2007-06-14T03:39:02Z

Skyring: Undid revision 138053727 by Foop101 (talk)

{{two other uses|the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church|the current Pope|Pope Benedict XVI|other uses|}} {{Christianity}}

The '''Pope''' (from [[Latin]]: ''papa'', Papa, father; from [[Greek language|Greek]]: ''papas'' / {{polytonic|''παπάς''}} = priest originating from πατήρ = father )<ref name="fn_1">[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=pope&searchmode=none Etymology] of ‘Pope’.</ref> is the Bishop of Rome, the spiritual leader of the [[Roman Catholic Church]] and the absolute monarch of [[Vatican City]]. Catholics believe he is the [[Apostolic Succession|Successor]] of [[Saint Peter]], also making him the [[Vicar of Christ]].
The office of the Pope is called the Papacy; his ecclesiastical jurisdiction is called the [[Holy See]] (''Sancta Sedes'' in Latin) or [[Apostolic See]] (this latter, on the basis that both St. Peter and [[Paul of Tarsus|St. Paul]] were martyred at [[Rome]]). Early [[Bishop (Catholic Church)|bishops]] occupying the [[See of Rome]] were designated [[Vicar|Vicar of Peter]]; for later Popes the more authoritative Vicar of Christ was substituted; this designation was first used by the Roman [[Synod]] of 495 to refer to [[Pope Gelasius I]], an advocate of [[Primacy of the Roman Pontiff|papal supremacy]] among the [[patriarch]]s. [[Pope Marcellinus|Marcellinus]] (d. 304) is the first Bishop of Rome whom sources show used the title of Pope. In the 11th century, after the [[East-West Schism]], [[Pope Gregory VII|Gregory VII]] declared the term "Pope" to be reserved for the Bishop of Rome. The current (265th) Pope is '''[[Pope Benedict XVI]]''' of Bavaria, elected [[April 19]], [[2005]] in [[Papal conclave, 2005|papal conclave]].

In addition to his service in this spiritual role, the Pope is also [[Head of State]] of the independent sovereign State of the Vatican City, a [[city-state]] and [[nation]] entirely [[Enclave and exclave|enclaved]] by the city of Rome. Before 1870 the Pope's temporal authority extended over a large area of [[central Italy]]: the territory of the [[Papal States]]. The Papacy retained sovereign authority over the Papal States until the [[Italian unification]] of 1870; a final political settlement with the [[Italy|Italian]] government was not reached until the [[Lateran Treaty]] of 1929.

For over a thousand years, popes have played powerful roles in Western Europe, crowning emperors ([[Charlemagne]] was the first emperor crowned by a Pope), regulating colonization of the New World<ref>See [[Line of Demarcation]] and [[Inter caetera]].</ref>, and facing such opponents as [[Attila the Hun]]. The Bishop of Rome continued to be nominally allied and part of the civil structure of the [[Byzantine Empire]] until AD 751, when the [[Exarchate of Ravenna]] was finally abolished. In AD 756 after defeating the [[Lombards]], [[Pepin the Short]] made the [[Donation of Pepin]], giving up Rome and the surrounding area to the full sovereignty of the pope, which the popes have been ''de facto'' rulers since the barbarian invasions and the [[Fall of the Roman Empire]] (AD 476). The donation marked the creation of the Papal States. For centuries, the forged [[Donation of Constantine]] also provided the basis for the papacy's claim to the entire former Western Empire of Rome.

Over the centuries, the Pope's claims of spiritual authority have been ever more clearly expressed since the first centuries, culminating in the proclamation of the [[dogma]] of [[papal infallibility]] for those rare occasions the pope speaks [[ex cathedra]], that is from the episcopal chair of Peter while defining solemnly a dogma. The last such occasion was in the year [[1950]] with the definition of the [[Assumption of Mary]]. Since at least 1302, [[salvation]] itself has been said to depend on [[full communion]] with the Bishop of Rome<ref>"(I)t is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every creature to be united to the Roman Pontiff," ''[[Unam Sanctam]]'', 1302. However, through the years, this understanding has developed in the Catholic Church and according to the document entitled [[Lumen Gentium]], 1964, union with the Bishop of Rome is no longer looked upon as the sole deciding factor of [[Salvation#Christianity|salvation]], while remaining a key factor</ref>.

==Early history==
Catholic and non-Catholic historians agree that the institution of the papacy as it exists today developed through the centuries.

Catholics name [[St. Peter]] as the first pope. He arrived in Rome ''c'' 50. It is this tradition that gives the bishop of Rome primacy. During the first century of the Christian Church, the Roman capital became recognized as a Christian center of exceptional importance; but there are only a few 1st century references to the recognition of the [[Primacy of the Roman Pontiff|authoritative primacy]] of the [[Holy See|Roman See]] outside of Rome. The fact that [[Clement of Rome]]'s letter to the Corinthians (written ''c.'' 96)<ref name="fn_2">[http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1010.htm Letter of Clement to the Corinthians]</ref> adopted a pastoral tone, and also the fact that [[St. Ignatius of Antioch]] once used the word "preside" in the same sentence that he used the word "Romans" in his letter to the Romans (written ''c.'' 105)<ref name="fn_3">[http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/244/Letter_of_Ignatius_of_Antioch_to_the_Romans.html Letter of Ignatius of Antioch to the Romans]</ref> are seen by some historians to present proof of the existence of a certain early Papal primacy. Others argue that these documents refer only to a primacy of honor. The [[Petrine Doctrine]] is still controversial as an issue of doctrine that continues to divide the eastern and western orthodox churches.

During the second century AD, further manifestations of Roman authority over other churches were clearly evident. In the second century (AD 189), the assertion of the primacy of the Church of Rome may be indicated in [[Irenaeus of Lyons]]'s ''[[On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis|Against Heresies]]'' (3:3:2): "With [the Church of Rome], because of its superior origin, all the churches must agree... and it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the apostolic tradition." This may be the first clear instance of the church in Rome asserting its primacy. Furthermore, in AD 195, Pope Victor I, excommunicated the Quartodecimans for observing Easter on the 14th of Nisan, a tradition handed down by St. John the Evangelist himself based on the Jewish Passover. This exercise of Roman authority over other churches, even of apostolic origin, is still present today in the uniformity of calculating the day of Easter. It was only after the imperial capital was moved to Constantinople in AD 330 that the eastern churches, especially the Bishop of Constantinople, started to assert pre-eminence by virtue of its imperial status.

The [[First Council of Constantinople]] (AD 381) suggested strongly that Roman primacy was already asserted; however, it should be noted that, because of the controversy over this claim, the Pope did not personally attend this ecumenical council, which was held in the eastern capital of the Roman empire, rather than at [[Rome]]. It was not until 440 that [[Pope Leo I|Leo the Great]] more clearly articulated the extension of papal authority as doctrine, promulgating in edicts and in councils his right to exercise "the full range of apostolic powers that Jesus had first bestowed on the apostle Peter". It was at the ecumenical [[Council of Chalcedon]] in 451 that Leo I (through his emissaries) stated that he was "speaking with the voice of Peter". At this same council, an attempt at compromise was made when the bishop of Constantinople was given a primacy of honour second only to that of the Bishop of Rome, because "Constantinople is the New Rome." Ironically, Roman papal authorities rejected this language since it did not clearly recognize Rome's claim to juridical authority over the other churches.<ref>La Due, William J., "The Chair of Saint Peter", pp.300-301, Orbis Books (Maryknoll, NY; 1999)</ref>

The [[dogma]]s and traditions of the [[Catholic Church]] teach that the institution of the papacy was first mandated by Biblical passages:

{{cquote|'''Matt.16:18-19:''' "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this ''rock'' I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld will not prevail against it. I will give you the ''keys'' of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

'''Isaiah 22:20-22:''' "On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah; I will clothe him with your robe, and gird him with your sash, and give over to him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open." (shows a parallel to Matthew 16:18-20)

'''John 21:15-17:''' "..Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." He then said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." (Jesus) said to him, "Feed my sheep."

'''Luke 12:41:''' "Then Peter said, "Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?" And the Lord replied, "Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute (the) food allowance at the proper time?" (Feeding theme appears again here)

'''Luke 22:31-32:''' "Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers."}}

The name "Peter" ({{Polytonic|''Πέτρος''}} in Greek) in Matthew 16:18 translates as ''rock''. Some Jewish commentators of the Old Testament understood Numbers 23:9 in a manner similar to Peter with this commentary from Jewish Encyclopedia on Peter regarding Abraham:

"Upon Abraham as top of the rocks God said I shall build my kingdom"

The reference to the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" here are the basis for the symbolic keys often found in Catholic Papal symbolism, such as in the Vatican Coat of Arms (see below).

==Election, death and abdication==
===Election===
{{main|Papal election}}
[[Image:Keys to Peter.jpg|thumb|400px|left|Traditional painting by Pietro Perugino depicting "The Giving of the Keys to Saint Peter" (1492)]]

The Pope was originally chosen by those senior [[clergy]]men resident in and near Rome. In [[1059]] the electorate was restricted to the [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinals]] of the Holy Roman Church, and the individual votes of all Cardinal Electors were made equal in [[1179]]. [[Pope Urban VI]], elected [[1378]], was the last Pope who was not already a cardinal at the time of his election. Canon law requires that if a layman or non-bishop is elected, he receives episcopal consecration from the [[Dean of the College of Cardinals]] before assuming the Pontificate. Under present canon law, the Pope is elected by the cardinal electors, comprising those cardinals who are under the age of 80.

The [[Second Council of Lyons]] was convened on [[May 7]], [[1274]], to regulate the election of the Pope. This Council decreed that the cardinal electors must meet within ten days of the Pope's death, and that they must remain in seclusion until a Pope has been elected; this was prompted by the three-year ''Sede Vacante'' following the death of [[Pope Clement IV]] in [[1268]]. By the mid-[[sixteenth century]], the electoral process had more or less evolved into its present form, allowing for alteration in the time between the death of the Pope and the meeting of the cardinal electors.

