Pope

The Pope (Latin: papa from Greek: πάππας pappas, a child's word for "father") is the Bishop of Rome and the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church. The primacy of the Roman bishop is largely derived from his role as the traditional successor to Saint Peter, to whom Jesus is supposed 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. The current pope is Francis, who was elected on 13 March 2013, succeeding Benedict XVI.

The office of the Pope is the papacy. His ecclesiastical jurisdiction, the Diocese of Rome, is often called "the Holy See" or "the Apostolic See", the latter name being based upon the belief that the Bishop of Rome is the successor of Peter the Apostle. The Pope is considered one of the world's most powerful people because of his diplomatic and cultural influence. He is also head of state of Vatican City, a sovereign city-state entirely enclaved within the Italian capital city of Rome.

Pope (disambiguation)

Pope is a religious title [see Pope (word)] traditionally accorded to the head of the Catholic Church, as well as to some other religious figures. Pope can also be used as a surname or a place name.

Religious offices

Pope (horse)

Pope (1806 – 29 August 1831), also known as Waxy Pope and The Sligo Waxy, was a Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1809 Epsom Derby and was a leading sire in Ireland. Pope was the first Epsom Derby winner produced by his sire Waxy, who would go on to sire three more Derby winners and three winners of the Epsom Oaks. Pope was a half-brother to the prolific broodmare Penelope, the dam of the influential stallions Whisker and Whalebone who were also sired by Waxy. Pope died on 29 August 1831 at Clearwell.

Background

Pope was bred by the Duke of Grafton and was foaled at his Euston Hall stud in 1806. Pope was sired by the 1790 Epsom Derby winner Waxy, who was purchased by the Duke and became an influential and important sire that went on to sire three additional Derby winners and three winners of the Epsom Oaks. Pope's dam, Prunella, was bred by the Duke of Grafton and was sired by Highflyer out the mare Promise, sired by Snap. Prunella produced 12 foals for the Duke of Grafton between 1796 and her death in December 1811. Pope was her seventh foal and the first of four foals sired by Waxy. Full-siblings to Pope include the mares Pledge (the dam of the 1819 Derby winner Tiresias), Pope Joan (the dam of the 1827 2,000 Guineas winner Turcoman and 1828 Oaks winner Turquoise) and Prudence (the dam of Reginald and Rowena). Half-siblings to Pope include the mares Pelisse (winner of the Oaks), Penelope (the dam of 1810 and 1815 Derby winners Whalebone and Whisker who were also sired by Waxy), Parasol (the dam of Pastille and Pindarrie) and the good racer Pioneer.