Holy See

The pope is the bishop of Rome and the head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of state of the Papal States, and since 1929 of the much smaller Vatican City State. From a Catholic viewpoint, the primacy of the bishop of Rome is largely derived from his role as the apostolic successor to Saint Peter, to whom primacy was conferred by Jesus, who gave Peter the Keys of Heaven and the powers of "binding and loosing", naming him as the "rock" upon which the

jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome

thumb|The 1492 papal conclave was the first to be held in the [[Sistine Chapel.]] A conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to appoint the pope of the Catholic Church. Catholics consider the pope to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and the earthly head of the Catholic Church.

dogma of the Catholic Church; infallibility of certain decisions of the Pope

papal address and apostolic blessing given on certain special occasions

thumb|Pope Francis in a Jeep J8 in [[Washington, D.C. during his September 2015 visit]] The popemobile (Latin: papacinetum or papocinetum; Italian: papamobile) is a specially designed motor vehicle used by the pope for public appearances. It is the successor to the sedia gestatoria (portable throne) and is designed to make the pope more visible when greeting large crowds.

official newspaper of the Holy See

decision taken on their own initiative by those who have the power or faculty

observatory

official gazette of the Holy See

resignation of the pope of the Roman Catholic Church

thumb|right|250px|Late Baroque façade of the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, completed after a competition for the design by [[Alessandro Galilei in 1735]] thumb|right|250px|View showing Archbasilica and Palace thumb|250px|Basilica and Palace - side view, with the Lateran Obelisk Lateran and Laterano are names for an area of Rome, and the shared names of several buildings in Rome. The properties were once owned by the Lateranus family of the Roman Empire. The Laterani lost their properties to Emperor Constantine who allegedly gave them to the Bishop of Rome though this traditional report h

thumb|Coat of arms during the sede vacante – featuring an umbraculum thumb|upright|Umbraculum in the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France The umbraculum ( in Latin, "umbrella"; , "big umbrella", in basilicas also conopaeum) is a historic piece of the papal regalia and insignia, once used on a daily basis to provide shade for the pope. Also known as the pavilion, in modern usage the umbraculum is a symbol of the Catholic Church and the authority of the pope over it. It is found in the contemporary Church at all the basilicas throughout the world, placed prominently at the right of their main a

official agency of the Holy See

encyclical

encyclical

encyclical

doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church that the pope, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ and as pastor of the entire Christian Church, has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church

apostolic letter issued by Pope Benedict XV concering the Church's missionary role

1921 papal encyclical

official items of attire and decoration proper to the pope

former Vatican monthly publication

demographics of country

suspension, by competent authority, of general rules of law in particular cases in the Catholic Church

Term employed by medieval canonists

(1644-1701)

coat of arms of the Holy See of the Catholic Church

legal status of the Catholic Church in its international relations

sash worn above the waist with the cassock or sotana by Roman Catholic and Anglican clergy