Traditionally, the vote was conducted by acclamation, by selection (by committee), or by plenary vote. Acclamation was the simplest procedure, consisting entirely of a voice vote, and was last used in [[1621]]. [[Pope John Paul II]] abolished vote by acclamation and by selection by committee, and henceforth all Popes will be elected by full vote of the [[College of Cardinals|Sacred College of Cardinals]] by [[ballot]].

The election of the Pope almost always takes place in the [[Sistine Chapel]], in a meeting called a "[[papal election|conclave]]" (so called because the cardinal electors are theoretically locked in, ''cum clave'', until they elect a new Pope). Three cardinals are chosen by lot to collect the votes of absent cardinal electors (by reason of illness), three are chosen by lot to count the votes, and three are chosen by lot to review the count of the votes. The ballots are distributed and each cardinal elector writes the name of his choice on it and pledges aloud that he is voting for "one whom under God I think ought to be elected" before folding and depositing his vote on a plate atop a large chalice placed on the altar. The plate is then used to drop the ballot into the chalice, making it difficult for any elector to insert multiple ballots. Before being read, the number of ballots are counted while still folded; if the total number of ballots does not match the number of electors, the ballots are burned unopened and a new vote is held. Otherwise, each ballot is read aloud by the presiding Cardinal, who pierces the ballot with a needle and thread, stringing all the ballots together and tying the ends of the thread to ensure accuracy and honesty. Balloting continues until a Pope is elected by a two-thirds majority (since the promulgation of ''Universi Dominici Gregis'', the rules allow for a simple majority after a deadlock of twelve days).
[[Image:John23leo.jpg|left|thumb|216px|[[Pope John XXIII]] wearing the [[Papal Tiara]] following his [[coronation]], a tradition which has now been discontinued]]

One of the most famous aspects of the papal election process is the means by which the results of a ballot are announced to the world. Once the ballots are counted and bound together, they are burned in a special oven erected in the Sistine Chapel, with the smoke escaping through a small chimney visible from [[St Peter's Square]]. The ballots from an unsuccessful vote are burned along with a chemical compound in order to produce black smoke, or ''fumata nera''. (Traditionally, wet straw was used to help create the black smoke, but a number of "false alarms" in past conclaves have brought about this concession to modern chemistry.) When a vote is successful, the ballots are burned alone, sending white smoke (''fumata bianca'') through the chimney and announcing to the world the election of a new Pope. At the end of the conclave that elected [[Pope Benedict XVI]], church bells were also rung to signal that a new Pope had been chosen.

The Dean of the College of Cardinals then asks the successfully elected Cardinal two solemn questions. First he asks, "Do you freely accept your election?" If he replies with the word "Accepto", his reign as Pope begins at that instant, ''not'' at the coronation ceremony several days afterward. The Dean then asks, "By what name shall you be called?" The new Pope then announces the [[regnal name]] he has chosen for himself. (If the Dean himself is elected Pope, the Vice Dean performs this duty).

The new Pope is led through the "Door of Tears" to a dressing room in which three sets of white Papal vestments ("immantatio") await: small, medium, and large. Donning the appropriate vestments and reemerging into the Sistine Chapel, the new Pope is given the "[[Ring of the Fisherman|Fisherman's Ring]]" by the Cardinal Camerlengo, whom he either reconfirms or reappoints. The Pope then assumes a place of honor as the rest of the Cardinals wait in turn to offer their first "obedience" ("adoratio") and to receive his blessing.

The senior [[Cardinal Deacon]] then announces from a balcony over St. Peter's Square the following [[Habemus Papam|proclamation]]: ''Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum! Habemus Papam!'' ("I announce to you a great joy! We have a Pope!"). He then announces the new Pope's Christian name along with the new name he has adopted as his regnal name.

Until [[1978]] the Pope's election was followed in a few days by a procession in great pomp and circumstance from the [[Sistine Chapel]] to [[St. Peter's Basilica]], with the newly elected Pope borne in the ''sedia gestatoria''. There the Pope was crowned with the ''[[Papal Tiara|triregnum]]'' and he gave his first blessing as Pope, the famous ''[[Urbi et Orbi]]'' ("to the City [Rome] and to the World"). Another famed part of the coronation was the lighting of a torch which would flare brightly and promptly extinguish, with the admonition ''Sic transit gloria mundi'' ("Thus fades worldly glory"). A similar sombre warning against papal hubris made on this occasion was the ritual exclamation ''"Annos Petri non videbis"'', reminding the newly crowned pope that he would not live to see his rule lasting as long as that of St. Peter, who according to tradition headed the church for 25 years. ([[Pope Pius IX|Pius IX]], who ruled almost 32 years from [[1846]] to [[1878]], was the first pope in history to prove this wrong.) Beginning with [[Pope John Paul I]]'s election, this has been discontinued.

A [[traditionalist Catholic]] belief claims the existence of the [[Papal Oath (Traditionalist Catholic)|Papal Oath]] (not to be confused with the Oath against Modernism mandated by [[Pope Pius X]]), which the Popes from [[Pope John Paul I|John Paul I]] on are said to have refused to swear, but there is no reliable authority for this claim.

The [[Latin]] term ''sede vacante'' ("vacant seat") refers to a papal interregnum, the period between the death of the Pope and the election of his successor. From this term is derived the name [[sedevacantism|Sedevacantist]], which designates a category of dissident, schismatic Catholics who maintain that there is no canonically and legitimately elected Pope, and that there is therefore a ''Sede Vacante''; one of the most common reasons for holding this belief is the idea that the reforms of the [[Second Vatican Council]] and especially the replacement of the [[Tridentine Mass]] with the ''[[Mass of Paul VI]]'' are heretical, and that, per the dogma of Papal infallibility (see above), it is impossible for a valid Pope to have done these things.

For many years, the Papacy was an institution dominated by [[Italians]]. Before the election of the non-Italian Karol Wojtyla as Pope John Paul II in [[1978]], the last non-Italian was the Dutch-German [[Pope Adrian VI]] of the Netherlands, elected in 1522. John Paul II was followed by the German-born Benedict XVI, leading some to believe the Italian domination of the Papacy to be over.

===Death===
The current regulations regarding a papal [[interregnum]] — that is, a ''[[sede vacante]]'' ("vacant seat") — were promulgated by John Paul II in his [[1996]] document ''[[Universi Dominici Gregis]]''. During the "Sede Vacante", the [[College of Cardinals|Sacred College of Cardinals]], composed of the Pope's principal advisors and assistants, is collectively responsible for the government of the Church and of the Vatican itself, under the direction of the [[Camerlengo|Cardinal Chamberlain]]; however, canon law specifically forbids the Cardinals from introducing any innovation in the government of the Church during the vacancy of the [[Holy See]]. Any decision that needs the assent of the Pope has to wait until a new Pope has been elected and takes office.

It has long been claimed that a Pope's death is officially determined by the Cardinal Chamberlain by gently tapping the late Pope's head thrice with a silver hammer and calling his birth name three times, though this is disputed and has never been confirmed by the Vatican; there is general agreement that even if this procedure ever actually occurred, it was likely not employed upon the death of John Paul II. A [[medical doctor|doctor]] may or may not have already determined that the Pope had died before this point. The Cardinal Chamberlain then retrieves the [[Ring of the Fisherman|Fisherman's Ring]]. Usually the ring is on the Pope's right hand. But in the case of Paul VI, he had stopped wearing the ring during the last years of his reign. In other cases the ring might have been removed for medical reasons. The Chamberlain cuts the ring in two in the presence of the Cardinals. The deceased Pope's seals are defaced, to keep them from ever being used again, and his personal apartment is sealed.

The body then lies in state for a number of days before being interred in the [[crypt]] of a leading church or cathedral; the Popes of the [[20th century]] were all interred in [[St. Peter's Basilica]]. A nine-day period of mourning (''novem dialis'') follows after the interment of the late Pope. Vatican tradition holds that no [[autopsy]] is to be performed on the body of a dead pope.

===Abdication===
{{mainarticle|Papal abdication}}

The Code of [[Canon law|Canon]] Law [http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P16.HTM 332 §2] states, "If it happens that the [[Papal abdication|Roman Pontiff resigns]] his office, it is required for validity that the resignation is made freely and properly manifested but not that it is accepted by anyone."

This right has been exercised by [[Pope Celestine V]] in 1294 and [[Pope Gregory XII]] in 1409, Gregory XII being the last to do so.

It was widely reported in June and July [[2002]] that Pope John Paul II firmly refuted the speculation of his resignation using Canon 332, in a letter to the Milan daily newspaper ''Corriere della Sera''.

Nevertheless, 332 §2 caused speculation that:
* Pope John Paul II would have resigned as his health failed, or
* a properly manifested legal instrument had been prepared which effected his resignation if he could not perform his duties.

Pope John Paul II did not resign. He died on [[2 April]] [[2005]] after a long period of ill-health and was buried on [[8 April]] [[2005]].

After his death it was reported in his [[last will and testament]] that he considered abdicating in [[2000]] as he neared his 80th birthday. However, that portion of the will is unclear and others interpret it differently.

==Titles==
===Current===
The titles of the Pope, in the order they are used in the Annuario Pontificio:
:*[[Bishop of Rome]]
:*[[Vicar of Christ]]
:*Successor of the Prince of the Apostles
:*[[Pontifex Maximus|Supreme Pontiff]] of the [[Universal church|Universal Church]]
:*[[Primate (religion)|Primate]] of [[Italy]]
:*[[Metropolitan bishop|Archbishop and Metropolitan]] of the Roman [[Ecclesiastical province|Province]]
:*Sovereign of the State of the [[Vatican City]]
:*[[Servus Servorum Dei|Servant of the Servants of God]]

===Former===
:* [[Patriarch]] of the West (dropped 2006)
:* [[Vicar]] of the Apostolic See

===Forms of address===
* "Your Holiness"
* "Holy Father"

===History===
The Pope's titles include: Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman province, Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City, and Servant of the Servants of God.

The title "Vicar of Christ" refers to the Pope's claims of divine commission. This title came into use in the fifth and sixth centuries. The [[Second Vatican Council]] confirmed the titles "Vicar of Christ" and "Successor of Peter".

