| antipope |
a person who declares himself pope in opposition to the pope elected by church laws. |
| apostolate |
the office, duties, mission, or term of activity of an apostle, or, esp., of the pope as head of the Apostolic See in the Roman Catholic Church. |
| apostolic |
having to do with the pope; papal. [1/2 definitions] |
| basilica |
a Roman Catholic church bestowed by the Pope with certain ceremonial rights. [1/2 definitions] |
| cardinal |
in the Roman Catholic Church, an official appointed by the pope and second in rank to him. [1/4 definitions] |
| College of Cardinals |
the organized body of cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church that elects the Pope and helps him govern the church. |
| conclave |
the private meeting of the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church for the purpose of electing the pope. [1/3 definitions] |
| concordat |
a formal agreement or contract, as between the pope and a government, concerning the regulation of church affairs. |
| crusade |
any military action in the European Middle Ages that the pope declared to be a holy war. [1/4 definitions] |
| encyclical |
in the Roman Catholic Church, a letter from the Pope to the bishops stating a rule or papal opinion on a specific subject. [1/2 definitions] |
| ex cathedra |
(Latin) from the chair; with the authority of one's office or rank (used esp. of statements from the pope regarding faith and morals). |
| Guelph |
a member of a medieval Italian political faction that supported the pope against the German emperors. (Cf. Ghibelline.) |
| holiness |
(cap.) used as a title for the pope. [1/2 definitions] |
| Holy See |
the office or jurisdiction of the pope; Apostolic See. |
| infallible |
of the pope, incapable of fallacy or error in expounding Roman Catholic doctrine on faith or morals. [1/3 definitions] |
| pallium |
a white, woolen band worn across the shoulders by the pope, and sometimes by archbishops and bishops. [1/3 definitions] |
| papacy |
the office or authority of the pope. [2/3 definitions] |
| papal |
of, concerning, or issued by the pope, the Roman Catholic Church, or its government. |
| Peter |
one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and a leader in the establishment of the Christian church, often considered the first pope. [1/2 definitions] |
| pontiff |
the Pope. [1/3 definitions] |
| rescript |
an official answer from a Roman emperor or the pope in regard to a question of doctrine or law. [1/3 definitions] |