Pope

Origin of the word

The word pope (in Greek πάππας, dads ) does not have anything an official title, it is a name of respectful affection, that which the child gives to his father (“dad”). The first certificate of this word to appoint a religious leader of foreground goes up with 306 with Alexandria: the Christian population of this city decreed it like titrates with its bishop Pierre of Alexandria. It is not impossible that this simple familiar name became traditional thereafter in connection with the holder of the head office of Alexandria.

At the origin the title “Pope” was allotted to all the bishops, like a mark of affection. In Occident, it was gradually reserved for the bishop of Rome, about the 4th century.

Today still, the Greeks call dads the simple priests of the orthodoxe Church (this Greek word at the origin of the Russian word pop is also used pejoratively to appoint the orthodoxe priests, which is itself at the origin of the French word “pope”).

The application of the same title to the bishop of the head office of Rome was done in parallel or by imitation of what prevailed in Alexandria, following the I {{er}} council of Nicée in 325.

Origin of the function of the Roman pope

The eminent prestige of the position the bishop of Rome in Christendom since antiquity paléochrétienne lies above all in the presence supposed of the tombs of the Coryphée S of the apostles Pierre and Paul in this city, one in the Vatican, close to old the Cirque of Néron, and the other on the via Ostiense , with the doors of Rome. In the first centuries of our era, Rome becomes thus town of pilgrimages “ AD limina apostolorum ”. The Catholic church always asserted an apostolic foundation inducing the magistérielle authority of which it is prevailed and which the holders of the head office of Rome affirmed for a long time. However, in the Catholic church, if the pope has any authority, it is only because he is the bishop of Rome. Thus, the only official titulature of the pope in antiquity was the word “Évêque”, (implied: city). Today still, in his most solemn bubbles, the pope signs of this only title of “Bishop”, accompanied by the Gregorian formula: “ Ego, NR., episcopus, servus servorum Dei ”.

Origins

The origin of the papal function is above all of a nature spiritual, or mystical, well before being political (it is it only secondarily). Nevertheless, the Donation of Constantin, a made up false document about the 8th century, was written to leave accroire that while leaving Rome the Constantin emperor would have given to the bishop of Rome not only the palate of Lateran, but still badges of imperial dignity, leaving the Occident to the capacity (potestas) of the pope.

From the point of view of the civil administration, the Roman Empire was divided into Provinces, each one being directed starting from its Métropole (literally “city-mother”, in Greek). From the point of view of the administration of the churches, this designation applied only to Antioche, Alexandria, Nicomédie then Constantinople which replaces it. At the end of the 3rd century or with the whole beginning of the 4th century, the bishop of each metropolis, or métropolite , took the ascending one on the other bishops of the province.

In 325, the Concile of Nicée ratifies this irrefutable fact: no bishop cannot order a priest or another bishop without the agreement of sound métropolite. Same council affirms also, to slice conflict mélitien and while referring, says it, with use already constituted, that three métropolites have competences which exceed the framework of their province, those of Alexandria, Rome and Antioche. The district which depends on Alexandria gathers all the provinces of Egypt and Libya. Although the council does not specify which are the limits of both others, one can suppose that Antioche had the responsibility for the Syria, of the Palestine and the provinces bordering, and that Rome dominated Italy, (with, perhaps, a certain influence in Gaulle and Africa, as the Concile had testified some to Arles in 314).

During the 4th century, the head office of Rome remained a little with the variation of the principal theological debates, for linguistic and geographical reasons: the principal councils took place in the East and Greek; the pope sent often only simple priests to it or minor bishops it to represent and those did not take share with the votes. In spite of this weak implication and the absence of authority on Eastern Christendom, Rome claimed a certain prestige, equivalent to that of the Eastern metropolises. Its weak implication resulted in on several occasions requiring its arbitration of him, at the time of the crisis arienne, then in connection with the discussions on the nature of Christ (what does not want to say that its opinions were listened). It was used especially as support, in the doctrinal quarrels, with the head office of Alexandria and Théodose, with its advent, proclaimed for religious law of all the empire, “the faith of the bishop of Rome and the bishop of Alexandria”.

Slow preeminence

The councils of Constantinople (381) and of Chalcédoine (451) granted the same statute of “super métropolite” (what was to become the dignity of patriarch) to the seats of Jerusalem and Constantinople. The first escaped the capacity of Antioche, arien, and became autonomous, the second obtained a row equal to that of Rome, this one keeping only one “primacy of honor”. This system was copied on the civil administration: Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Rome wanted to be its equal in Occident, insisting specifically on a first place symbolic system, while Alexandria remained an economic capital impossible to circumvent. At the same time, the head office of Antioche saw its district cut down by its two neighbors (Constantinople and Jerusalem).

