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• Pope - Office and nature
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Popes The Roman Catholic Church appropriated many of the institutions of paganism, among them the idea of a sacred hierarchy, which was originally the succession of initiates presiding over the Mysteries -- what is called in India the guruparampara chain. Hence the popes claimed both temporal and spiritual sovereignty.

One group of the early Christians claimed Peter as having been appointed head of the Church by Jesus, and he is accordingly placed at the beginning of the line of popes. Historical researches leave ample scope for freedom of opinion as to the justification for this claim and for the alleged line of succession.

The doctrine of papal infallibility, often misrepresented, was decreed by Pius IX in 1870, and declares that the pope's authority, when speaking ex cathedra (i.e., under certain prescribed forms), is to be considered decisive as to doctrine and moral rules. {add more}

(See also: Popes, pope, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

An antipope is a person who claims the Pontificate without being canonically and properly elected to it. The existence of an antipope is usually due either to doctrinal controversy within the Church, or to confusion as to who is the legitimate pope at the time (see Papal Schism). "The Black Pope" is a derogatory name given to the Superior General of the Society of Jesus due to the Jesuits' practice of wearing black cassocks (compared to the pope's always wearing white robes), and to the order's speci ...

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Pope, Pope - Office and nature, Pope - Regalia and insignia, Pope - Status and authority, Pope - Political role, Pope - Death abdication and election, Pope - Death, Pope - Abdication, Pope - Election, Pope - Objections to the Papacy, Pope - Other Popes

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Pope Gregory has been the name of sixteen Roman Catholic Popes: Pope Gregory I, also called Gregory the Great Pope Gregory II Pope Gregory III Pope Gregory IV Pope Gregory V Pope Gregory VI Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VIII Pope Gregory IX Pope Gregory X Pope Gregory XI Pope Gregory XII Pope Gregory XIII, responsible for the Gregorian calendar. Pope Gregory XIV Pope Gregory XV Pope Gregor

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Pope - Death. The current regulations regarding a papal interregnum — i.e., a sede vacante ("vacant seat") — were promulgated by John Paul II in his 1996 document Universi Dominici Gregis. During the "Reading Festival", the Sacred College of Cardinals, composed of the pope's principal advisors and assistants, is collectively responsible for the government of the Church and of the Vatican itself, under the direction of the Cardinal Chamberlain; however, canon law specifically forbids the Cardinal ...

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Pope, Pope - Office and nature, Pope - Regalia and insignia, Pope - Status and authority, Pope - Political role, Pope - Death, abdication, and election, Pope - Death, Pope - Abdication, Pope - Election, Pope - Objections to the Papacy, Pope - Other Popes

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Black Pope is a derogatory name given to the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, more commonly known as the Jesuits. Often thought to be the most powerful man in the world. Category: Articles to be merged ...

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Pope - Death. The current regulations regarding a papal interregnum — i.e., a sede vacante ("vacant seat") — were promulgated by John Paul II in his 1996 document Universi Dominici Gregis. During the "Reading Festival", the Sacred College of Cardinals, composed of the pope's principal advisors and assistants, is collectively responsible for the government of the Church and of the Vatican itself, under the direction of the Cardinal Chamberlain; however, canon law specifically forbids the Cardinal ...

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Pope, Pope - Office and nature, Pope - Regalia and insignia, Pope - Status and authority, Pope - Political role, Pope - Death abdication and election, Pope - Death, Pope - Abdication, Pope - Election, Pope - Objections to the Papacy, Pope - Other Popes

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Vitalianus (died January 27, 672) was Pope from 657 - 672. In the Monothelite controversy then raging he acted with cautious reserve, refraining at least from express condemnation of the Typus of Constans II. The chief episode in his uneventful pontificate was the visit of Constans to Rome; the pope received him "almost with religious honours," a deference which he requited by stripping all the brazen ornaments of the city--even to the tiles of the Pantheon--and sending them to Constantinople. Archbishop Theodo ...

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An African pope would presumably be a pope of African birth, or heritage. African pope - Bishops of Rome. Three Africans are known to have occupied the See of Rome. According to the records of the Liber Pontificalis, all three were from the Roman Province of Africa (corresponding to the territory of modern Tunisia and Libya). The conquest of Byzantine North Africa by Islam during the 7th century largely eliminated the chance for another African pope until modern times. Pop ...

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For a graphical representation of this list, see list of popes (graphical). This is a list of Popes of the Roman Catholic Church. While the term "Pope" (Latin: papa "father'") is used in several churches to denote their high spiritual leaders, this title in English usage generally refers to the supreme head of the Roman Catholic Church. The title itself has been used officially by the head of the Roma ...

