<P> The pope ( Latin : papa from Greek : πάππας pappas , a child 's word for `` father '' ) , also known as the supreme pontiff ( from Latin pontifex maximus `` greatest bridge - builder '' ) , is the Bishop of Rome and therefore ex officio the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . The primacy of the Roman bishop is largely derived from his role as the supposed apostolic successor to Saint Peter , to whom Jesus is said to have given the Keys of Heaven and the powers of `` binding and loosing '' , naming him as the `` rock '' upon which the church would be built . Since the 1860s , the pope has also been head of state of Vatican City , a sovereign city - state entirely enclaved within Rome . The current pope is Francis , who was elected on 13 March 2013 , succeeding Benedict XVI . </P>
<P> The pope ( Latin : papa from Greek : πάππας pappas , a child 's word for `` father '' ) , also known as the supreme pontiff ( from Latin pontifex maximus `` greatest bridge - builder '' ) , is the Bishop of Rome and therefore ex officio the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . The primacy of the Roman bishop is largely derived from his role as the supposed apostolic successor to Saint Peter , to whom Jesus is said to have given the Keys of Heaven and the powers of `` binding and loosing '' , naming him as the `` rock '' upon which the church would be built . Since the 1860s , the pope has also been head of state of Vatican City , a sovereign city - state entirely enclaved within Rome . The current pope is Francis , who was elected on 13 March 2013 , succeeding Benedict XVI . </P>
what was the popes role in the roman catholic church
what was the popes role in the roman catholic church
the Bishop of Rome and therefore ex officio the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church
the Bishop of Rome and therefore ex officio the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church