Who Is The Pope?RERC P4 June

What does ‘Pope’ mean?

The word “Pope” comes from the Latin “papa” – a child’s word meaning “father”.

He has many other titles such as:

“Supreme Pontiff” or Pontifex Maximus

Bishop of Rome

Vicar of Jesus Christ

Servant of the Servants of God

Successor of the Prince of the Apostles

Who Was the first Pope?

Matthew 16: 13-19Jesus chose Peter to lead the Church because of his strong faith – he was the 1st person to publicly profess faith in Jesus as God. “You are the Messiah – the Son of the Living God.”

John 21: 15-17Just before he ascended, Jesus trusted Peter with the care of those who believed in him. “Feed my lambs.”

John 18: 15-18, 25-27Peter was not perfect. He even denied Jesus. It is important to remember that the Pope is not God, but a human being.

The Pope lived in the Vatican City in Rome, Italy. It is the smallest country in the world. It is a roughly triangular area of 0.17 square miles.It is the burial site of Saint Peter.

Where the Pope lives - The Vatican Where the Pope lives - The Vatican

What Does the Pope Do All Day?What Does the Pope Do All Day?The Pope is leader of the Catholic Church, the world's largest group of Christians. His decisions affect over a billion followers around the world.

He blesses tourists and pilgrims every Sunday from the window of his private study overlooking Saint Peter's Square

The Pope serves at all the religious celebrations of all the major church festivals ofthe year inside Saint Peter's, including Christmas and Easter.

He celebrates Mass every morning in his private chapel with members of hishousehold.

He sits at his desk to deal with correspondence (letters and e-mails).

One of the duties of the Pope is to meet with the bishops from all over the world.There are approximately 5,000 bishops and he meets around 20 a week.

He meets and has telephone conversations with political leaders.

He is also expected visit other countries.