The use of the term "Supreme Pontiff" (Pontifex Maximus) can be traced back to the end of the fourth century. The ancient title of the Roman High-Priest, whose origins date from the foundation of Rome, was assumed by the Bishops of Rome after being relinquished by the Emperor Gratian. The term has also been applied to other metropolitan bishops, although examples are limited (see ''[[Pontifex Maximus]]''). It was in the eleventh century that the title came to be applied exclusively to the Bishop of Rome. The addition of the phrase "of the Universal Church" is a more recent alteration of this title.

Finally, the title attached to the Pope, "Servant of the Servants of God", although used by Church leaders including St. Augustine and St. Benedict, was first used by [[Pope Gregory I|Pope Gregory the Great]] in his dispute with the Patriarch of Constantinople after the latter assumed the title Ecumenical Patriarch. It was not reserved for the Pope until the thirteenth century. The documents of Vatican II reinforced the understanding of this title as a reference to the Pope's role as a function of collegial authority, in which the Bishop of Rome serves the world's bishops.

The titles "Primate of Italy", "Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman province", and "Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City" are references to the legal and canonical authority of the Pope as defined by the laws of the Church and the Lateran Treaty of 1929.

The Pope's signature is usually in the format ''NN. PP. x'' (e.g., [[Pope Paul VI]] signed his name as "Paulus PP. VI"), the "PP." standing for ''Papa'' ("Pope"), and his name is frequently accompanied in inscriptions by the abbreviation "Pont. Max." or "P.M." (abbreviation of the Latin title ''Pontifex Maximus'', usually translated as "Supreme Pontiff"). The signature of [[Papal bull]]s is customarily ''NN. Episcopus Ecclesiae Catholicae'' ("NN. Bishop of the Catholic Church"), while the heading is ''NN. Episcopus [[Servus Servorum Dei]]'' ("NN. Bishop and Servant of the Servants of God"). Other titles used in some official capacity in the past include ''Summus Pontifex'' ("Highest Pontiff"), ''Sanctissimus Pater'' and ''Beatissimus Pater'' ("Most Holy Father" and "Most Blessed Father"), ''Sanctissimus Dominus Noster'' ("Our Most Holy Lord"), and, in the [[Middle Ages|Medieval period]], ''Dominus Apostolicus'' ("Apostolic Lord"). This title, however, was not abandoned altogether: the Pope is still referred to as "Dominum Apostolicum" in the Latin version of the Litany of the Saints, a solemn Catholic prayer. Writing informally, Catholics will often use the abbreviation H.H. (His Holiness), as in H.H. Benedict XVI.

The Pope's official seat or cathedral is the [[Basilica of St. John Lateran]], and his official residence is the [[Palace of the Vatican]]. He also possesses a summer palace at [[Castel Gandolfo]] (situated on the site of the ancient city-state [[Alba Longa]]). Historically, the official residence of the Pope was the [[Lateran Palace]], donated by the [[Roman Emperor]] [[Constantine I of the Roman Empire|Constantine the Great]].

The Pope's ecclesiastical jurisdiction (the [[Holy See]]) is distinct from his secular jurisdiction (Vatican City). It is the Holy See which conducts international relations; for hundreds of years, the Pope's court (the [[Roman Curia]]) has functioned as the government of the Catholic Church.

The name "Holy See" (also "Apostolic See") is in ecclesiastical terminology the ordinary jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome (including the Roman Curia); the Pope's various honors, powers, and privileges within the Catholic Church and the international community derive from his Episcopate of Rome in lineal succession from the [[Apostle]] [[St. Peter]] (see [[Apostolic Succession]]). Consequently, Rome has traditionally occupied a central position in the Catholic Church, although this is not necessarily so. The Pope derives his Pontificate from being Bishop of Rome but is not required to live there; according to the Latin formula ''ubi Papa, ibi Curia'', wherever the Pope resides is the central government of the Church, provided that the Pope is Bishop of Rome. As such, between 1309 and 1378, the Popes lived in [[Avignon]] (the [[Avignon Papacy]]), a period often called the [[Babylonian Captivity]] in allusion to the [[Bible|Biblical]] exile of [[Israel]].

The title ''Patriarch of the West'' did not appear in the 2006 pontifical yearbook, and this led to considerable media speculation. The title Patriarch of the West was first used by Pope Theodore in 642, and was only used occasionally. Indeed, it did not begin to appear in the pontifical yearbook until 1863. On [[22 March]] [[2006]], the Vatican released a statement explaining this omission on the grounds of expressing a "historical and theological reality" and of "being useful to ecumenical dialogue". The title Patriarch of the West symbolized the Pope's special relationship with, and jurisdiction over, the Latin Church — and the omission of the title neither symbolizes in any way a change in this relationship, nor distorts the relationship between the Holy See and the Eastern churches, as solemnly proclaimed by Vatican II.<ref>[[Vatican Information Service]] number 060322</ref>

Since in the Eastern Churches the title "Pope" does not unambiguously refer to the Bishop of Rome, within them the construction "Pope of Rome" is frequently used whether they are in communion with Rome or not.

==Regalia and insignia==
[[Image:holysee-arms.png|thumb|200px|The coat of arms of the Holy See. That of the State of Vatican City is the same except that the positions of the gold and silver keys are interchanged.]]
{{Main|Papal regalia and insignia}}
*"[[Papal Tiara|Triregnum]]", also called the "tiara" or "triple crown"; recent Popes have not, however, worn the ''triregnum'', though it remains the symbol of the Papacy and has not been abolished. In liturgical ceremonies Popes wear an episcopal [[mitre]] (an erect cloth hat).
*Pastoral Staff topped by a [[crucifix]], a custom established before the [[13th century]].
*[[Pallium]], or pall, (a circular band of fabric about two inches wide, worn over the [[chasuble]] about the neck, breast and shoulders and having two twelve-inch-long pendants hanging down in front and behind, ornamented with six small black crosses distributed about the breast, back, shoulders, and pendants)(this form is no longer used by the current pontiff).
*"Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven", the image of two keys, one gold and one silver. The silver key symbolizes the power to bind and loose on Earth, and the gold key the power to bind and loose in Heaven.
*[[Ring of the Fisherman|Fisherman's Ring]], a gold ring decorated with a depiction of St. Peter in a boat casting his net, with the name of the reigning Pope around it.
*''[[Umbraculum]]'' (better known in the Italian form ''ombrellino'') is a canopy or umbrella (consisting of alternating red and gold stripes).
*''[[Sedia gestatoria]]'', a mobile throne carried by twelve footmen (''palafrenieri'') in red uniforms, accompanied by two attendants bearing ''[[flabella]]'' (fans made of white ostrich feathers). The use of the ''sedia gestatoria'' and of the ''flabella'' was discontinued by [[Pope John Paul II]], with the former being replaced by the so-called [[Popemobile]].

In heraldry each Pope has his own [[Papal Coat of Arms]]. Though unique for each Pope, the arms are always surmounted by the aforementioned two keys in saltire (i.e., crossed over one another so as to form an ''X'') behind the escutcheon (one key silver and one key gold, tied with a red cord), and above them a silver ''triregnum'' with three gold crowns and red ''infulae'', or the red strips of fabric hanging from the back over the shoulders when worn ("two keys in saltire or and argent, interlacing in the rings or, beneath a tiara argent, crowned or"). The flag most frequently associated with the Pope is the yellow and white flag of Vatican City, with the arms of the Holy See ("Gules, two keys in saltire or and argent, interlacing in the rings or, beneath a tiara argent, crowned or") on the right hand side in the white half of the flag. This flag was first adopted in [[1808]], whereas the previous flag had been red and gold, the traditional colors of the Pontificate. With the recent election of [[Benedict XVI]] in [[2005]], his personal coat of arms eliminated the papal tiara; a [[mitre]] with three horizontal lines is used in its place, with the pallium, a papal symbol of authority more ancient than the tiara, the use of which is also granted to metropolitan [[archbishops]] as a sign of communion with the See of Rome, was added underneath of the shield. The distinctive feature of the crossed keys behind the shield was maintained. The omission of the tiara in the Pope's personal coat of arms, however, did not mean the total disappearance of it from papal heraldry, since the coat of arms of the Holy See was kept unaltered.

==Status and authority==
{{Main|Primacy of the Roman Pontiff|Papal infallibility}}
The status and authority of the Pope in the Catholic Church was [[dogma]]tically [[dogmatic definition|defined]] by the [[First Vatican Council]] in its ''Dogmatic Constitution of the Church of Christ'' ([[July 18]], [[1870]]). The first chapter of this document is entitled "On the institution of the apostolic primacy in blessed Peter", and states that (s.1) "according to the Gospel evidence, a primacy of jurisdiction over the whole church of [[God]] was immediately and directly promised to the blessed apostle Peter and conferred on him by Christ the Lord" and that (s.6) "if anyone says that blessed Peter the [[apostle]] was not appointed by Christ the Lord as prince of all the apostles and visible head of the whole [[church militant]]; or that it was a primacy of honor only and not one of true and proper jurisdiction that he directly and immediately received from our Lord Jesus Christ Himself: let him be [[anathema]]..."
[[Image:Kruisheren uden bij paus pius xii Crosiers from Uden Holland with PiusXII.jpg|thumb|350px|To maintain contacts with local clergymen and Catholic communities, the Popes grant private audiences too. Here seen are the [[Canons Regular of the Holy Cross]] from [[Uden]] ([[Netherlands]]) received by [[Pope Pius XII]].]]

The Dogmatic Constitution's second chapter, "On the permanence of the primacy of blessed Peter in the Roman pontiffs", states that (s.1) "that which our Lord Jesus Christ [...] established in the blessed apostle Peter [...] must of necessity remain forever, by Christ's authority, in the church which, founded as it is upon a rock, will stand firm until the end of time," that (s.3) "whoever succeeds to the Chair of Peter obtains by the institution of Christ Himself, the primacy of Peter over the whole church", and that (s.5) "if anyone says that it is not by the institution of Christ the Lord Himself (that is to say, by Divine Law) that blessed Peter should have perpetual successors in the primacy over the whole church; or that the Roman Pontiff is not the successor of blessed Peter in this primacy: let him be anathema."