During following centuries (5th century - 7th century), the head office of Rome took more and more autonomy and of influence in Occident. Several factors supported this evolution:

the prestige of Rome, old capital of the Empire, and which remained it in the spirits a long time after the fall of the Western Empire. It is in the sense that Michel Butor could speak at the 20th century about the Pope like the “phantom of the emperors haunting their Eternal City”. To this prestige that conferred by the title of “successor of Pierre saint was added” (whom it was or not justified). In addition Rome was, and still remains, a place of pilgrimage very attended on the tomb (true or mythical) of the Pierre apostles and Paul, apostles considered as the founders of the Church , according to the word of Saint Irenee.
distance of the civil and military power: the emperors settled initially with Ravenne, then there remained nothing any more but the emperor installed with Constantinople.
the absence of another religious leader of foreground in Occident. All the patriarchs are in the East and the only seat of métropolite which had some importance, that of Carthage, was a long time between the hands of the Vandales ariens, then lost its power.
the active policy followed by popes of strong personality (in particular Leon).

Political office (roman catholics)

The pope is the sovereign of the Papal States, currently the State of the Vatican City. He is also the chief of the Roman Catholic church.

Its mode of nomination is elective on the oligarchical mode by the college of its voters, the cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, joined together in Conclave (closed place). The cardinals themselves were created by the popes, and are voters until they reach the 80 years age. The pope is elected with life, even if some resigned, the such pope Célestin V to go to live in a monastery - it was perhaps encouraged there by its successor, Boniface VIII. Another pope resigned: Gregoire XII in 1415 within the Council of Constancy, with an aim of putting an end to the great schism. It did it not in person, but by the voice of a procurator, the July 4th 1415. Its successor was elected Martin V more than two years afterwards, the November 11th 1417. The reign of a pope names pontificate . The origin of this word is due to the one of the titles of the popes: sovereign pontiff . The filiation of this expression must be in the title of the principal priest in the ancient Rome pontifex maximus , carried until the 6th century by the emperor of Byzance.

It is only as from the 11th century that the election of the pope was reserved to the Roman cardinals, (decree of Nicolas II dated April 13rd, 1059). Before, during the first millenium, the election of the Roman pontiff returned canonically to the Church of Rome, clerks and laic confused. But very often the political power interfered and was prevailed of this right.

Evolution of the role of the pope

August 1st During the Middle Ages, the pope had to affirm his capacity vis-a-vis the emperor and with the growth of the royalties. The other problems relate to the definition of the sovereignty of the pontiff: does it have to be limited to the spiritual businesses (appointment of the bishops and the abbots, definition of the dogma) or must it overflow on the temporal sphere? In the second option, the pope cannot avoid the confrontation with the sovereigns who reign then in Occident.

Until 800

August 1st The history of papacy is inseparable from the doctrinal evolution of the Christologie and the fall of power of the Roman Emperors of the East. During the Early middle ages, papacy seeks to strengthen its spiritual power and temporal. The pope seeks to pass from the statute of bishop of Rome to that of sovereign. Rome is threatened by the attacks of the cruel princes: as of 410, the Eternal City is ransacked by the Visigoth S. At the 8th century, Lombards threaten the pope who calls for the aid the Carolingien Pépin the Brief. This one constitutes and gives the embryo of the Papal States in 754. In 800, the pope Leon III crown Charlemagne emperor from Occident to Rome.

The pope sends missionaries in British Isles as in the east and the north of Europe, in order to évangéliser the pagan populations.

the quarrel of the Filioque
the Donation of Constantin

(Source: the world of the Bible , Bayard, number out of the ordinary: “At the origins of modern papacy”)

The Gregorian reform

1054 : the Great Schism of the East
1059: the decree of Nicolas II, renewed in 1060
1076: the Dictatus papæ
Quarrel of the Nominations

The fight of priesthood and the Empire

August 1st

The Council of Thirty

August 1st

The modernistic Crisis and the Council the Vatican I

Enyclic August 1st

Pastor Æternus

The Concile Vatican II and collegial structure

August 1st

Some dates

August 1st First Pope, Saint Pierre, in 64 or 67

Pontifical titles

Bishop under heard the City: (Urbis) episcopus
Vicar of Jesus-Christ: Vicarius Christi (reserved with the pope since the 13th century)
Successor of the prince of the apostles: Successor principis apostolorum
Supreme leader of the Church: Caput universalis ecclesiae
Sovereign pontiff of the universal Church: Pontifex Maximus
Primacy of Italy: Primatus Italiae
Archbishop métropolite of the Roman Province: Archiepiscopus ac metropolitanus provinciae ecclesiasticae Sovereign Romanae
of the State of the City of the the Vatican: Princeps sui iuris civitatis Vaticanae
Servant of the servants of God: Servus servorum Dei
Patriarch of Occident: Patriarcha Occidentis (title given up by Benoît XVI in 2006, which however did not remove the Patriarcat of Occident, from which it is titular as Pape);

The pope is moreover:

Sovereign of the Order of Malta.

