POPE

(Latin papa, from Greek pappas, "father"), an ecclesiastical title expressing affectionate respect, formerly given, especially from the 3rd to the 5th century, to any bishop and sometimes to simple priests. The title is still used in the East for the Orthodox patriarch of Alexandria and for Orthodox priests, but, since about the 9th century, it has been reserved in the West exclusively for the bishop of Rome. (See also papacy. The article contains a list of popes and antipopes.) The Annuario Pontificio (official directory of the Holy See) describes the office of the pope by the following titles: Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Western Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Province of Rome, Sovereign of the State of Vatican City. The title pope or papa (abbreviated PP.) is officially used only as a less solemn style. Doctrinally, in Catholic churches, the pope is regarded as the successor of St. Peter, who was head of the Apostles. The pope, as bishop of Rome, thus is seen to have full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the universal church in matters of faith and morals, as well as in church discipline and government. The twofold basis of this doctrine of papal primacy is the place of Peter in the New Testament (in which there are various metaphors expressing his prerogatives) and the place of the Roman church in history. The understanding of papal primacy developed as the church developed, two notable factors being the role of Rome as the imperial city until the 5th century and the religious and political role of the bishop of Rome afterward. The teaching of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) on the role of bishops counterbalanced the emphasis on papal prerogatives while maintaining the view that the authority of the bishops as a body cannot be separated from that of the pope as its head. Although the Eastern Orthodox have long been willing to give the bishop of Rome the primacy of honour accorded to patriarchs, and, although many Protestants have appreciated the moral leadership shown by some recent popes, the Catholic doctrine was still a major obstacle to ecumenical efforts in the 20th century.