The pope used to be known as "Vicarius Dei" (Vicar of God), and "Vicarius Sancti Petri" (Vicar of Saint Peter). One of his titles is that "Vicarivs Filii Dei" (Vicar of the Son of God). The first two titles are no longer in use; the second had been forbidden at one period of time. The third is the Latin term, and if each letter is given its numerical equivalent, will add up to that sinister "666"'WHAT "VICAR" MEANS?
Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary: De Luxe Second Edition, defines vicar as "a person who acts in place of, another or others; one who exercises an office in another right; a delegate; a representative; an agent." Delegate is defined as one "sent to act for or represent another."
The Encyclopedia Americana states that, "vicars originally were government officials in the late Roman Empire, bearing such titles as 'vicar of Rome', 'Judge vicar', and 'vicar of Italy' ". (vol. 28, p.74)
In Catholic usage, the word "vicar" is defined by the Modern Catholic Dictionary as "an ecclesiastic who substitutes for another in the exercise of a clerical office and acts in his name and with authority according to the canon of law" (p. 561). Collier's Encyclopedia defines "vicar" as "an ecclesiastical title used to describe a number of functions, but always expressing the idea of delegated authority" (vol. 23, p. 119).
THE POPE AS VICAR
It is interesting to note that Apostle Peter whom the Catholic Church recognizes as its first pope in spite of lack of historical evidence has never been called by any of the titles the pope sport today. When did the bishops of Rome start using the title "vicar of Christ"?
The New Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIV, page 641, has this to say:
"VICAR OF CHRIST, a title of the Roman pontiff expressing his claim to universal jurisdiction in virtue of Christ's words of St. Peter, 'Feed my lambs...Feed my sheep' (Jn 21:16-17). It occurs in ecclesiastical writings as early as the 3rd century, but until the 9th century it was used for the emperor as well as for the bishops and popes. With Innocent III (1198-1216) it became the exclusive title of the pope and completely superseded the older titles 'Vicar of St. Peter", and 'Vicar of God', which had enjoyed preeminence before this time. This development which was of particular importance in the contemporary discussion about papal jurisdiction, was effected in large part by medieval decretalists, and grew out of their treatment of the problem of secular and spiritual power."
The Modern Catholic Dictionary, page 561, has this to say:
"VICAR OF CHRIST. The Pope, visible head of the Church on earth, acting for and in place of Christ. He possesses supreme ecclesiastical authority in the Catholic Church. This title for the Pope dates from at least the eight 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)."
And in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Religion, Volume O-Z, page 3663, this is written:
"VICAR OF CHRIST, papal title since the pontificate of Innocent III (1198-1216) and emphasizing the pope's jurisdiction as the successor of St. Peter with vicarious powers received form Christ."
And finally, Collier's Encyclopedia Volume 23, page 119 has this to say:
"VICAR,...In earlier centuries, popes had as part of their title 'vicar of St. Peter', but this gradually gave way to the title previously belonging to other bishops and even to the Saxon kings of England, viz., 'vicar of Christ.' This latter title became the official designation of the pope under Innocent III, and at that time the title 'vicar of St. Peter' was forbidden."
Thus, we have three sources which bear Imprimaturs and Nihil Obstats conflicting as to when the popes started using the title "Vicar of Christ." One states it started as early as the third century, the second states that the title dates from at least the eight century, and the third says it became the papal title since the Pontificate of Innocent III in the twelfth century! Collier's Encyclopedia states that the title "Vicar of Christ" used to belong to the bishops and even to the Saxon kings of England but was appropriated by Pope Innocent III for himself, with the previous title of the pope "Vicar of St. Peter" abrogated and forbidden by this same.
Catholic sources base the papal claim to this title on John 21:15-17, which passage, they say, Christ's commission to Apostle Peter to be His Vicar. If that is so, why did Peter grieve instead of rejoice? The context of the scene shows that Peter and some of the apostles reverted to their former livelihood, abandoning the commission Christ gave them which is to be fishers of men or to preach the gospel. Peter grieved because he was reprimanded by the Lord for relapsing, and he was reminded to "Feed my sheep" three times to make sure he and others understood.
WHY "VICAR OF CHRIST"?
As we can see in the sources we have cited, Pope Innocent III was the author of this claim to the title "Vicar of Christ". Why did he do this and forbid the previous papal title "Vicar of St. Peter"?
