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.

Pope during the First Council of Constantinople (381), the second ecumenical council, and the Council of Rome (382). First pope to be the official head of the church after the Emperor Gratian abdicates the title of " Pontifex Maximus ".

4 days ago · These are the latest news about Pope Francis, the Vatican, and the Catholic Church, provided by the Vatican staff of Catholic News Agency, a service of EWTN News.

Jan 11, 2025 · pope, (Latin papa, from Greek pappas, “father”), the title, since about the 9th century, of the bishop of Rome, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. It was formerly given, especially from the 3rd to the 5th century, to any bishop and sometimes to simple priests as an ecclesiastical title expressing affectionate respect.

3 days ago · VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis warned of the “scourge of antisemitism” in his Angelus prayer on Sunday, the eve of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, noting it marks 80 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. “The horror of the extermination of millions of Jewish people and others of different faiths during those years must never be forgotten or ...

Jan 23, 2025 · Follow Vatican News for updates and information on the daily activities of Pope Francis.

Dec 17, 2024 · Pope Francis, who celebrates his 88th birthday today, has become one of the oldest-serving popes in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history.

Dec 20, 2024 · Papacy is the office and jurisdiction of the bishop of Rome, the pope, who presides over the central government of the Roman Catholic Church, the largest of the three major branches of Christianity.

Visiting the official website of the Holy See one can browse: the Magisterium of the Supreme Pontiffs (from Pope Leo XIII to Pope Francis); the fundamental texts of Catholicism in various languages (the Sacred Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Code of Canon Law); the documents of ...

Pope Francis. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the first Pope of the Americas after being elected as the 265th Successor to St. Peter at the age of 76. He was the first pope to take the name of Francis. View Bio