Vatican I's Dogmatic Constitution's third chapter, "On the power and character of the [[primacy of the Roman pontiff]]," states that (s.1) "the definition of the [[Ecumenical Council]] of [[Council of Florence|Florence]], which must be believed by all faithful [[Christianity|Christian]]s, namely that the apostolic see and the Roman pontiff hold a worldwide primacy, and that the Roman pontiff is the successor of blessed Peter, the prince of the apostles, true vicar of Christ, head of the whole church and father and teacher of all Christian people," that (s.2) "by divine ordinance, the Roman church possesses a preeminence of ordinary power over every other church, and that the jurisdictional power of the Roman Pontiff is both episcopal and immediate" and that "[[clergy]] and faithful, of whatever rite and dignity, both singly and collectively, are bound to submit to this power by the duty of [[hierarchy|hierarchical]] subordination and true obedience, and this not only in matters concerning faith and morals, but also in those which regard the discipline and government of the church throughout the world."

The powers of the Pope are defined by the Dogmatic Constitution (ch.3, s.8) such that "he is the supreme judge of the faithful, and that in all cases which fall under ecclesiastical jurisdiction recourse may be had to his judgment" and that "the sentence of the apostolic see (than which there is no higher authority) is not subject to revision by anyone, nor may anyone lawfully pass judgment thereupon" (can. 331 defines the power of the pope as "supreme, full, immediate and universal ordinary power in the Church, and he can always freely exercise this power"). It also dogmatically defined (ch.4, s.9) the doctrine of [[papal infallibility]], ''sc.'' such that

:when the Roman Pontiff speaks ''ex cathedra'', that is, when in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole church, he possesses, by the divine assistance promised to him in blessed Peter, that infallibility which the divine Redeemer willed His church to enjoy in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals. Therefore, such definitions of the Roman pontiff are of themselves, and not by the consent of the church, irreformable.

In 1302 the papal bull Unam Sanctam stated that "it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every creature to be united to the Roman Pontiff" ([[Pope Boniface VIII]]). This teaching is often summarized by the phrase "extra Ecclesiam nulla salus" (outside the Church exists no salvation), which has been reaffirmed by many popes throughout the centuries. [[Blessed John XXIII]] said: "Into this fold of Jesus Christ no man may enter unless he be led by the Sovereign Pontiff, and only if they be united to him can men be saved."

However, this dogma has been interpreted in many different ways by both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Many popes stressed that those who are "[[invincibly ignorant]] of the Catholic religion" can still obtain salvation. [[Pope Pius IX]] stated in his encyclical Quanto Conficiamur Moeror (1868): "We all know that those who are afflicted with invincible ignorance with regard to our holy religion, if they carefully keep the precepts of the Natural Law that have been written by God in the hearts of all men, if they are prepared to obey God, and if they lead a virtuous and dutiful life, can attain eternal life by the power of divine light and grace." [[Pope John Paul II]] wrote in his encyclical Redemptoris Missio: "But it is clear that today, as in the past, many people do not have an opportunity to come to know or accept the Gospel revelation or to enter the Church.... For such people, salvation in Christ is accessible by virtue of a grace which, while having a mysterious relationship to the Church, does not make them formally a part of the Church but enlightens them in a way which is accommodated to their spiritual and material situation. This grace comes from Christ; it is the result of his sacrifice and is communicated by the Holy Spirit. It enables each person to attain salvation through his or her free cooperation."

Moreover, the Catholic Church teaches that all Christians are united through Baptism and the "invisible Church" (body of believers). However, Christians are not fully / "formally" united due to divisions in beliefs etc.

As stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

'''817''' In fact, "in this one and only Church of God from its very beginnings there arose certain rifts, which the Apostle strongly censures as damnable. But in subsequent centuries much more serious dissensions appeared and large communities became separated from full communion with the Catholic Church- for which often enough, men of both sides were to blame" (UR 3 1). The ruptures that wound the unity of Christ's Body - here we must distinguish heresy, apostasy and schism-do not occur without human sin:

:Where there are sins, there are also divisions, schisms, heresies and disputes. Where there is virtue, however, there also are harmony and unity, from which arise the one heart and one soul of all believers (Cf. CIC, can.751.).

'''818''' "However, one cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these communities [that resulted from such separation] and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers... All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church" (UR 3 1).

'''819''' "Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth" (LG 8 2) are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: "the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as the visible elements" (UR 3 2; cf. LG 15.). Christ's Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church. All these blessings come from Christ and lead to Him, (Cf. UR 3.) and are in themselves calls to "Catholic unity" (Cf. LG 8.).

The Pope has many powers which he exercises. He can appoint [[bishop]]s to [[diocese]]s, erect and suppress dioceses, appoint prefects to the Roman [[dicastery|dicasteries]], approve or veto their acts, modify the [[Liturgy]] and issue liturgical laws, revise the [[Canon law (Catholic Church)|Code of Canon Law]], canonize and beatify individuals, approve and suppress religious orders, impose canonical sanctions, act as a judge and hear cases, issue encyclicals, and issue infallible statements on matters pertaining to faith and morals (never done) which, according to the Church, must be believed by all Catholics. Most of these functions are performed by and through the various dicasteries of the [[Roman Curia]], with the pope simply approving their actions prior to becoming official. While approval is generally granted, it is at the pope's discretion.

==Political role==
[[Image:433px-Pope Pius VII.jpg|thumb|230px|left|[[Pope Pius VII]], bishop of Rome, in liturgical [[vestment]]s, next to his [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinal]] Caprara. [[Pius VII]] signed the [[Concordat of 1801]], illustratory of his important political role. Notice the [[pallium]] a clerical vestment which is noted at the bottom of the coat of arms of [[Benedict XVI]].]]
{{Politics of Vatican City}}

Though the progressive [[Christianization|Christianisation]] of the [[Roman Empire]] in the [[fourth century]] did not confer upon bishops civil authority within the state, the gradual withdrawal of imperial authority during the [[fifth century]] left the Pope the senior Imperial civilian official in Rome, as bishops were increasingly directing civil affairs in other cities of the Western Empire. This status as a secular and civil ruler was vividly displayed by [[Pope Leo I]]'s confrontation with [[Attila]] in [[452]]. The first expansion of papal rule outside of Rome came in 728 with the [[Donation of Sutri]], which in turn was substantially increased in [[754]], when the [[Frankish people|Frankish]] ruler [[Pippin the Younger]] gave the Pope the land from his conquest of the [[Lombards]]. The Pope may have utilized the forged [[Donation of Constantine]] to gain this land, which formed the core of the [[Papal States]]. This document, accepted as genuine until the 1400s, states that Constantine placed the entire Western Empire of Rome under Papal rule. In [[800]] [[Pope Leo III]] crowned the Frankish ruler [[Charlemagne]] as Roman Emperor, a major step toward establishing what later became known as the [[Holy Roman Empire]]; from that date until the crowning of Napoleon the Popes claimed the prerogative to crown the Emperor (or any monarch with affiliations with the church). As mentioned above, the Pope's sovereignty over the Papal States ended in [[1870]] with their annexation by [[Italy]].

Popes like [[Pope Alexander VI]], an ambitious if spectacularly corrupt politician, and [[Pope Julius II]], a formidable general and statesman, were not afraid to use power to achieve their own ends, which included increasing the power of the papacy. This political and temporal authority was demonstrated through the papal role in the Holy Roman Empire (especially prominent during periods of contention with the Emperors, such as during the Pontificates of [[Pope Gregory VII]] and [[Pope Alexander III]]). [[Papal bull]]s and [[excommunication]] have been used many times to increase Papal power. The Bull ''[[Laudabiliter]]'' in [[1155]] authorized [[Henry II of England]] to invade [[Ireland]]. In 1207, [[Innocent III]] placed England under the [[interdict]] until [[John of England|King John]] made his kingdom a fiefdom to the Pope, complete with yearly tribute, saying, "we offer and freely yield...to our lord Pope Innocent III and his catholic successors, the whole kingdom of England and the whole kingdom of Ireland with all their rights and appurtenences for the remission of our sins"<ref>Quoted from the [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/innIII-policies.html Medieval Sourcebook]</ref>. The Bull ''[[Inter Caeteras]]'' in [[1493]] led to the [[Treaty of Tordesillas]] in [[1494]], which divided the world into areas of [[Spain|Spanish]] and [[Portugal|Portuguese]] rule. The Bull ''[[Regnans in Excelsis]]'' in [[1570]] [[excommunication|excommunicated]] [[Elizabeth I of England]] and declared that all her subjects were released from all allegiance to her. The Bull ''[[Inter Gravissimas]]'' in [[1582]] established the [[Gregorian Calendar]]. However, Papal bulls have had little effect on the modern State.<ref>See [http://tera-3.ul.cs.cmu.edu/cgi-bin/getImage.pl?target=/data/www/NASD/4a7f1db4-5792-415c-be79-266f41eef20a/009/499/PTIFF/00000673.tif&rs=2 selection from ''Concordia Cyclopedia'': Roman Catholic Church, History of]</ref>

==Objections to the Papacy==
The Pope's claim to hold the position of Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church is recognized as [[dogma]]tic and therefore not considered open to debate or dispute within the Roman Catholic Church. The First Vatican Council [[anathema]]tized all who dispute the Pope's claims of primacy of honor and of jurisdiction. (It is lawful to discuss the precise nature of that primacy, provided that such discussion does not violate the terms of the Council's Dogmatic Constitution). However, the Pope's claim to authority is not undisputed outside the Roman Catholic Church; these objections differ from denomination to denomination, but can roughly be outlined as objections to the extent of the primacy of the Pope and to the institution of the Papacy itself.
[[Image:GestatorialChair1.jpg|270px|thumb|[[Pope Pius XII]], wearing the traditional 1877 [[Papal Tiara]], is carried through St. Peter's Basilica on a [[sedia gestatoria]] circa 1955]]

Christian communities such as the [[Assyrian Church of the East]], the [[Oriental Orthodoxy|Oriental Orthodox Church]], the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], the [[Old Catholic Church]], the [[Anglican Communion]], the [[Independent Catholic Churches]], and some [[Lutheranism|Lutherans]], accept the doctrine of [[Apostolic Succession]], and to varying extents, the papal claims to a primacy of honour. However, these churches generally reject that the Pope is the successor to St. Peter in any unique sense not true of any other bishop, or raise questions about whether St. Peter was ever bishop of Rome. The primacy is regarded primarily as a consequence of the Pope's position as bishop of the original capital city of the [[Roman Empire]], a definition explicitly spelled out in the 28th [[canon law|canon]] of the [[Council of Chalcedon]]. These churches see no foundation at all to papal claims of ''universal immediate jurisdiction'', or to claims of [[Papal Infallibility]]. Because none of them recognize the First Vatican Council as having any authority, they regard its definitions concerning jurisdiction and Infallibility (and [[anathema]]tization of those who do not accept them) as merely the opinions of the followers of the Pope. Several of these communities refer to such claims as "[[ultramontanism]]".

