Editing Pope (section)

{{Short description|Head of the Catholic Church}}
{{Redirect-multi|4|Papacy|Papal|Roman pontiff|Bishop of Rome|the historic state controlled by the pope|Papal States|the pontiffs of ancient Rome|College of Pontiffs|other uses|Pope (disambiguation)}}
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{{Pp-move}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox diocese
| jurisdiction    = Bishop
| name            = Rome
| local           = Pope
| latin           = Pontifex maximus
| border          = Catholic
| coat            = Emblem of the Holy See usual.svg
| coat_size       = 100px
| coat_alt        = Emblem of the Holy See and Vatican City
| coat_caption    = [[Emblem of the Holy See]]
| image           = Pope Leo XIV 3 (cropped).jpg
| incumbent       = {{Incumbent pope}}
| incumbent_note  = {{nobold|[[2025 papal conclave|since 8 May 2025]]}}
| style           = [[His Holiness]]
<!---- Locations ---->
| province        = [[List of Catholic dioceses (structured view)#Episcopal Conference of Italy, including San Marino and Vatican City State|Rome]]
| residence       = {{indented plainlist|
* [[Apostolic Palace]] (official papal residence)
}}
<!---- Information ---->
| established     = [[Timeline of the Catholic Church|1st century]]
| cathedral       = [[Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran]]
| first_incumbent = [[Saint Peter]]<ref name="Wilken">Wilken, p. 281. "Some (Christian communities) had been founded by Peter, the disciple Jesus designated as the founder of his church.{{nbsp}}... Once the position was institutionalized, historians looked back and recognized Peter as the first Pope of the Christian church in Rome."</ref>
| denomination    = [[Catholic Church]]
| diocese         = [[Diocese of Rome|Rome]]
| headquarters    = [[Apostolic Palace]], Vatican City
| governance      = [[Holy See]]
<!---- Website ---->
| website         = [https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/index.htm vatican.va/holyfather]
| country         = [[Vatican City]]
| caption         = [[Pope Leo XIV]] in 2025
}}
{{Infobox Pope styles
| image      = Coat of arms of Leone XIV.svg
| name       = Pope Leo XIV
| dipstyle   = [[His Holiness]]
| offstyle   = Your Holiness
| relstyle   = Holy Father
| deathstyle = 
}}
{{Catholic Church Hierarchy}}

The '''pope'''<!--"pope" is uncapitalized as per [[MOS:JOBTITLES]] because it is preceded by the modifier "the" and denotes a description, not a title-->{{efn|{{langx|la|papa}}, from {{langx|grc|πάππας|translit=páppas|lit=father}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: The Pope |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12260a.htm |access-date=27 May 2024 |website=[[New Advent]] |archive-date=7 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007002926/http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12260a.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Levillain |first=Philippe |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JTj4wAEACAAJ |title=The Papacy: An Encyclopedia |date=2002 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-0-415-92228-9 |volume=2 |pages=1227 |archive-date=14 August 2024 |access-date=27 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240814003908/https://books.google.com/books?id=JTj4wAEACAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>}} is the '''bishop of Rome''' and the [[Head of the Church#Catholic Church|visible head]]{{Efn|According to Catholic teaching, [[Jesus Christ]] is the "invisible head" of the Church, while the pope is the "visible head".}} of the worldwide [[Catholic Church]]. He is also known as the '''supreme pontiff''',{{Efn|{{lang|la|[[Pontifex maximus]]}} or {{lang|la|[[Pontifex maximus|summus pontifex]]}} in Latin}} '''Roman pontiff''',{{Efn|{{langx|la|Romanus pontifex}}}} or '''sovereign pontiff'''. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the [[sovereign]] or [[head of state]] of the [[Papal States]], and since 1929 of the much smaller [[Vatican City]] state.<ref name="section880">{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_P2A.HTM#PZ |work=[[Catechism of the Catholic Church]] |title=Christ's Faithful – Hierarchy, Laity, Consecrated Life: The episcopal college and its head, the pope |publisher=Libreria Editrice Vaticana |location=Vatican City |year=1993 |access-date=14 April 2013 |archive-date=3 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303075200/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_P2A.HTM#PZ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="theconversation.com-2021">{{Cite web |title=In Biden's visit with the pope, a page from Reagan's playbook? |url=https://theconversation.com/in-bidens-visit-with-the-pope-a-page-from-reagans-playbook-170077 |date=27 October 2021 |access-date=8 May 2022 |website=theconversation.com |archive-date=7 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220507183342/https://theconversation.com/in-bidens-visit-with-the-pope-a-page-from-reagans-playbook-170077 |url-status=live}}</ref> From a Catholic viewpoint, the [[primacy of the bishop of Rome]] is largely derived from his role as the [[apostolic successor]] to [[Saint Peter]], to whom [[Petrine primacy|primacy]] was conferred by [[Jesus]], who gave Peter the [[Keys of Heaven]] and the powers of "binding and loosing", naming him as the "rock" upon which the Church would be built. The current pope is [[Leo XIV]], who was elected on 8 May 2025 on the second day of the [[2025 papal conclave]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 May 2025 |title=Papal conclave 2025 live updates: Conclave elects a new pope as white smoke rises from the Sistine Chapel |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/world/the-vatican/live-blog/conclave-2025-live-updates-rcna205525 |access-date=8 May 2025 |website=NBC News |language=en |archive-date=8 May 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250508170131/https://www.nbcnews.com/world/the-vatican/live-blog/conclave-2025-live-updates-rcna205525 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Although his office is called the '''papacy''', the [[ecclesiastical jurisdiction|jurisdiction]] of the [[episcopal see]] is called the [[Holy See]].<ref>{{cite dictionary |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holy%20see |title=Holy See |access-date=17 January 2017 |archive-date=18 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118222107/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Holy%20See |url-status=live |dictionary=Merriam-Webster}}</ref> The word "see" comes from the Latin for 'seat' or 'chair' ({{lang|la|sede}}, referring in particular to the one on which the newly elected pope sits during the enthronement ceremony).<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 May 2013 |title=What does the term "holy see" mean? |url=https://catholicstraightanswers.com/what-does-the-term-holy-see-mean/ |access-date=21 April 2025 |website=Catholic Straight Answers |archive-date=25 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250425091929/https://catholicstraightanswers.com/what-does-the-term-holy-see-mean/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It is the Holy See that is the [[sovereign entity]] under [[international law]] headquartered in the distinctively independent Vatican City, a [[city-state]] which forms a geographical [[enclave]] within the conurbation of [[Rome]], established by the [[Lateran Treaty]] in 1929 between [[Fascist Italy]] and the Holy See to ensure its {{linktext|temporal}} and spiritual independence. The Holy See is recognized by its adherence at various levels to international organizations and by means of its diplomatic relations and political accords with many independent states.