The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Religion, Volume F-N, page 1809 has this to say:
"INNOCENT III Lotario de Segni; (1160-1216). POPE from 1198....From the outset he saw himself as the vicar, not simply of Peter, but of Christ (vicarious Christ). As vicegerent of God he concerned himself ceaselessly with the affairs of all Christendom. He used every opportunity to strengthen his political power in those cities and lordship which formed patrimony of St. Peter; and obtained recognition of feudal lordship over the kingdoms of Sicily, Aragon, Portugal, Hungary, England, and Ireland. In the matter of the Empire, he asserted the right to examine credentials of the emperor-elect before consecrating him."
Thus, the papal title "Vicar of Christ" was appropriated by the most powerful pope of the Middle Ages to justify his acquisition of political power.
The roots of this idea that the pope should be clothed with unlimited power came from documents forged in Rome which were systematically compiled in the mid-1000's at Bologna by Gratian, a Benedictine monk. This is shown by Peter De Rosa in his book Vicars of Christ, The Dark Side of the Papacy, page 60:
"Gratian remarkably invented a way of extending papal power. The pope, he declared to Rome's approval, is superior to and the source of all laws without qualification. He must, therefore, stand on an equality with the son of God. This apotheosis became the inspiration of the Curia which acted in the pope's name. Every pen-pusher was, in some sense, a god."
The pope at this time was Gregory VII, better known as Hildebrand. He drew up a Dictatus or list of 27 theses outlining his powers as Peter's vicar and some of this we can read in Rosa's book, on page 58:
"The pope can be judge by no one on earth.
"Earlier popes were not unhappy to be styled 'Vicar of St. Peter'. He repudiated the title, 'we are the successors of Peter but not his vicar nor any man's nor any apostle's. We are the Vicar of Jesus Christ before whom every knee shall bow'. Even - no especially - the knees of kings and emperors."
Thus, in his claim to be the "Vicar of Christ," Pope Innocent III appropriated for himself what is written in Philippians 2:10: "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth." And how did Innocent III rule the world? Peter De Rosa writes on page 73:
"Innocent III, statement of genius, pontiff of 'an appaling force of will', ruled the world in tranquil majesty for close on twenty years. For most of the time, he encompassed Christendom with terror. He crowned and deposed sovereigns, put nations under interdict, virtually created the Papal States accross central Italy from Mediterranean to the Adriatic. He had not lost a single battle.
"In pursuit of his aims, he shed more blood than any other pontiff. He profoundly misunderstood the Gospel, the church, the papacy, even the distinction between good and evil. His marvelous perversion of all these is evidenced in a single breathtaking statement: 'Every cleric must obey the Pope, even if he commands what is evil; for no one may judge the Pope'."
WHOSE VICAR IS THE POPE IN ROME?
The pope's medieval pretensions to supreme and absolute power was violently ended when the United Kingdom of Italy seized the Papal States in 1870. A minute part of this was returned to the pope when Italian dictator Benito Mussolini signed the Lateran Agreements on February 11, 1929:
"By the Lateran Agreements the Italian State renounced all claim to Vatican Territory in Rome: and the Vatican City became independent sovereign state with an area of 108.7 acres (a little bigger than St. James Park). In return for the money payment, the Vatican for its part renounced all claim to the previous Papal States...It stipulated that the Vatican should received 750 million lire in cash, and 1000 million lire in Italian five percent consolidated stock." (The Vatican in the Age of the Dictators, 1922-1945, p. 45)
The pope is back head of state, the Vatican, but without the absolute power which Innocent III acquired by using the title "Vicar of Christ". A lot of changes had taken place since then. Although no pope has renounced formally Innocent's claims and pretentions, the popes since 1870 no longer behave absolute monarchs but now champions the cause of the poor and youth. Is the pope now truly the "Vicar of Christ"?
In the first place, Christ did not appoint any vicar in the sense of the pope's being vicar, that is to be head of the Church that Christ founded. As we have seen, Pope Innocent III, appropriating for himself what is written in Philippians 2:10, appointed himself "Vicar of Christ", the title used by Pope John Paul II. If a vicar by definition is one who merely represents another, then, if the pope is the "Vicar of Christ" he must speak and do only the things ordered by our Lord Jesus Christ. Pope Innocent III was very un-Christ-like in his behavior.
