Vicar of Christ
See Vicar of Christ (novel) for the homonymous novel by Walter F. Murphy.Vicar of Christ (Latin
Vicarius Christi) has been used since
Pope Gelasius I, alongside a few rarer 'vicarial' titles, as one of the titles of the Bishop of Rome, best known as
Pope, as head of the universal apostolic Catholic church .
This title of the pope implies his supreme and universal
primacy, both of honour and of jurisdiction, over the Church of Christ. It is founded on the words of the
Divine Shepherd to St. Peter: "Feed my lambs ... Feed my sheep" (John 21:16-17), by which He constituted the
Prince of the Apostles guardian of His entire flock in His own place, thus making him His
Vicar and fulfilling the promise made in Matthew 16:18-19.
In the course of the ages other vicarial designations have been used for the pope, as
Vicar of St. Peter,
Vicar of the Prince of the Apostles (again referring to the first Pope) and even
Vicar of the Apostolic See (Pope Gelasius, I, Ep. vi), but the title Vicar of Christ is more expressive of his supreme headship of the Church on earth, which he bears in virtue of the commission of Christ and with vicarial power derived from Him. Thus pope
Innocent III appeals for his power to remove bishops to the fact that he is Vicar of Christ (cap. "Inter corporalia", 2, "De trans. ep."). He also declares that Christ has given such power only to His Vicar Peter and his successors (cap. "Quanto", 3, ibid.), and states that it is the
Roman Pontiff who is "the successor of Peter and the Vicar of Jesus Christ" (cap. "Licet", 4, ibid.).
The title
Vicar of God used for the pope by
Nicholas III (c. "Fundamenta ejus", 17, "De elect.", in 6) is employed as an equivalent for Vicar of Christ.
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Vicarius Filii Dei
