In this episode we continue our series on the Italian City-States by discussing the ruler of the Papal States: The Pope. He is probably more famous for being the head of the Catholic church though, and so this episode focuses on the history of this position. We will look at where his authority derives from and how the early Bishops of Rome gained primacy over their peers: the Bishops of Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Antioch. We will then discuss what the New Testament teaches about the leaders of Christianity and how those ideas evolved into the modern Pope. Lastly, we will cover the Pope's eight titles and what they all mean: the Bishop of Rome, the Vicar of Jesus Christ, the Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, the Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, the Primate of Italy, the Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, and the Sovereign of the State of Vatican City.
Next week, we will discuss the history of the Papal States and the Popes who ruled over them.
Sources for this episode are:
https://www.britannica.com/place/Papal-States
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/pope-titles/1937813/
https://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-a-bishop.html
https://religion.fandom.com/wiki/Papal_supremacy