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• List of popes - List of popes
• List of popes - AD 30-250
• List of popes - AD 250-500
• List of popes - AD 500-750
• List of popes - AD 750-1000
• List of popes - AD 1000-1250
• List of popes - AD 1250-1500
• List of popes - AD 1500-1750
• List of popes - AD 1750-2000
• List of popes - From AD 2000
• List of popes - Notes on numbering of popes

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The Coptic Orthodox Church is a member of the Oriental Orthodox churches, not to be mistaken with the Eastern Orthodox group of churches. The Coptic Orthodox Chruch has its own Pope and Patriarch, whom is currently His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and the See of St. Mark. The following is a list of all the Popes who have held led the Coptic Orthodox Church since the Council of Chalcedon. For the earlier Patriarchs of Alexandria prior to the schism, see List of Patriarchs of Alexandr ...

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Alexander Pope (May 22, 1688 – May 30, 1744) is considered one of the greatest English poets of the eighteenth century. Born to a Roman Catholic family in 1688, Pope was educated mostly at home, in part due to laws in force at the time upholding the status of the established Church of England. From early childhood he suffered numerous health problems, including Pott's disease (a form of tuberculosis affecting the spine) which deformed his body and stunted his growth, no doubt helping to end his life at the relatively young age ...

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Benedict III was Pope from 855 to 7 April 858. Prior to his election, Benedict had a reputation for learning and piety. He was elected upon the refusal of Hadrian, the initial choice of clergy and people. A group of important people preferred a different candidate, Anastasius. This latter group had Benedict's election disavowed and Anastasius installed. However, popular opinion was so strong that Benedict's consecration was allowed. The Emperor Louis II's envoys forced Benedict to handle Anastasius and his adherents leniently. The schism helped to weaken the hold of the e ...

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The Blessed Victor III, born as Dauferius (Benevento, 1026? – September 16, 1087), pope (May 24, 1086 until his death), was the successor of Pope Gregory VII. Son of Landolfo V, prince of Benevento, he was born circa 1026; in his thirtieth year he entered monastic life at Monte Cassino, changing his name of Dauferius to Desiderius. He soon became abbot of the monastery, and i ...

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Pope John XXIII (Latin: Ioannes PP. XXIII), born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (November 25, 1881 – June 3, 1963), reigned as the 261st Pope of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from October 28, 1958 until his death in 1963. Pope John XXIII - Earlier life. Angelo Roncalli was born in a hospital (Province of Bergamo), Italy, on November 25, 1881. The fourth in a family of 13, his family worked as sharecroppers, a striking contrast to his predecessor, Eugenio Pacelli, who came from ...

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• Pope John XXIII - Modern conspiracy theories
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Calixtus III, né Alfons de Borja (December 31, 1378 – August 6, 1458) was born near Xàtiva, València, today Spain but then Kingdom of Valencia under the Crown of Aragon, and was pope from April 8, 1455 to his death. His early career was spent as a professor of law at Lleida and then as a diplomat in the service of the kings of Aragon, especially during the Council of Basel. He became a cardinal after reconciling Pope Eugenius IV with King Alfons V of Aragon. He was raised to the papal chair in 1455 at a very ...

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Benedict XI, born Nicholas Boccasini (Treviso, 1240 – July 7, 1304), pope (1303 - 1304), succeeded the famous Boniface VIII, but was unable to carry out his policies. Benedict was a Dominican and when he was made Master General of the order in 1296, he issued ordinances forbidding public questioning of the legitimacy of Boniface's election on the part of any Dominican. At the time of the seizing of Pope Boniface at Anagni, Boccasini was one of only two cardinals to defend the papal party in the Lateran Palace itself. H ...

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Alexander VI, (Rodrigo Borgia) (January 1, 1431 – August 18, 1503) pope (1492-1503), is the most memorable of the secular popes of the Renaissance. He was born at Xàtiva, València, Spain, and his father's surname was Lanzol or Llançol; that of his mother's family, Borgia or Borja, was assumed by him on the elevation of his maternal uncle to the papacy as Callixtus III (April 8, 1455). Pope Alexander VI - Education and election. He studied law at Bologna and after his uncle's election he w ...

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Clement XII, born as Lorenzo Corsini (Florence, April 7, 1652 – Rome, February 6, 1740), (pope 1730-1740), had been an aristocratic lawyer and financial manager under preceding pontiffs. He is known for building the new façade of the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano and beginning the Trevi Fountain and the purchase of Cardinal Albani's collection of antiquities for the papal gallery. Under Benedict XIII, the finances of the Papal States had been delivered into the hands of Cardinal Coscia and other members of the ...

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Urban VIII, né Maffeo Barberini (April 1568 – July 29, 1644) was pope from 1623-1644. He was born in 1568 to an important Florentine family. Through the influence of an uncle, who had become apostolic protonotary, he, while still a young man, received various promotions from Sixtus V and Gregory XIV. By Clement VIII he was himself made protonotary and nuncio to the French court; Paul V also employed him in a similar capacity, afterwards raising him to the cardinalate and making him the papal legate to Bologna. On ...

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