VICAR OF CHRIST
The Pope, visible head of the Church on earth, acting for and in the place of Christ. He possesses supreme ecclesiastical authority in the Catholic church. This title for the Pope dates from at least the eighth century and gradually replaced the former title, "Vicar of St. Peter." Its biblical basis is Christ's commission of Peter to "feed my lambs, feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17).
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Vicar of Christ
(Latin Vicarius Christi).
A title of the
pope implying 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 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,
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.
