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 …

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 Emperor Gratian abdicated the title of Pontifex Maximus .

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 ...

A weak and frail Pope Francis has returned home to the Vatican from the hospital after surviving a five-week, life-threatening bout of pneumonia. Pope Francis gestures as he appears at a window of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Sunday, March 23, 2025, where he has been treated for bronchitis and bilateral pneumonia since Feb. 14.

Apr 6, 2025 · Pope is the title, since about the 9th century, of the bishop of Rome, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The pope is regarded as the successor of St. Peter and has supreme power of jurisdiction over the Catholic Church in matters of faith and morals, as well as in church discipline and government.

Follow Vatican News for updates and information on the daily activities of Pope Francis.

Mar 26, 2025 · After five weeks of hospitalization with pneumonia, including moments where he came close to death, Pope Francis is back at home in the Vatican recovering. Now, the attention in the Vatican is on...

Pope Francis [b] (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; [c] 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State.

Oct 6, 2017 · The Pope, a term that means "father" or "papa," is the Bishop of Rome. This title places him as the leader of the entire Catholic Church , which includes both the Latin Rite and the Eastern Catholic Churches that are in full communion with Rome.

Mar 3, 2025 · 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.