

From the 8th to the 19th century the papacy exercised sovereign authority over the Papal States. The loss of these territories in 1870 and the Lateran Treaty of 1929 reduced the pope’s temporal jurisdiction to the independent Vatican City State.

Ecumenical and interfaith activity

Modern popes engage in ecumenism (promoting unity among Christian denominations) and interfaith dialogue with leaders of other religions, emphasizing shared moral concerns and charitable cooperation.

The Catholic Church, under the pope’s direction, operates the world’s largest non‑governmental network of schools, hospitals, and charitable organizations. Initiatives such as Caritas Internationalis and the Pontifical Councils coordinate these efforts.

Historical development

Early Christianity (c. 30–325)

Apostolic succession: The Church views the pope as the successor of Saint Peter, upon whom Christ is believed to have conferred a special primacy.
Early bishops of Rome: Irenaeus (c. 180) listed a succession from Peter to Pope Eleutherius (174–189).

Middle Ages

Gregorian Reform (1073–1085) sought to eliminate simony and enforce clerical celibacy.
Investiture Controversy (late 11th century) pitted the papacy against Holy Roman Emperors over the right to appoint bishops.
Crusades (1095 onward) were called by popes to reclaim the Holy Land, resulting in significant political and religious influence.

Early Modern period

Council of Trent (1545–1563) defined Catholic doctrine in response to the Protestant Reformation.
Papal States persisted until 1870, when they were annexed by the Kingdom of Italy.

20th and 21st centuries

Lateran Treaty (1929) established Vatican City’s sovereignty.
Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) introduced liturgical reforms and a renewed emphasis on ecumenism.
Papal conclave of 2025 elected Pope Leo XIV , marking the first time a pope with a non‑European background was chosen in over a millennium.