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You are here: Home / Language / Why Is the Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church Called the Pope and Where Is the Holy See?

Why Is the Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church Called the Pope and Where Is the Holy See?

February 22, 2020 by Karen Hill

In Italian, the word pope is an endearment meaning “father” or “papa.”

The responsibility of the leader of the Roman Catholic Church is to build bridges between God and mankind.

And the title Pontiff comes from the original Roman reference pontifex, meaning “bridge builder.”

The Holy See is a corruption of the phrase “Holy seat,” or throne, and refers to the place where this throne is housed.

That’s why the Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church is called the Pope.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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