Some Christian denominations do not accept the doctrine of [[Apostolic Succession]], and therefore do not accept the claim that the Pope is heir either to Petrine primacy of honor or to Petrine primacy of jurisdiction, or they reject both claims of honor or jurisdiction, as well as claims of Papal Infallibility, as unscriptural. The Papacy's complex relationship with the Roman and [[Byzantine Empire]]s, and other secular states, and the Papacy's territorial claims in Italy, are another focal point of these objections; as is the [[monarch]]ical character of the office of Pope. In [[Western Christianity]] these objections — and the vehement rhetoric they have at times been cast in — both contributed to and are products of the [[Protestant Reformation]]. These denominations vary from simply not accepting the Pope's claim to authority as legitimate and valid, to believing that the Pope is the [[Antichrist]] from [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%202:18;&version=9; 1 John 2:18]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ianpaisley.org/antichrist.asp|title=The Pope is the Antichrist|publisher=European Institute of Protestant Studies|author= Paisley, Ian R. K.|year=2000|accessdate=2007-06-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?2617&collectionID=795&contentID=4441&shortcutID=5297|title=Statement on the Antichrist|publisher=[[Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod]]|quote=Therefore on the basis of a renewed study of the pertinent Scriptures we reaffirm the statement of the Lutheran Confessions, that “the Pope is the very Antichrist”|accessdate=2007-06-09}}</ref> the Man of Sin from [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Thessalonians%202:3-12&version=9 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kretzmannproject.org/EP_MINOR/2TH_2.htm|title=The Popular Commentary of the Bible: The Man of Sin and the Mystery of Iniquity. 2 Thess. 2, 1-17|author=Kretzmann, Paul E.|year=1921|publisher=The Kretzmann Project|accessdate=2007-06-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wlsessays.net/authors/IJ/JeskeThessalonians/JeskeThessalonians.PDF|title=An Exegesis of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10|author=Jeske, Mark|publisher=[[Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary|Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Library]]|accessdate=2007-06-09}}</ref> and the Beast out of the Earth from [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2013:11-18;&version=9; Revelation 13:11-18].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kretzmannproject.org/REV/REV_13.htm |title=The Popular Commentary of the Bible: The Seven-Headed Beast of Blasphemy and the Two-Horned Beast of Deceit. Rev. 13, 1-18|author=Kretzmann, Paul E.|year=1921|publisher=The Kretzmann Project|accessdate=2007-06-09}}</ref> Conservative [[Confessional Lutheran]]s hold that the pope is the Antichrist insisting that this article of faith is part of a ''quia'' rather than ''quatenus'' subscription to the [[Book of Concord]]. In 1932, the [[Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod]] (LCMS) adopted ''A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod'', which a number of Lutheran church bodies now hold.<ref>The [[Lutheran Churches of the Reformation]] ([http://www.lcrusa.org/brief_statement.htm A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod]), the [[Concordia Lutheran Conference]] ([http://www.concordialutheranconf.com/clc/doctrine/brief_1932.cfm Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod]), the [[Church of the Lutheran Confession]] ([http://clclutheran.org/library/BriefStatement.html A Brief Statement of our Doctrinal Position]), and the Illinois Lutheran Conference ([http://www.illinoislutheranconference.org/our-solid-foundation/doctrinal-position-of-the-ilc.lwp/odyframe.htm Doctrinal Position]) all hold to ''Brief Statement'', which the LCMS adopted: {{cite web|url=http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=579|title= Of the Antichrist|publisher=[[Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod]]|year=1932|accessdate=2007-06-09}}</ref>
[[Image:Lucas Cranach - Antichrist.png|thumb|left|250px|''The Antichrist'', by [[Lucas Cranach the Elder]] - [[1521]], commissioned by Martin Luther. Cranach was a Lutheran and therefore portrayed the Pope as the Antichrist by selling indulgences and demanding authority over all Christians and governments, represented by his [[tiara]].]]

<blockquote>43. As to the Antichrist we teach that the prophecies of the Holy Scriptures concerning the Antichrist, [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Thess.%202:3-12&version=9 2 Thess. 2:3-12];[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%202:18;&version=9; 1 John 2:18], have been fulfilled in the Pope of Rome and his dominion. All the features of the Antichrist as drawn in these prophecies, including the most abominable and horrible ones, for example, that the Antichrist "as God sitteth in the temple of God," [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Thess.%202:4;&version=9; 2 Thess. 2:4]; that he anathematizes the very heart of the Gospel of Christ, that is, the doctrine of the forgiveness of sins by grace alone, for Christ's sake alone, through faith alone, without any merit or worthiness in man ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom.%203:20-28;&version=9; Rom. 3:20-28]; [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gal.%202:16;&version=9; Gal. 2:16]); that he recognizes only those as members of the Christian Church who bow to his authority; and that, like a deluge, he had inundated the whole Church with his antichristian doctrines till God revealed him through the Reformation -- these very features are the outstanding characteristics of the Papacy. (Cf. Smalcald Articles,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bookofconcord.com/smalcald.html#article4|title=The Smalcald Articles|accessdate=2007-06-09}}</ref> Triglot, p. 515, Paragraphs 39-41; p. 401, Paragraph 45; M. pp. 336, 258.) Hence we subscribe to the statement of our Confessions that the Pope is "the very Antichrist." (Smalcald Articles, Triglot, p. 475, Paragraph 10; M., p. 308.)</blockquote>

Some objectors to the Papacy use empirical arguments, pointing to the corrupt characters of some of the holders of that office. For instance, some argue that [[Callixtus III]] and [[Pope Alexander VI|Alexander VI]] from the [[Borgia]] family, were so corrupt as to be unfit to wield power to bind and loose on Earth or in Heaven. An omniscient and omnibenevolent God, some argue, would not have given those people the powers claimed for them by the [[Catholic Church]]. Defenders of the papacy argue that the Bible shows God as willingly giving privileges even to corrupt men (citing examples like some of the kings of Israel, the apostle [[Judas Iscariot]], and even St. Peter after he denied Jesus). They also argue that not even the worst of the corrupt Popes used the office to try to rip the doctrine of the Church from its apostolic roots, and that their failure to achieve that goal is evidence that the office is divinely protected.

Those who believe the Pope is the Beast note how this fits with [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2013:11;&version=9; Revelation 13:11], where the Beast is given "two horns like a lamb," but, "he spake as a dragon". This means that the Beast looks like Jesus, the Lamb, but teaches false doctrine, as Satan is the father of lies.

Some objectors to the papacy habitually refer to the Catholic Church and its members by the [[pejorative]] term ''[[papist]]'' because they believe that the infallibility the Pope claims ''ex officio'' belongs only to God, and that those who have faith in his powers are holding him as more authoritative than God.{{fact|date=June 2007}} They refer to this practice of the pope as "sitting in the temple," a reference to [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Thessalonians%202:4;&version=9; 2 Thessalonians 2:4]

==Antipopes==
{{main|Antipope}}
[[Fringe]] groups sometimes form around [[antipope]]s, who claim the Pontificate without being canonically and properly elected to it.

Traditionally, this term was reserved for claimants with a significant following of cardinals or other clergy.
The existence of an antipope is usually due either to doctrinal controversy within the Church ([[heresy]]) or to confusion as to who is the legitimate Pope at the time ([[schism]]).
Briefly in the 1400s, three separate lines of popes claimed authenticity (see [[Western Schism|Papal Schism]]).
Even Catholics don't all agree whether certain historical figures were Popes or antipopes.
Though antipope movements were significant at one time, they are now overwhelmingly minor [[fringe]] causes.

==Other popes==
In the earlier centuries of Christianity, the title "Pope," meaning "father," had been used by all Bishops. Some Popes used the term and others didn't. Eventually, the title became associated especially with the Bishop of Rome.
In a few cases, the term is used for other Christian clerical authorities.

===In the Catholic Church===
"The [[Black Pope]]" is a derogatory name given to the [[Superior General of the Society of Jesus]] due to the [[Society of Jesus|Jesuits']] practice of wearing black cassocks (the Pope wears white), and to the order's specific allegiance to the Roman pontiff.

The Cardinal Prefect of the [[Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples]] (formerly the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith) is known as the "Red Pope": "red", because he is a cardinal; "pope", because he has almost absolute power over mission territories for Catholicism, essentially the Churches of Africa and Asia"<ref name = "Magister">[http://www.chiesa.espressonline.it/dettaglio.jsp?id=7049&eng=ylink Sandro Magister], Espresso Online.</ref>.

===In the Eastern Churches===
Today, the heads of the [[Coptic Orthodox Church]] and the [[Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria]] continue to be called "Pope", the former being called "Coptic Pope" or, more properly, "[[List of Coptic Popes|Pope and Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy Orthodox and Apostolic Throne of Saint Mark the Evangelist and Holy Apostle]]" and the last called "[[Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria]]".

In the [[Bulgarian Orthodox Church]], [[Russian Orthodox Church]] and [[Serbian Orthodox Church]], it is not unusual for a village priest to be called a "pope" (поп). However, this should be differentiated from the words used for the head of the Catholic Church (Bulgarian "папа", Russian "папа римский").