There are least two things which the pope commands but which the Bible recognizes as commands, not of Christ, but of devils, namely "forbidding to marry" and "commanding to abstain from meats" (I Tim. 4:1-3). All Catholics know that their priest are commanded to observe celibacy and that all Catholics are commanded to abstain from meats during Lenten season. But these are commandments of devils.
Now, whose vicar is the Roman Catholic Pope?
And in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Religion, Volume O-Z, page 3663, this is written:
"VICAR OF CHRIST, papal title since the pontificate of Innocent III (1198-1216) and emphasizing the pope's jurisdiction as the successor of St. Peter with vicarious powers received form Christ."
And finally, Collier's Encyclopedia Volume 23, page 119 has this to say:
"VICAR,...In earlier centuries, popes had as part of their title 'vicar of St. Peter', but this gradually gave way to the title previously belonging to other bishops and even to the Saxon kings of England, viz., 'vicar of Christ.' This latter title became the official designation of the pope under Innocent III, and at that time the title 'vicar of St. Peter' was forbidden."
Thus, we have three sources which bear Imprimaturs and Nihil Obstats conflicting as to when the popes started using the title "Vicar of Christ." One states it started as early as the third century, the second states that the title dates from at least the eight century, and the third says it became the papal title since the Pontificate of Innocent III in the twelfth century! Collier's Encyclopedia states that the title "Vicar of Christ" used to belong to the bishops and even to the Saxon kings of England but was appropriated by Pope Innocent III for himself, with the previous title of the pope "Vicar of St. Peter" abrogated and forbidden by this same.
Catholic sources base the papal claim to this title on John 21:15-17, which passage, they say, Christ's commission to Apostle Peter to be His Vicar. If that is so, why did Peter grieve instead of rejoice? The context of the scene shows that Peter and some of the apostles reverted to their former livelihood, abandoning the commission Christ gave them which is to be fishers of men or to preach the gospel. Peter grieved because he was reprimanded by the Lord for relapsing, and he was reminded to "Feed my sheep" three times to make sure he and others understood.
WHY "VICAR OF CHRIST"?
As we can see in the sources we have cited, Pope Innocent III was the author of this claim to the title "Vicar of Christ". Why did he do this and forbid the previous papal title "Vicar of St. Peter"?
The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Religion, Volume F-N, page 1809 has this to say:
"INNOCENT III Lotario de Segni; (1160-1216). POPE from 1198....From the outset he saw himself as the vicar, not simply of Peter, but of Christ (vicarious Christ). As vicegerent of God he concerned himself ceaselessly with the affairs of all Christendom. He used every opportunity to strengthen his political power in those cities and lordship which formed patrimony of St. Peter; and obtained recognition of feudal lordship over the kingdoms of Sicily, Aragon, Portugal, Hungary, England, and Ireland. In the matter of the Empire, he asserted the right to examine credentials of the emperor-elect before consecrating him."
Thus, the papal title "Vicar of Christ" was appropriated by the most powerful pope of the Middle Ages to justify his acquisition of political power.
The roots of this idea that the pope should be clothed with unlimited power came from documents forged in Rome which were systematically compiled in the mid-1000's at Bologna by Gratian, a Benedictine monk. This is shown by Peter De Rosa in his book Vicars of Christ, The Dark Side of the Papacy, page 60:
"Gratian remarkably invented a way of extending papal power. The pope, he declared to Rome's approval, is superior to and the source of all laws without qualification. He must, therefore, stand on an equality with the son of God. This apotheosis became the inspiration of the Curia which acted in the pope's name. Every pen-pusher was, in some sense, a god."
The pope at this time was Gregory VII, better known as Hildebrand. He drew up a Dictatus or list of 27 theses outlining his powers as Peter's vicar and some of this we can read in Rosa's book, on page 58:
"The pope can be judge by no one on earth.
"The Roman church has never erred, nor can it err until the end of time.
"The pope alone can depose bishops.
"He alone is entitled to imperial insignia.
"He can dethrone emperors and kings and absolve their subjects from allegiance.
"All princes are obliged to kiss his feet.
"His legates, even when not priest, have precedence over all bishops.
"A rightly elected pope is, without question, a saint, made so by the merits of Peter."
This pope Gregory VII had humiliated Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV at Canossa but the later had last laugh when he finally drove the pope out of Rome. Gregory VII (a saint) had been contented with the title "Vicar of Peter", not Innocent III. De Rosa states in his book on page 68 the following:"Earlier popes were not unhappy to be styled 'Vicar of St. Peter'. He repudiated the title, 'we are the successors of Peter but not his vicar nor any man's nor any apostle's. We are the Vicar of Jesus Christ before whom every knee shall bow'. Even - no especially - the knees of kings and emperors."