According to [[Catholic tradition]], the [[apostolic see]] of [[Diocese of Rome|Rome]] was founded by [[Saint Peter]] and [[Saint Paul]] in the first century. The papacy is one of the most enduring institutions in the world and has had a prominent part in [[human history]].<ref>Collins, Roger. "Introduction". ''Keepers of the Keys of Heaven: A History of the Papacy''. Basic Books. 2009. {{ISBN|978-0-465-01195-7}}. "One of the most enduring and influential of all human institutions,{{nbsp}}... No one who seeks to make sense of modern issues within Christendom – or, indeed, world history – can neglect the vital shaping role of the popes."</ref> In ancient times, the popes helped spread Christianity and intervened to find resolutions in various doctrinal disputes.<ref name="World History" /> In the [[Middle Ages]], they played a role of secular importance in Western Europe, often acting as arbitrators between Christian monarchs.<ref name="Faus">Faus, José Ignacio Gonzáles. "''Autoridade da Verdade – Momentos Obscuros do Magistério Eclesiástico''". Chapter 8: ''Os papas repartem terras'', pp. 64–65 and chapter 6: ''O papa tem poder temporal absoluto'', pp. 49–55. Edições Loyola. {{ISBN|85-15-01750-4}}. Although Faus is deeply critical of the temporal power of the popes ("Once again this highlights one of the greatest drawbacks of the political status of Peter's successors" – p. 64), he also admits a positive secular role on the part of the popes ("We cannot deny that papal interventions of this kind prevented more than one war in Europe" – p. 65).</ref><ref name="Papal Arbitration">{{cathEncy|wstitle=Papal Arbitration|author=Jarrett, Bede}}</ref>{{efn|The papacy was an influence in regulating the [[colonization]] of the [[New World]]. See [[Treaty of Tordesillas]] and [[Inter caetera]].}} In addition to the expansion of [[Christian theology|Christian faith and doctrine]], modern popes are involved in [[ecumenism]] and [[interfaith dialogue]], [[Catholic charities|charitable work]], and the defence of human rights.<ref>''História das Religiões. Crenças e práticas religiosas do século XII aos nossos dias''. Grandes Livros da Religião. Editora Folio. 2008. pp. 89, 156–157. {{ISBN|978-84-413-2489-3}}</ref>

Over time, the papacy accrued [[Temporal power of the Holy See|broad secular and political influence]], eventually rivalling those of territorial rulers. In recent centuries, the temporal authority of the papacy has declined and the office is now largely focused on religious matters.<ref name="World History" /> By contrast, papal claims of spiritual authority have been increasingly firmly expressed over time, culminating in 1870 with the proclamation of the [[Catholic dogma|dogma]] of [[papal infallibility]] for rare occasions when the pope speaks {{lang|la|[[ex cathedra]]}}—literally 'from the [[Chair of Saint Peter|chair (of Saint Peter)]]'—to issue a formal definition of [[dogma|faith]] or morals.<ref name="World History" /> The pope is considered one of the world's most powerful people due to the extensive diplomatic, cultural, and spiritual influence of his position on both 1.3{{nbsp}}billion Catholics and those outside the Catholic faith,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ewtn.com/library/HUMANITY/VATMOD.HTM |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050504134930/https://www.ewtn.com/library/HUMANITY/VATMOD.HTM |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 May 2005 |title=The Role of the Vatican in the Modern World}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=The World's Most Powerful People |url=https://www.forbes.com/powerful-people/#tab:overall/ |magazine=Forbes |date=November 2014 |access-date=6 November 2014 |archive-date=30 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121230133410/http://www.forbes.com/powerful-people/#tab:overall/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=The World's Most Powerful People |url=https://www.forbes.com/powerful-people/ |magazine=Forbes |date=January 2013 |access-date=21 January 2013 |archive-date=30 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121230133410/http://www.forbes.com/powerful-people/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=The World's Most Powerful People |url=https://www.forbes.com/powerful-people/list/ |access-date=27 November 2023 |magazine=Forbes |archive-date=25 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225092237/https://www.forbes.com/powerful-people/list/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and because he heads the world's largest non-government provider of [[Catholic school|education]] and [[Catholic Church and health care|health care]],<ref name="Geopolitics">{{cite journal |last=Agnew |first=John |title=Deus Vult: The Geopolitics of Catholic Church |journal=Geopolitics |date=12 February 2010 |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=39–61 |doi=10.1080/14650040903420388 |s2cid=144793259 |issn=1465-0045}}</ref> with a vast network of charities.