==Longest-reigning Popes==
The '''10 longest-reigning [[Pope]]s''' whose reign lengths can be determined from contemporary historical data are the following:

# [[Pope Pius IX|Pius IX]] (1846–1878): 31 years, 7 months and 23 days (11,560 days).
# [[Pope John Paul II|John Paul II]] (1978–2005): 26 years, 5 months and 18 days (9,666 days).
# [[Pope Leo XIII|Leo XIII]] (1878–1903): 25 years, 5 months and 1 day (9,281 days).
# [[Pope Pius VI|Pius VI]] (1775–1799): 24 years, 6 months and 15 days (8,962 days).
# [[Pope Adrian I|Adrian I]] (772–795): 23 years, 10 months and 25 days (8,729 days).
# [[Pope Pius VII|Pius VII]] (1800–1823): 23 years, 5 months and 7 days (8,560 days).
# [[Pope Alexander III|Alexander III]] (1159–1181): 21 years, 11 months and 24 days (8,029 days).
# [[Pope Sylvester I|St. Sylvester I]] (314–335): 21 years, 11 months and 1 day (8,005 days).
# [[Pope Leo I|St. Leo I]] (440–461): 21 years, 1 month, and 13 days. (7,713 days).
# [[Pope Urban VIII|Urban VIII]] (1623–1644): 20 years, 11 months and 24 days (7,664 days).

==Shortest-reigning Popes==

This is the '''list of 10 shortest-reigning popes'''.

The number of calendar days includes partial days. Thus, for example, if a pope's reign commenced on 1 August and he died on 2 August, this would count as having reigned for two calendar days.

#[[Pope Urban VII|Urban VII]] ([[September 15]]–[[September 27]] , [[1590]]): reigned for 13<ref>[http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-popes-by-length-of-reign Answers.com]</ref> calendar days, died before consecration.
#[[Pope Boniface VI|Boniface VI]] (April, 896): reigned for 16 calendar days
#[[Pope Celestine IV|Celestine IV]] ([[October 25]]–[[November 10]], [[1241]]): reigned for 17 calendar days, died before consecration.
#[[Pope Theodore II|Theodore II]] (December, 897): reigned for 20 calendar days
#[[Pope Sisinnius|Sisinnius]] ([[January 15]]–[[February 4]], [[708]]): reigned for 21 calendar days
#[[Pope Marcellus II|Marcellus II]] ([[April 9]]–[[May 1]], [[1555]]): reigned for 22 calendar days
#[[Pope Damasus II|Damasus II]] ([[July 17]]–[[August 9]], [[1048]]): reigned for 24 calendar days
#[[Pope Pius III|Pius III]] ([[September 22]]–[[October 18]], [[1503]]): reigned for 27 calendar days
#[[Pope Leo XI|Leo XI]] ([[April 1]]–[[April 27]], [[1605]]): reigned for 27 calendar days
#[[Pope Benedict V|Benedict V]] ([[May 22]]–[[June 23]], [[964]]): reigned for 33 calendar days.
*[[Pope-elect Stephen|Stephen]] ([[March 23]]–[[March 26]], [[752]]), died of [[apoplexy]] three days after his election, and before his ordination as a bishop. He is not recognized a valid pope, but was added to the lists of popes in the fifteenth century as ''Stephen II'', causing difficulties in enumerating later popes named Stephen. He was removed in 1961 from the [[Vatican City|Vatican's]] [[List of popes|list]]. See "[[Pope-elect Stephen]]" for detailed explanations.

==Miscellanea==
* Youngest Pope: [[Pope John XII]], who was 18 when he became Pope.
* Papal burial traditions forbid autopsies.

==See also==
*[[List of popes]]
*[[List of popes (graphical)]]
*[[List of popes by length of reign]]
*[[List of ages of popes]]
*[[List of canonised popes]]
*[[Names of Popes]]
*[[Vestment]]
*[[Immaculate Conception]]
*[[Assumption of Mary|Assumption]]
*[[Ecumenical Council]]
*[[College of Bishops]]
*[[Pontifical University]]
*[[Popish Plot]]
*[[Caesaropapism]]
*[[Sedevacantism]]
*[[History of the Papacy]]
*[[Investiture Controversy]]
*[[African popes]]
*[[List of French popes]]
*[[List of German popes]]
*[[Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy]]
*[[Prophecy of the Popes]]
*[[Regnal name]]
*[[Papal Slippers]]
*[[Papal Coronation]]
*[[Papal Inauguration]]

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==Histories==
*Brusher, Joseph H. ''Popes Through The Ages''. Princeton: D. Van Nostland Company, Inc. 1959.
*Chamberlain, E.R. ''The Bad Popes''. 1969. Reprint: Barnes and Noble. 1993.
*Dollison, John ''Pope - Pourri''. New York: Simon & Schuster. 1994.
*Kelly, J.N.D. ''The Oxford Dictionary of Popes''. Oxford: University Press. 1986. ISBN 0-19-213964-9
*Maxwell-Stuart, P.G. ''Chronicles of the Popes - The Reign By Reign Record of The Papacy From St. Peter To The Present''. London: Thames and Hudson. 1997. ISBN 0-500-01798-0

==References==
*{{cite book | author=Loomis, Louise Ropes | title=The Book of the Popes (Liber Pontificalis): To the Pontificate of Gregory I | location=[[Evolution Publishing]] | publisher=[[Merchantville, NJ]] | year=2006 | id=ISBN 1-889758-86-8}}. Reprint of an English translation originally published in 1916.
*[[Ludwig von Pastor]], ''History of the Popes from the Close of the Middle Ages; Drawn from the [[Vatican Secret Archives|Secret Archives of the Vatican]] and other original sources'', 40 vols. St. Louis, B. Herder 1898 - ([http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/ow/b92040657d7c02f6.html World Cat entry])
* Hartmann Grisar (1845-1932), ''History of Rome and the Popes in the Middle Ages'', AMS Press; Reprint edition (1912). ISBN 0-404-09370-1
*[[James Joseph Walsh]], [http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC22760194&id=B-cQAAAAIAAJ&printsec=titlepage&dq=%22popes+and+science%22 ''The Popes and Science; the History of the Papal Relations to Science During the Middle Ages and Down to Our Own Time''], Fordam University Press, 1908, reprinted 2003, Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 0-7661-3646-9

==External links==
{{Commons|Pope}}
*[http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/index.htm The Holy See - The Holy Father] – website for the past and present Holy Fathers (since [[Pope Leo XIII|Leo XIII]])
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12260a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia entry]
*[http://web.globalserve.net/~bumblebee/ecclesia/patriarchs.htm Eastern Church Defends Petrine Primacy and the Papacy]
*[http://thepopeblog.blogspot.com/ The Pope Blog] – Unofficial weblog about the Pope
*[http://kolonisera.rymden.nu/pope/popes.php?l=1 Pope Endurance League - Sortable list of Popes]
*[http://www.wlsessays.net/subjects/R/rsubind.htm#RomanCCPapacy Scholarly articles on the Roman Catholic Papacy from the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Library]

{{Popes}}
{{Papal symbols and ceremonial}}
[[Category:Ecclesiastical titles]]
[[Category:Holy See|*]]
[[Category:Popes|*]]
[[Category:Religious leadership roles]]
[[Category:Episcopacy in Roman Catholicism]]

{{Link FA|fi}}

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New Zealand Expeditionary Force

2007-05-20T07:05:40Z

Skyring:

{{New_Zealand_Army}}

The '''New Zealand Expeditionary Force''' (NZEF) was the title of the [[military]] force sent from [[New Zealand]] to fight for [[Britain]] in [[World War I]]. Upon the outbreak of war, New Zealand immediately offered to provide two [[brigade]]s — one of [[infantry]] and one of mounted troops — a total of 8,500 men. This contingent sailed for [[Australia]] within two months of the start of the war and then joined with the [[Australian Imperial Force (1st)|Australian Imperial Force]] in a convoy sailing for [[Egypt]].

The NZEF was commanded throughout the war by General [[Alexander Godley]], a British officer who in [[1910]], on the recommendation of [[Horatio Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum|Lord Kitchener]], had been appointed as the commander of the [[Military of New Zealand|New Zealand Defence Forces]]. New Zealand, like Australia, had a pre-war policy of compulsory military training but the NZEF was initially reinforced by volunteers only. Conscription was introduced on [[1 August]] [[1916]] and by the end of the war 124,000 men — nearly half the eligible male population of 250,000 — had served with the NZEF. Of these, about 100,000 had been sent overseas.

The NZEF was closely tied to the AIF for much of the war. When the [[Battle of Gallipoli|Gallipoli]] campaign began, the New Zealand contingent was insufficient to complete a [[division (military)|division]] of their own so was combined with the Australian 4th Infantry Brigade to form the [[New Zealand and Australian Division]], General Godley commanding. This division, along with the [[Australian 1st Division (World War I)|Australian 1st Division]], formed the famous [[Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (army corps)|Australian and New Zealand Army Corps]] (ANZAC) under the command of General [[William Birdwood]].

After the end of the Gallipoli campaign, the NZEF formed its own infantry division; the [[New Zealand Division]] which served on the [[Western Front]] for the rest of the war. General Godley was promoted to a [[corps]] command and given [[II Anzac Corps]], which contained the New Zealand Division. From 1916 until the formation of the [[Australian Corps]] in [[1918]] (made up of the five Australian divisions) there were always two "Anzac" corps — [[I Anzac Corps]] and II Anzac Corps — despite the fact that there was only one New Zealand Division to go around.

The mounted arm of the NZEF remained in Egypt and, combined with the 1st and 2nd Australian [[Light Horse]] Brigades, made up the [[Anzac Mounted Division]] which served through the [[Sinai peninsula|Sinai]] and [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] campaign.

The New Zealand Expeditionary Force was finally disbanded on [[31 December]] [[1921]].

==2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force==
The '''2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force''' - at the outbreak of war in 1939 it was decided that New Zealand should provide an Expeditionary Force of one division, under then Major General [[Bernard Freyberg]]. This force became known as 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force and the division as [[New Zealand 2nd Division|2nd New Zealand Division]]. The first echelon of 2 NZEF Headquarters and a Brigade Group landed in Egypt in February 1940. The second echelon, also a Brigade Group, was diverted to Britain on Italy's entry into the War and did not reach Egypt until March 1941. The third echelon arrived in Egypt in September 1940 and concentration of the division was completed just before it was deployed to northern Greece in March 1941.
This force remained as part of the [[British Eighth Army]] to the end of WWII in 1945.