Thus, in his claim to be the "Vicar of Christ," Pope Innocent III appropriated for himself what is written in Philippians 2:10: "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth." And how did Innocent III rule the world? Peter De Rosa writes on page 73:
"Innocent III, statement of genius, pontiff of 'an appaling force of will', ruled the world in tranquil majesty for close on twenty years. For most of the time, he encompassed Christendom with terror. He crowned and deposed sovereigns, put nations under interdict, virtually created the Papal States accross central Italy from Mediterranean to the Adriatic. He had not lost a single battle.
"In pursuit of his aims, he shed more blood than any other pontiff. He profoundly misunderstood the Gospel, the church, the papacy, even the distinction between good and evil. His marvelous perversion of all these is evidenced in a single breathtaking statement: 'Every cleric must obey the Pope, even if he commands what is evil; for no one may judge the Pope'."
WHOSE VICAR IS THE POPE IN ROME?
The pope's medieval pretensions to supreme and absolute power was violently ended when the United Kingdom of Italy seized the Papal States in 1870. A minute part of this was returned to the pope when Italian dictator Benito Mussolini signed the Lateran Agreements on February 11, 1929:
"By the Lateran Agreements the Italian State renounced all claim to Vatican Territory in Rome: and the Vatican City became independent sovereign state with an area of 108.7 acres (a little bigger than St. James Park). In return for the money payment, the Vatican for its part renounced all claim to the previous Papal States...It stipulated that the Vatican should received 750 million lire in cash, and 1000 million lire in Italian five percent consolidated stock." (The Vatican in the Age of the Dictators, 1922-1945, p. 45)
The pope is back head of state, the Vatican, but without the absolute power which Innocent III acquired by using the title "Vicar of Christ". A lot of changes had taken place since then. Although no pope has renounced formally Innocent's claims and pretentions, the popes since 1870 no longer behave absolute monarchs but now champions the cause of the poor and youth. Is the pope now truly the "Vicar of Christ"?
In the first place, Christ did not appoint any vicar in the sense of the pope's being vicar, that is to be head of the Church that Christ founded. As we have seen, Pope Innocent III, appropriating for himself what is written in Philippians 2:10, appointed himself "Vicar of Christ", the title used by Pope John Paul II. If a vicar by definition is one who merely represents another, then, if the pope is the "Vicar of Christ" he must speak and do only the things ordered by our Lord Jesus Christ. Pope Innocent III was very un-Christ-like in his behavior.
There are least two things which the pope commands but which the Bible recognizes as commands, not of Christ, but of devils, namely "forbidding to marry" and "commanding to abstain from meats" (I Tim. 4:1-3). All Catholics know that their priest are commanded to observe celibacy and that all Catholics are commanded to abstain from meats during Lenten season. But these are commandments of devils.
Now, whose vicar is the Roman Catholic Pope?
Bibliography
DE ROSA, PETER, Vicar of Christ; The Dark Side of Papacy. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. 1988
HARDON, JOHN A. Modern Catholic Dictionary, New York: Double Day & Company, Inc., 1980
RHODES, ANTHONY. The Vatican in the Age of Dictators (1992-1945), New York: Holt, Rinchart
and Winston, 1973
COLLIER'S ENCYCLOPEDIA. Vol. 23, New York, Mcmillan Educational Company, 1980
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA AMERICANA. Vol. 28 International Edition, Danbury, Connecticut,
Americana Corporation, 1980
ENCYCLOPEDIA DICTIONARY OF RELIGION. Vols. O-Z, and F-N. Paul Kevin Meagher
Tomas C. O'Brien, and sister Consuelo Maria Aherne, editors. Washington D. C.: Corpus Publication, 1979
NEW CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA. Vol. XIV, Washington D.C. The Catholic University of America, 1967
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Note:
"Let us consider that sinister number 666"
Revelation 13:18, states:
"This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is a man's number. His number is 666. (NIV)
VICARIVS FILLI DEI
(Tile of the Pope)
VICARIVS
5 + 1 + 100 + 0 + 0 + 1 + 5 + 0 = 112
FILII
0 + 1 + 50 + 1 + 1 = 53
DEI
500 + 0 + 1 = 501
666
Each letter is given its numerical number to arrive at the sinister number.