The Pope

The title Pope is the name given to the Bishop of Rome, the chief pastor of the Roman Catholic Church. Although the pope's powers as bishop of the Church came from a sacramental act of ordination, the pope is elected. Since 1179 the papacy has been filled by the Sacred College of Cardinals from whom the elected pope receives the titles of Bishop of Rome, vicar of Jesus Christ, successor of the prince of the apostles, supreme pontiff of the universal Church, patriarch of the West, primate of Italy, archbishop of the Roman province, sovereign of the state of Vatican City, and servant of the servants of God. The pope's jurisdiction over the faithful of the Church and his supreme authority in all questions related to faith and morality were originally defined in the Vatican Council's Constitution Pastor Aeternus.

The position of the pope, as leader of the Church, has direct and indirect influences on the spiritual and religious development of individuals, families, communities, and nations. While the jurisdiction of the Pope has changed little throughout the centuries, different individual popes have certainly had differing effects on people throughout history. Therefore, the influence of a particular pope and the influence of the office of the papacy must both be considered in understanding impact on religious and spiritual development. In addition, the influence of the pope and the papacy must be considered in accordance with historical time and the specific societal circumstances that existed in communities and nations around the world and how the pope and the office of the papacy became involved—or refrained from involvement. The pope impacts more than those within the Roman Catholic Church. By papal decree and encouragement, the Catholic Church is highly involved in social service and human development work, thereby touching the lives—religious/spiritual and nonreligious/nonspiritual—of billions of people around the world.