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DictionarypapacyPapal office
noun

papacy

PAY-puh-see/ˈpeɪpəsi/

The office and authority of the pope.

The papacy holds a central place in the Roman Catholic Church.

A vacant papal chair beneath a simple crossed-keys emblem, office and authority rather than a named pope.
Etymology
papacyLatinpapal office

The Latin “papal office” was named for the pope, whose title ultimately meant “father.” Papacy focuses on the authority or tenure of that office rather than the person holding it.

In context

Controversies in Church History22:08
you have the divine institution of the papacy um being claimed in the pope's authority to condemn one of his predecessors.
The Papacy and the Orthodox: an Interview With Erick Ybarra

More examples

  • The council debates the limits of the papacy's authority.
  • He studies the relationship between the papacy and European monarchs.
  • Her book compares the papacies of two twentieth-century popes.

Forms

papacy · papacies

papal adjective — Relating to the pope or his office.

Similar words

pontificate
Often emphasizes a particular pope's term rather than institutional authority.
Holy See
Refers to the pope's governing jurisdiction and central church administration.