Vicar of Christ

Vicar of Christ (from Latin Vicarius Christi) is the term used in different ways, with different theological connotations throughout history. As the original notion a vicar is of "earthly representative of God or Christ" but also used in sense of "person acting as parish priest in place of a real parson" The title is now used in Catholicism to refer to the bishops and more specifically to the Bishop of Rome (the pope).

History and different uses

During the history of Christianity, the title of Vicar of Christ was used in different ways, with implications for theological, pastoral or different time.

Use for the bishops

The first record of the concept of the Vicar of Christ is mentioned in the Epistle to the Magnesians of St. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, a disciple of John the Apostle, probably commanded by Saint Peter, with a pastoral sense, written between the years 88 and 107 AD "your bishop presides in the place of God (...)". Although Ignatius did not explicitly use the term Vicar of Christ, he clearly sets out the concept. More recently, the Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen gentium noted that bishops are "vicars and ambassadors of Christ," and the Catechism of the Catholic Church notes that each bishop governs his diocese "[a]s Christ's vicar."

The Vicar of Christ

The Vicar of Christ is a bestselling 1979 novel by Walter F. Murphy. The novel tells the life story of the fictional Declan Walsh, who at various stages of his life is a Medal of Honor recipient for actions during the Korean War, Chief Justice of the United States, and finally Pope Francis I (Latin: Franciscus Primus).

It uses as a narrative framing device the format of being a transcription of tape recordings of interviews made in preparation for writing a biography of the now-dead 'Papa Francesco'.

The four interviewees are, in order: Master Gunnery Sergeant Giuseppe Michelangelo Giocciardini, Jr., USMC retired, who recounts Walsh’s wartime experiences; Associate Justice of the Supreme Court C. Bradley Walker, III, who recounts the circumstances leading to Walsh’s appointment, career, and eventual resignation as Chief Justice; Ugo Cardinal Galeotti, who recounts the election of Declan Walsh (at the time a simple monk who had resigned as Chief Justice after the death of his wife) by a bitterly deadlocked conclave and his subsequent career as Papa Francesco; and Walsh’s Papal Press Secretary Robert Twisdale, who recounts the assassination and funeral of Papa Francesco. Each of the four interviews is prefaced with a short quotation from a poem by Zbigniew Herbert.