The titles of the Bishop of Rome, more often referred to as the papal titles, refer to the various titles used by protocol, as a form of addressing or designating a theological or secular reality of the Bishop of Rome (Pope). The Catholic Church believes that they "constitute what has been termed a primacy of honor. These prerogatives are not, like his jurisdictional rights, tied to the divine jure of his office. They have grown in the course of history, and have been enshrined by the passage of centuries, but they are not free from modification.""The Pope" in the 1913 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia. Public domain.
Originally the titles of the Bishop of Rome were used as expressions of respect, power, and veneration, later many became firmly associated with his office, becoming distinctive and specific titles. The oldest titles used are "pope" and "pontiff", which date back to the middle of the 3rd century. The other titles appear from the 5th century onwards and develop throughout the Middle Ages. The , the directory of the Holy See, has published since 1716 lists of what are considered the official papal titles since then. However, the official list does not include all those in use; moreover, during history, popes have carried various other titles, sometimes for centuries, which at one point were abandoned.
Official titles The official list of papal titles, in the order they are dictated by the in 2024, is:
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 () Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Province () Sovereign of the Vatican City State () Servant of the Servants of God ()
Pope
The term pope comes from the Latin , and from the Greek (, which is an affectionate word for 'father'). This is the most famous title associated with the bishop of Rome, being used in protocol, documents, and signatures. There are several interpretations as to the meaning and application of the title, among them, that pope would be a Latin acronym, where each letter would correspond to a word: ("the one who receives the power of the apostle Peter"); or even ("Peter the apostle, Prince of the Apostles"). It has also been proposed as its origin the union of the first syllables of the Latin words ('father') and ('shepherd').
Since the early third century, the term pope has been used as an expression of affectionate veneration for both the bishop of Rome and the other bishops of the West. In the East, it was initially used for priests, but after the election of the 13th patriarch of Alexandria, Heracles (), and his designation as pope, the title in this region is now used only for the patriarch of Alexandria.
There is a divergence of opinion among historians as to who was the first bishop of Rome who used the title. Some suggest that it was Marcellinus (), Damasus (), Siricius (), Pope John I (),Get to Know Popes of East & West. Amazon.com. Accessed on 7 November 2010. or others. By the end of the fourth century, the word pope applied to the bishop of Rome, begins to express more than affectionate veneration and slowly becomes a specific title, as can be seen in the letters of the imperial chancery of Constantinople and the correspondence between Siricius and Symmachus (). In the sixth century, the expression became firmly associated with the bishops of Rome, and until the eleventh century, Pope Gregory VII () "prescribed that it should be limited only to the successors of Peter."
With regard specifically to the term papacy (), there is no comprehensive study of its origin, as there is for the word pope. However, the term originated around the 12th century to refer exclusively to the pope's ecclesiastical governmental system.
Vicar of Christ
Vicar of Christ (Latin ) is the pope's most significant title, implying his supreme and universal primacy. "Vicar of Christ" in the 1913 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia. Public domain. It is based on the promise of Matthew 16:19 in which Jesus hands Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven. In all countries, the key is a symbol of authority. Thus, for Catholicism, Jesus's words are a promise that he will confer upon Peter the power to rule the Church in his stead, as his vicar.
The first record of a title reflecting the pope's role as "Vicar" is found in a letter of 445 from Pope Leo I () to Dioscorus of Alexandria, in which he designates the bishop of Rome as "earthly Vicar of the successors of Peter"; shortly afterward, in 495, there were decrees of a synod named Pope Gelasius I () "Vicar of Christ" (). Thus, in the early Middle Ages, there were several variants of this title, such as "Vicar of Peter" (), indicating that the popes succeeded Saint Peter, "Vicar of the prince of the Apostles" () or "Vicar of the apostolic See" (), among others. The fact that both the title "Vicar of Peter" and "Vicar of Christ" were used is demonstrated by the fact that at the end of the 8th century, Saint Boniface's oath of fidelity to Pope Gregory II () uses the former, while a few decades later, Pope John VIII (), uses the latter. Even today, the Roman Missal in its prayers for a dead pope designates him as "Vicar of Peter."
The designation of Vicar of Christ for popes fell in regular use in the beginning of the 13th century, due to reforms employed by Pope Innocent III (). It is noted as early as 1199 in Innocent's letter to the King of Armenia, Leo II. Innocent often appealed to this title as a prerogative to appoint bishops. Other historians suggest that this title was more associated with popes in the pontificate of Pope Eugene III () and then consolidated by Innocent. Pope Nicholas III () used the term Vicar of God (a reference to Christ as God) as an equivalent title. Currently, the Second Vatican Council teaches that all bishops are "vicars and ambassadors of Christ."
With different theological and secular meanings, the title was also used in a personal observation by Tertullian in the third century to refer to the Holy Spirit, and in Caesaropapism from the fifth to ninth centuries to refer to rulers and the public authorities, such as kings, judges, and most prominently the Byzantine emperor.