In canonical Right, the pope is indicated under the name of “Roman Pontiff” ( Pontifex Romanus ).

The papal signature takes the form “NR. PP. X” (thus, the pope Paul VI signed “Paulus PP. VI”), and its name is frequently accompanied in the inscriptions by the abbreviations “Bridge. Max” or “TOKEN ENTRY” - abbreviation of the old title inherited the Latin antiquity Pontifex Maximus , literally “the large maker of bridges”. The Pontifex Maximus or Large Pontiff was the most priest of Rome. Concerning the pope, this title is usually translated into French by “Sovereign pontiff”.

The papal bubbles are signed “NR. Episcopus Ecclesia Catholicæ” (“NR. Bishop of the Catholic church”), whereas they begin with name “NR. Episcopus Servus Servorum Dei” (“NR. Bishop servant of the servants of God”), this last title dating from the pope Gregoire I {{er}} Large the.

Other official circumstances see the use of titles such as Summus Pontifex , Sanctissimus Pater (Very Holy Father - this formula is of use in France for the correspondence addressed to the Pope), Beatissimus Pater , Sanctissimus Dominus Noster (Our Very Holy Father), and at the time medieval Dominus Apostolicus (Apostolic Lord).

Pontifical badges

In the Roman Catholic church, a certain number of badges are reserved to the pope:

the papal Tiara: nonliturgical hairstyle, with triple crown (terrestrial capacity on the Papal States, spiritual power on the hearts, moral capacity on the princes). It is not carried any more since Paul VI. In the first version published of the pontifical armorial bearings of Benoit XVI, it was replaced by a miter; since, the Vatican on certain occasions used a version with tiara, although the version with miter seems most official.
the Ring of the Fisherman (out of gold), symbolizing holy Pierre, used to seal the briefs and the Encyclical S, personnel with each pope (the cardinal Camerlingue solemnly breaks it after the death of the pope in title).
keys of Saint Pierre: they are reproduced on the pontifical weapons.
the white Cassock, since Black and white V, in homage to its origin Dominican E (formerly the pope was vêtu of red, like are, since Paul II, the cardinal Roman). But many other priests, or bishops, wear a white cassock.
the cap and the white belt. So much of bishops, especially in the countries of mission, raise the white cassock, in fact the bishop of Rome is the only one to put a white cap. It is thus well for him a distinctive sign.
red velvet mules, in reference to imperial crimson. Since Paul VI, these shoes are replaced by escarpins of color brown-red, manufactured by a Roman orthopedist. In parallel, the same Paul VI removes the ritual of the kissing of foot.
the coat and the hat reds, because the imperial color, crimson, were bequeathed to the bishop of Rome by the Constantin emperor leaving Rome for the East.
the camauro , or bonnet red, more hardly carried by the popes since Clement XIV, at the 18th century, but put on again episodically of use by Jean XXIII, and maintaining by Benoit XVI.
the Sedia gestatoria : sedan-chair, which is not used any more since the death of Jean-Paul I {{er}} (which did not appreciate it besides, and which used it only on the council of its master of ceremony, with an only aim of being able to be seen of all), and which Jean-Paul II replaced by the Papamobile.
the Flabellum: range with length handle, in feathers of ostriches, removed by Paul VI.
the Gonfalon: standard of the pontifical armies.

In the liturgical field, only the pope has the right to celebrate on the pontifical furnace bridge of the four major Basiliques: Basilica Saint-Pierre, Midsummer's Day Basilica of Lateran, Basilica Saint-Paul-out-the-walls, and Holy-Marie-Major Basilica.

To Paul VI, who gave up the use of it, the pope had particular ustensils:

the tablecloth '' Incarnatus is '': tablecloth made up of 13 pieces of damask and fringed gold fabric. Folded up at the beginning of the mass, it was unfolded after the “ Incarnatus is ” Symbole of Nicée-Constantinople
the gold blowtorch used for drinking with the chalice

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