Lat. 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 Apostlesguardian 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.