Successor or Vicar of the Prince of the Apostles
Prince of the Apostles (Latin ) is a title reserved individually for Saint Peter. Examples of this application can be seen in the following biographies of Peter:
St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles (NetSaber Biographies) (in Portuguese) St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles in the 1913 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia. Public domain. St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles (Eternal World Television Network) as a way to demonstrate his leadership among the apostles ( means 'first' or 'principal'). Its first records date back to the sermons of Pope Leo I () in the 5th century, who uses it as a demonstration of his primacy:
The title is applied only indirectly to the pope, who is officially referred to as "Successor of the Prince of the Apostles" (), or also as "Vicar of the Prince of the Apostles", among other variants.
Pontiff
The term Pontiff (), variations of which include Roman Pontiff, Supreme Pontiff, Sovereign Pontiff and Pontifex maximus, the official name being Supreme Pontiff () or more completely, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church () is one of the official titles of the pope. From the noun pontiff was formed the adjective pontifical, referring to ceremonies and institutions linked to the pope, such as the "pontifical university" (universities maintained by the Holy See and the pope) and to bishops in general, as can be seen in the expression "Roman Pontifical" (a book containing the rites reserved for bishops, such as confirmation and ordination). The term Pontifex Maximus is commonly found in inscriptions on buildings, paintings, statues, and coins about the popes, and is usually abbreviated as "Pont Max" or "P.M" (the popes began to use the title of supreme pontiff in the Italian Renaissance; from then on, the abbreviations "Pont Max" and "P M" appear several times, as in the famous painting of Pope Leo X (), by Raphael, in which is written "Leo X Pont (ifex) Max (imus)", meaning "Leo X, Supreme Pontiff"). Since the Middle Ages, the Church, starting from the election of a pope, begins to count a new calendar in "Years of Pontificate" or "Papal Years" ( – A.P.), which coexists with that of the Christian calendar, counting from the birth of Jesus Christ in "Years of the Lord" ( - A.D.). The use of these two dates can be seen in several monuments of Rome, and all papal decrees as well as some Church documents.
In the Vulgate, Hebrews 5:1–4, certain priests are said to be pontiffs, pontiff meaning 'bridge builder' ( + ). The most common interpretation is that pontiffs are symbolically the builders of the bridge between God and men, the use of this term is justified because the pontiff is "constituted on behalf of men as mediator in things concerning God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.", i.e., it refers to the sacred and evangelizing functions of priests. The use of the expression "high pontiff" for the pope is justified by Catholicism in Christ's words to Peter in "Feed my lambs... Feed my lambs... Feed my sheep" (John 21:15–17), thus Christ entrusted his flock to Peter, entrusting him with the most important priestly functions, making him high pontiff. Another interpretation suggests that the title refers to the pope's role in preserving and strengthening the unity of the Church, that is, when conflicts arise, popes act as mediators and peacemakers in their resolution, as "bridge builders" – pontiffs.
The origin of the title is unclear. Since in Latin the term pontiff refers to any high priest, this word was used since the 7th century BCE to designate the highest-ranking priests of the pagan Roman religion, gathered in the College of Pontiffs (Collegium Pontificum). Initially, this was present in the term's translation into other languages, such as Greek: "" (literally, "high priest") or by a more literal translation as "ἀρχιερεὺς μέγιστος" ("the greatest high priest"). The term "ἀρχιερεύς" was used in the Septuagint text of the Old Testament and is used by the apostles who wrote the New Testament to refer to the Jewish high priest.
Later when St. Jerome translated the Bible into Latin (the Vulgate), the term pontiff was effectively used to refer to the Jewish high priest, being used 59 times in the text. For example, in Mark 15:11, pontiffs (plural) is the Latin term used for "princes of priests," and in the Epistle to the Hebrews, pontiff (singular) is repeatedly used concerning the various Jewish high priests and prophets, and by analogy to Jesus as the high priest of Christians.
The first record of the title "Supreme Pontiff" applied to the pope dates from the 3rd century, during the persecution of the Church, used by Tertullian to refer to Pope Callixtus I (r. 217–222), and it is unclear whether the word was commonly used early in that century as it was later, since Tertullian's usage of the word was unusual. Once Christian bishops took the place of Jewish priests, the term Pontiff was used regularly from the 5th century onwards to refer to notable bishops. For example, Hilary of Arles (m. 449) is called "High Pontiff" (summus pontifex) by Eucherius of Lyon. The Archbishop of Canterbury Lanfranc (m. 1089) is called "Primate and High Pontiff" (), by his biographer, Milo Crispin. Pope Nicholas I (r. 858–867) is called "High Pontiff and Universal Pope" (Summus Pontifex et Universalis Papa) by his legate Arsenius. From then on, examples of the use of the term for popes are common. After the 11th century, it is likely that the title was used only for the bishops of Rome.