==External links==
*{{cite web | url = http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/ww1-overview | title = New Zealand and the First World War - Overview | publisher = New Zealand's History Online | accessdate = 2007-01-26 }}

[[Category:Military of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Military history of New Zealand during World War II]]
[[Category:Expeditionary units and formations]]

Nitish Kumar

2007-05-09T04:12:35Z

Skyring:

{{Infobox_Indian_politician
| name = Nitish Kumar
| image =
| birth_date = [[1 March]] [[1951]]
| birth_place =[[Bakhtiarpur]], [[Patna district|Patna]]
| residence =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| constituency =
| office = [[List of Chief Ministers of Bihar|Chief Minister of Bihar]]
| salary =
| term =
| predecessor =
| successor = Incumbent
| party =[[Janata Dal (United)]]
| spouse = Smt. Manju Kumari Sinha
| children = One son
| website =
| footnotes =
| date = 18 June |
| year = 2006 |
| source = http://164.100.24.208/ls/lsmember/biodata.asp?mpsno=277 Government of India
}}
'''Nitish Kumār''' ({{lang-hi|नितीश कुमार}}) (born [[1 March]] [[1951]], [[Bakhtiarpur]], [[Bihar]], [[India]]) is the [[Chief Minister]] of the north Indian state of [[Bihar]]. He is one of the leaders of [[Janata Dal (United)]] party. His name may also be written '''Nitiś Kumar''', following the Hindi orthography.

==Political career==
Kumar graduated from [[Bihar College of Engineering]] with a Bachelor's degree in Engineering. He was involved in the movement led by [[Jayaprakash Narayan]] between 1974 and 1977, and was close, among others, to [[Satyendra Narayan Sinha]], a prominent leader of the time.

He was first elected to the [[Bihar legislative assembly]] in [[1985]]. In [[1987]], he became the president of the [[Yuva Lok Dal]]. In [[1989]], he became the [[Secretary-General]] of the [[Janata Dal]] in Bihar. He was also elected to the 9th [[Lok Sabha]] that year.

In [[1990]], he became the Union [[Minister of State]] for Agriculture. In [[1991]], he was re-elected to the Lok Sabha and became General Secretary of the Janata Dal at the national level and Deputy Leader of Janata Dal in Parliament. He represented Barh parliamentary constituency (Bihar) in the Lok Sabha between 1989 and 2004. He briefly served as the Union Cabinet Minister for Railways and Surface Transport and then as the Minister for Agriculture in 1998-99. In August 1999, he resigned following the railway accident at Gaisal in North East India.

In [[2000]], he was made the Chief Minister of Bihar but had to resign in 7 days. Later that year, he rejoined the Union Cabinet as Minister for Agriculture. From [[2001]] to May [[2004]], he served as the Union Cabinet Minister for Railways in the [[NDA]] government of [[Atal Behari Vajpayee]]. In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, he contested elections from two constituencies, [[Barh]] and [[Nalanda]]. He was elected from Nalanda but lost from his traditional constituency, Barh. He was the leader of the [[Janata Dal (United)]] Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha.

In November [[2005]], he led the[[National Democratic Alliance]] to a victory in the Bihar Assembly elections bringing to an end the 15-year rule of the [[Lalu Prasad Yadav]]-led [[Rashtriya Janata Dal]] in the state. He was sworn in as chief minister of Bihar on [[24 November]] [[2005]]. As the Chief Minister of Bihar he also holds the Chairmanship of the [[L.N. Mishra Institute of Economic Development and Social Change]] a prominent business school of Bihar.
[[Image:Nitish Kumar On India Today Cover.JPG|thumb|180px|right|Nitish Kumar on India Today]]

<div align=center>
{| border
| width="30%" align="center"|'''Preceded by''': 
[[President's rule]]
| width="40%" align="center"|[[Chief Minister of Bihar|Chief Ministers
of Bihar]]
| width="30%" align="center"|'''Succeeded by''': 
[[Incumbent]]
|}
</div>

==External links==
* [http://164.100.24.208/ls/lsmember/biodata.asp?mpsno=277 Biography on website of Lok Sabha]

[[Category:1951 births|Nitish, Kumar]]
[[Category:Living people|Nitish, Kumar]]
[[Category:Bihar politics|Nitish, Kumar]]
[[Category:Indian politicians|Nitish, Kumar]]
[[Category:Chief Ministers of Bihar|Nitish, Kumar]]
[[Category:Incumbent Indian Chief Ministers|Nitish, Kumar]]
[[Category:14th Lok Sabha Members]]

{{India-politician-stub}}

[[ta:நிதிஷ் குமார்]]

John Spencer, 8. Earl Spencer

2007-02-27T20:56:25Z

Skyring:

'''(Edward) John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer''' ([[24 January]] [[1924]]–[[29 March]] [[1992]]) was born at 24 Sussex Square, [[London]], England, the son of [[Albert Edward John Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer]] ([[1892]]–[[1975]]) and his wife, the former [[Cynthia Spencer, Countess Spencer|Cynthia Elinor Beatrix Hamilton]] ([[1897]]–[[1972]]), daughter of [[James Albert Edward Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn|the 3rd Duke of Abercorn]].

On [[1 June]] [[1954]] he and [[Frances Ruth Burke-Roche]], a daughter of [[Edmund Burke Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy]] ([[1885]]–[[1955]]), were married in [[Westminster Abbey]] by [[Percy Herbert]], [[Bishop of Norwich]]. They had five children:

*[[Lady Sarah McCorquodale|Elizabeth Sarah Lavinia Spencer]] ([[19 March]] [[1955]]), who married Neil Edmund McCorquodale, a distant cousin of [[Raine, Countess Spencer]]
*[[Jane Fellowes, Baroness Fellowes|Cynthia Jane Spencer]] ([[11 February]] [[1957]]), who married Sir [[Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes|Robert Fellowes]], later Baron Fellowes
*John Spencer, who died within 10 hours of his birth on [[12 January]] [[1960]]
*[[Diana, Princess of Wales|Diana Frances Spencer]] ([[1961]]–[[1997]]), first wife of [[Charles, Prince of Wales]]
*[[Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer]] ([[20 May]] [[1964]]), who married Victoria Lockwood, then Caroline Freud (the latter formerly wife of [[Matthew Freud]])

In April 1969, the Spencers were divorced on the grounds of Frances's adultery with [[Peter Shand Kydd]] (she was named as ''co-respondent'' in a divorce action brought by Janet Shand Kydd). Lord Spencer won a bitter custody battle for the children.

In 1976, Lord Spencer married [[Rayne, Countess Spencer|Rayne, Countess of Dartmouth]], the former wife of [[Gerald Legge, 9th Earl of Dartmouth]]. Her mother was the romance novelist [[Barbara Cartland]].

Lord Spencer died at Humana Hospital, Wellington, London, at the age of 68.

{{start box}}
{{succession box | before=[[Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer|Albert Spencer]] | title=[[Earl Spencer]] | after=[[Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer|Charles Spencer]] | years=}}
{{end box}}

[[Category:1924 births|Spencer, John Spencer, 8th Earl]]
[[Category:1992 deaths|Spencer, John Spencer, 8th Earl]]
[[Category:Earls in the Peerage of Great Britain|Spencer, John Spencer, 8th Earl]]
[[Category:Diana, Princess of Wales|Spencer, John Spencer, 8th Earl]]

[[fr:Edward Spencer, 8e comte Spencer]]
[[pl:Edward Spencer, 8. hrabia Spencer]]
[[pt:John Spencer, 8° Conde Spencer]]

Jonathan Miller

2007-02-27T04:54:52Z

2004-12-17T08:10:38Z

Skyring:

'''One Nation''' (officially called '''Pauline Hanson's One Nation''' at the federal level, but known by different variants of the name in the states) is a conservative, nationalist and protectionist political group in [[Australia]]. After creating a political sensation by winning nearly a quarter of the vote in a [[Queensland]] state election in [[1998]] and threatening to make major inroads into the vote of the traditional conservative parties, One Nation suffered damaging internal conflicts, and by [[2004]] had faded to a splinter group.

One Nation was formed in [[1997]] by [[Pauline Hanson]], [[David Oldfield]] and [[David Ettridge]]. Hanson, an endorsed [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] candidate at the [[1996]] federal election, had been disendorsed by the party shortly before the elections due to comments against what she saw as "race-based welfare," made to a newspaper in her home town of [[Ipswich, Australia|Ipswich]], [[Queensland]]. Oldfield, a member of the Manly City Council in suburban [[Sydney]] and at one time an employee of [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] minister [[Tony Abbott]], was the organisational architect of the new party. He and Ettridge were known as "the two Davids" and were seen as the brains behind Hanson's populist image.

The name "One Nation" was meant to signify national unity, in contrast to what Hanson claimed to see as an increasing division in Australian society caused by government policies favouring migrants ([[multiculturalism]]) and [[Australian Aborigine|indigenous Australians]]. The term derives from British politics (where it is used in a quite different sense: see [[One Nation]]), but was last used in Australian political life to describe a tax reform package by the [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] government of [[Paul Keating]], whose urban-based, Asia-centric, free-market, and pro-[[affirmative action]] policies were savagely rejected by the voters in the 1996 election.

One Nation's peak was the [[1998]] [[Queensland]] state election, at which the party won 22.7% of the vote and 11 of the 89 seats. At the [[Australian legislative election, 1998|1998 federal election]], Hanson lost her seat to a Liberal candidate, but One Nation succeeded in electing [[Heather Hill]] as a [[Australian Senate|Senator]] for Queensland, only to see a successful [[Australian Constitution|Constitutional]] challenge on Hill's eligibility to run on the basis that she had failed to renounce her childhood British citizenship, despite being a naturalised Australian citizen. The seat subsequently went to [[Len Harris]]. At the [[1999]] [[New South Wales]] election, [[David Oldfield]] was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council. At the [[2001]] election in [[Western Australia]], One Nation won three seats in the state's Legislative Council. One Nation was unable to obtain any seats in [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], [[South Australia]] or [[Tasmania]].

