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The pope (Latin: papa, from Ancient Greek: πάππας, romanized: páppas, lit. 'father') [2] [3] is the bishop of Rome and the visible head [a] of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, [b] Roman pontiff, [c] or sovereign pontiff.
The honorific "pope" was from the early 3rd century used for any bishop in the West, and is known in Greek as far back as Homer's Odyssey (6:57). In the East, "pope" is still a common form of address for clergy in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, and is the style of the bishop of Alexandria.
Plaque commemorating the popes buried in St. Peter's Basilica (their names in Latin and the year of their burial). This chronological list of popes of the Catholic Church corresponds to that given in the Annuario Pontificio under the heading "I Sommi Pontefici Romani" (The Roman Supreme Pontiffs), excluding those that are explicitly indicated as antipopes.
The Roman Catholic Church also holds that among the apostles, Peter was picked out for the unique role of leadership and to serve as the source of unity among the apostles, a role among the bishops and within the church inherited by the pope as Peter's successor today. [citation needed]
Pope Gregory VII (r. 1073–1085) ordered that the title "pope" be reserved exclusively for the Bishop of Rome. Unknown manuscript from the 11th century Unknown manuscript from the 11th century The term "pope" comes from the Latin " papa ", and from the Greek πάππας [ 5 ] ( pappas , which is an affectionate word for "father"). [ 6 ]
In reference to Peter's occupation before becoming an Apostle, the popes wear the Fisherman's Ring, which bears an image of the saint casting his nets from a fishing boat. The keys used as a symbol of the pope's authority refer to the "keys of the kingdom of Heaven" promised to Peter. [224]
When cardinals assemble to elect a pope, they vote as often as four times a day, especially in the first day or two, to determine which candidates are most likely to garner a majority vote.
Local bishops have equal authority as successors of the Apostles and as members of a larger organization, the church founded by Jesus Christ and entrusted to the apostles. The pope serves as a symbol of unity and has additional authority to ensure the continuation of that unity.