Pope is a religious title traditionally accorded to the Bishop of Rome / Pope of Rome, the Coptic and the Greek Orthodox bishops of Alexandria, and some leaders of other ecclesial communities. Popes may also claim the title patriarch. Both terms come from the Greek (English: father).
Etymology
The word Pope is derived ultimately from the Greek Liddell and Scott (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language ) originally an affectionate term meaning "father", later referring to a bishop or patriarch.Pope, Etymonline. Retrieved 07-15-2012 The earliest record of the use of this title is in regard to the Patriarch of Alexandria, Pope Heraclas of Alexandria (232–248)History of the Coptic Church, Iris Habib Elmasry. in a letter written by his successor, Pope Dionysius of Alexandria, to Philemon, a Roman presbyter:
Which translates into:
From the early 3rd century the title was applied generically to all bishops."Pope", Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, Oxford University Press, 2005, O'Malley, John W. (2009). A History of the Popes: From Peter to the Present. Sheed & Ward. p. 15. The earliest extant record of the word papa being used in reference to a Bishop of Rome dates to late 3rd century, when it was allegedly applied to the highly controversial Pope Marcellinus, records surrounding being problematic. Walsh, Michael J. (1998). Lives of the popes: Illustrated Biographies of Every Pope From St Peter to the Present. p. 34. (Since 1969 his feast day is left to local calendars and is no longer inscribed in the General Roman Calendar.)
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest recorded use of the title "pope" in English is in an Old English translation (c. 950) of Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People:
In Modern English:
Later history and contemporary use
The title Pope continues to be used by Alexandrian bishops; both the Coptic Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Alexandria are known as the "Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria".Meinardus, Otto F. (2003). Two Thousand Years of Coptic Christianity. The American University in Cairo Press. p. 6. Bailey, Betty Jane, Bailey, Martin J. (2003). Who Are The Christians In The Middle East?. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. p. 64.
In the Western Christian world "Pope" is chiefly associated with the Bishops of Rome — from the 5th or 6th century it became, in the West, a title reserved exclusively for these bishops.Greer, Thomas H, Lewis, Gavin (2004). A Brief History of the Western World. Cengage Learning. p. 172. )Mazza, Enrico (2004). The Eucharistic Prayers of the Roman Rite. Liturgical Press. p. 63. Despite its earlier use to refer to any bishop, in 998 an Archbishop of Milan was rebuked for having called himself "Pope",Addis, William E., Arnold, Thomas (2004). A Catholic Dictionary Containing Some Account of the Doctrine, Discipline, Rites, Ceremonies, Councils and Religious Orders of the Catholic Church: Part Two. Kessinger Publishing. p. 667. and in 1073 it was formally decided by Pope Gregory VII that no other bishop of the Catholic Church would hold the title.Gerhart, Mary, Udoh, Fabian E. (2007). The Christianity Reader. University of Chicago Press. p. 494. Kiminas, Demetrius (2009). The Ecumenical Patriarchate. Wildside Press. p. 16.
In the Slavic languages of many Eastern Orthodox countries the term "Pope"Stankiewicz, E. (1993). The Accentual Patterns of the Slavic Languages. Stanford University Press. p. 122. 978-0804720298 (, ; ) means "Priest"; these include Russian,Ioann Shusherin et al (2007). From Peasant to Patriarch: Account of the Birth, Upbringing, and Life of His Holiness Nikon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Lexington Books. p. 182. Ukrainian,Subtelny, Orest (2008). Ukraine: A History. Univ. Toronto Press. p. 215. Serbian,Magner, F. Thomas (1995). Introduction to the Croatian and Serbian Language. Pennsylvania State University Press. p. 201. and Bulgarian.Tomic, Olga Miseska (2004). Balkan Syntax and Semantics. John Benjamins Pub Co. p. 108. The Romanian popă has the same meaning.Ethnologica. Association d'histoire comparative des institutions et du droit de la République socialiste Roumanie, 1982.
See also Ab (Semitic) Catholic Church Honorific List of Coptic Orthodox Popes of Alexandria (Bishops of Alexandria) List of Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Alexandria List of Patriarchs of Alexandria List of popes (Bishops of Rome or Popes of Rome) Pope Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
References
External links
Catholic Online: The Pope