Pope Francis is the 266th Pope since St. Peter. He has a long list of titles, which give a clue to his responsibilities. Below is a list of Pope Francis’ titles:
| Pope = from ‘Papa’ or ‘Father’. | |
| Bishop of Rome | Bishop = a senior priest chosen to look after the clergy and laity of a Diocese (pronounced diosiss) on behalf of the Pope. The Diocese is also known as the See (seat) of a Bishop. |
| Vicar of Christ | Vicar = substitute (Christ’s representative on earth). |
| Successor of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles | |
| Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church | Pontiff = from the Latin word ‘pons’ meaning ‘bridge’ (between Christ and his people). |
| Patriarch of the West | Patriarch = from the Latin word ‘Patris’ meaning ‘Father’ – his responsibilities extend over a much larger area than a Diocese, sometimes including several countries. |
| Primate of Italy | Primate = the most senior Bishop of a country – usually called Cardinal. |
| Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Province of Rome | Archbishop = a Bishop who looks after a Diocese or See of special importance. |
| Metropolitan = like an Archbishop but in the Eastern Catholic Church. Rome is where East and West meet. | |
| Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City | Sovereign = Ruler, King, Monarch. |
| Vatican City = The Vatican City is a country in its own right even though it is very small (about 2km square). In the political world community it operates like any other state. | |
| Servant of the Servants of God | |
