The pope is the bishop of Rome and the head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of state of the Papal States, and since 1929 of the much smaller Vatican City State. From a Catholic viewpoint, the primacy of the bishop of Rome is largely derived from his role as the apostolic successor to Saint Peter, to whom primacy was conferred by Jesus, who gave Peter the Keys of Heaven and the powers of "binding and loosing", naming him as the "rock" upon which the Church would be built.
Adrian I begins his reign as pope of the Catholic Church
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff.
Historical Significance
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the head of the worldwide Catholic Church.
Events Before
Charlemagne and his brother Carloman I are both crowned King of the Franks
Charlemagne ( SHAR-lə-mayn; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian Empire from 800.
Antipope Philip begins and ends his reign as Catholic Pope
Antipope Philip begins and ends his reign as Catholic Pope
Antipope Constantine II deposed
Antipope Constantine II (Latin: Constantinus; died c. 769) was a Roman prelate who claimed the papacy from 28 June 767 to 6 August 768.
Stephen III [IV] begins his reign as Catholic Pope
Stephen III [IV] begins his reign as Catholic Pope
Charlemagne becomes the sole King of the Franks after the death of his brother Carloman
Carloman I (28 June 751 – 4 December 771), German Karlmann, Karlomann, was king of the Franks from 768 until his death in 771.
Events After
Willibald, Abbot of Heidenheim, dictates his pilgrimage to the Holy Land fifty years before, to nun Hugburc, who records
Willibald, Abbot of Heidenheim, dictates his pilgrimage to the Holy Land fifty years before, to nun Hugburc, who records this and biographies of Willibald and his brother - the first known English woman writer [1]
BC Oldest Chinese recording of a solar eclipse
BC Oldest Chinese recording of a solar eclipse
The oldest recorded eruption of Mt. Fuji (Traditional Japanese date: July 6, 781)
The oldest recorded eruption of Mt. Fuji (Traditional Japanese date: July 6, 781)
More from the 770s
Charlemagne becomes the sole King of the Franks after the death of his brother Carloman
Carloman I (28 June 751 – 4 December 771), German Karlmann, Karlomann, was king of the Franks from 768 until his death in 771.
Willibald, Abbot of Heidenheim, dictates his pilgrimage to the Holy Land fifty years before, to nun Hugburc, who records
Willibald, Abbot of Heidenheim, dictates his pilgrimage to the Holy Land fifty years before, to nun Hugburc, who records this and biographies of Willibald and his brother - the first known English woman writer [1]
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on February 1, 772?
- The pope is the bishop of Rome and the head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of state of the Papal States, and since 1929 of the much smaller Vatican City State.
- Why is Adrian I begins his reign as pope of the Catholic Church significant?
- The pope is the bishop of Rome and the head of the worldwide Catholic Church.