At the [[2001]] federal election, however, the party's vote fell and Hanson failed in a bid to win a Senate seat from Queensland. She also failed to win a seat in the New South Wales upper house at the [[2003]] state election. She then withdrew from the party's leadership.

(For Hanson's subsequent prosecution, conviction, imprisonment and release, see [[Pauline Hanson]].)

Since [[1998]] One Nation has been plagued by internal divisions and has split several times. Most of the One Nation MPs in the Queensland Parliament left the party and then lost their seats at the [[2001]] state election. Lawsuits from ex-members forced Hanson to repay approximately A$500,000 of public funding won at the [[1998]] Queensland election amid claims that the party was fraudulently registered (allegedly having only three technical members - Hanson, Ettridge, and Oldfield) and undemocratically constituted in order to concentrate all power in the hands of the ruling three (in particular Oldfield).

One Nation's remaining two Members in the Western Australian parliament quit the party in May [[2004]]. The party now has one MP in the Queensland parliament, and one [[Australian Senate|Senator]]. There is also a separate One Nation Party in New South Wales state politics, the One Nation NSW Political Party, led by Oldfield. At the [[2004]] Queensland election One Nation polled less than 5% of the vote and won only one seat. One Nation defended its Queensland [[Australian Senate|Senate]] seat at the [[Australian legislative election, 2004|2004 federal election]], and lost it to the National Party. Len Harris's Senate term expires on 30 June 2005.

During its brief period of popularity, One Nation had a great impact on Australian politics. The appeal of its policies to the [[National Party of Australia]]'s constituency put great pressure on that party. For the rest of Australian politics, the party revealed a substantial minority of discontented voters dissatisfied with the major parties. Prime Minister [[John Howard]]'s campaigning on issues of "border protection" at the [[2001]] federal election were widely seen as a successful effort to win One Nation voters back to the Liberal and National parties.

==External links==
*[http://www.onenation.com.au/ One Nation official website]

{{election australia}}
[[Category:Australian political parties]]
[[Category:Right-wing populists]]

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation

2004-12-17T03:48:31Z

Skyring: Senator Harris term expires mid 1995

'''One Nation''' (officially called '''Pauline Hanson's One Nation''' at the federal level, but known by different variants of the name in the states) is a conservative, nationalist and protectionist political group in [[Australia]]. After creating a political sensation by winning nearly a quarter of the vote in a [[Queensland]] state election in [[1998]] and threatening to make major inroads into the vote of the traditional conservative parties, One Nation suffered damaging internal conflicts, and by [[2004]] had faded to a splinter group.

One Nation was formed in [[1997]] by [[Pauline Hanson]], [[David Oldfield]] and [[David Ettridge]]. Hanson, an endorsed [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] candidate at the [[1996]] federal election, had been disendorsed by the party shortly before the elections due to comments against what she saw as "race-based welfare," made to a newspaper in her home town of [[Ipswich, Australia|Ipswich]], [[Queensland]]. Oldfield, a member of the Manly City Council in suburban [[Sydney]] and at one time an employee of [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] minister [[Tony Abbott]], was the organisational architect of the new party. He and Ettridge were known as "the two Davids" and were seen as the brains behind Hanson's populist image.

The name "One Nation" was meant to signify national unity, in contrast to what Hanson claimed to see as an increasing division in Australian society caused by government policies favouring migrants ([[multiculturalism]]) and [[Australian Aborigine|indigenous Australians]]. The term derives from British politics (where it is used in a quite different sense: see [[One Nation]]), but was last used in Australian political life to describe a tax reform package by the [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] government of [[Paul Keating]], whose urban-based, Asia-centric, free-market, and pro-[[affirmative action]] policies were the very issues that angered Hanson.

One Nation's peak was the [[1998]] [[Queensland]] state election, at which the party won 22.7% of the vote and 11 of the 89 seats. At the [[Australian legislative election, 1998|1998 federal election]], Hanson lost her seat to a Liberal candidate, but One Nation succeeded in electing [[Heather Hill]] as a [[Australian Senate|Senator]] for Queensland, only to see a successful [[Australian Constitution|Constitutional]] challenge on Hill's eligibility to run on the basis that she had failed to renounce her childhood British citizenship, despite being a naturalised Australian citizen. The seat subsequently went to [[Len Harris]]. At the [[1999]] [[New South Wales]] election, [[David Oldfield]] was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council. At the [[2001]] election in [[Western Australia]], One Nation won three seats in the state's Legislative Council. One Nation was unable to obtain any seats in [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], [[South Australia]] or [[Tasmania]].

At the [[2001]] federal election, however, the party's vote fell and Hanson failed in a bid to win a Senate seat from Queensland. She also failed to win a seat in the New South Wales upper house at the [[2003]] state election. She then withdrew from the party's leadership.

(For Hanson's subsequent prosecution, conviction, imprisonment and release, see [[Pauline Hanson]].)

Since [[1998]] One Nation has been plagued by internal divisions and has split several times. Most of the One Nation MPs in the Queensland Parliament left the party and then lost their seats at the [[2001]] state election. Lawsuits from ex-members forced Hanson to repay approximately A$500,000 of public funding won at the [[1998]] Queensland election amid claims that the party was fraudulently registered (allegedly having only three technical members - Hanson, Ettridge, and Oldfield) and undemocratically constituted in order to concentrate all power in the hands of the ruling three (in particular Oldfield).

One Nation's remaining two Members in the Western Australian parliament quit the party in May [[2004]]. The party now has one MP in the Queensland parliament, and one [[Australian Senate|Senator]]. There is also a separate One Nation Party in New South Wales state politics, the One Nation NSW Political Party, led by Oldfield. At the [[2004]] Queensland election One Nation polled less than 5% of the vote and won only one seat. One Nation defended its Queensland [[Australian Senate|Senate]] seat at the [[Australian legislative election, 2004|2004 federal election]], and lost it to the National Party. Len Harris's Senate term expires on 30 June 2005.

During its brief period of popularity, One Nation had a great impact on Australian politics. The appeal of its policies to the [[National Party of Australia]]'s constituency put great pressure on that party. For the rest of Australian politics, the party revealed a substantial minority of discontented voters dissatisfied with the major parties. Prime Minister [[John Howard]]'s campaigning on issues of "border protection" at the [[2001]] federal election were widely seen as a successful effort to win One Nation voters back to the Liberal and National parties.

==External links==
*[http://www.onenation.com.au/ One Nation official website]

{{election australia}}
[[Category:Australian political parties]]
[[Category:Right-wing populists]]

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation

2004-12-17T03:41:20Z

Skyring: correct errors in 1996 election, Heather Hill case and party membership

'''One Nation''' (officially called '''Pauline Hanson's One Nation''' at the federal level, but known by different variants of the name in the states) is a conservative, nationalist and protectionist political group in [[Australia]]. After creating a political sensation by winning nearly a quarter of the vote in a [[Queensland]] state election in [[1998]] and threatening to make major inroads into the vote of the traditional conservative parties, One Nation suffered damaging internal conflicts, and by [[2004]] had faded to a splinter group.

One Nation was formed in [[1997]] by [[Pauline Hanson]], [[David Oldfield]] and [[David Ettridge]]. Hanson, an endorsed [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] candidate at the [[1996]] federal election, had been disendorsed by the party shortly before the elections due to comments against what she saw as "race-based welfare," made to a newspaper in her home town of [[Ipswich, Australia|Ipswich]], [[Queensland]]. Oldfield, a member of the Manly City Council in suburban [[Sydney]] and at one time an employee of [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] minister [[Tony Abbott]], was the organisational architect of the new party. He and Ettridge were known as "the two Davids" and were seen as the brains behind Hanson's populist image.

The name "One Nation" was meant to signify national unity, in contrast to what Hanson claimed to see as an increasing division in Australian society caused by government policies favouring migrants ([[multiculturalism]]) and [[Australian Aborigine|indigenous Australians]]. The term derives from British politics (where it is used in a quite different sense: see [[One Nation]]), but was last used in Australian political life to describe a tax reform package by the [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] government of [[Paul Keating]], whose urban-based, Asia-centric, free-market, and pro-[[affirmative action]] policies were the very issues that angered Hanson.

One Nation's peak was the [[1998]] [[Queensland]] state election, at which the party won 22.7% of the vote and 11 of the 89 seats. At the [[Australian legislative election, 1998|1998 federal election]], Hanson lost her seat to a Liberal candidate, but One Nation succeeded in electing [[Heather Hill]] as a [[Australian Senate|Senator]] for Queensland, only to see a successful [[Australian Constitution|Constitutional]] challenge on Hill's eligibility to run on the basis that she had failed to renounce her childhood British citizenship, despite being a naturalised Australian citizen. The seat subsequently went to [[Len Harris]]. At the [[1999]] [[New South Wales]] election, [[David Oldfield]] was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council. At the [[2001]] election in [[Western Australia]], One Nation won three seats in the state's Legislative Council. One Nation was unable to obtain any seats in [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], [[South Australia]] or [[Tasmania]].

At the [[2001]] federal election, however, the party's vote fell and Hanson failed in a bid to win a Senate seat from Queensland. She also failed to win a seat in the New South Wales upper house at the [[2003]] state election. She then withdrew from the party's leadership.

(For Hanson's subsequent prosecution, conviction, imprisonment and release, see [[Pauline Hanson]].)

Since [[1998]] One Nation has been plagued by internal divisions and has split several times. Most of the One Nation MPs in the Queensland Parliament left the party and then lost their seats at the [[2001]] state election. Lawsuits from ex-members forced Hanson to repay approximately A$500,000 of public funding won at the [[1998]] Queensland election amid claims that the party was fraudulently registered (allegedly having only three technical members - Hanson, Ettridge, and Oldfield) and undemocratically constituted in order to concentrate all power in the hands of the ruling three (in particular Oldfield).

One Nation's remaining two Members in the Western Australian parliament quit the party in May [[2004]]. The party now has one MP in the Queensland parliament. There is also a separate One Nation Party in New South Wales state politics, the One Nation NSW Political Party, led by Oldfield. At the [[2004]] Queensland election One Nation polled less than 5% of the vote and won only one seat. One Nation defended its Queensland [[Australian Senate|Senate]] seat at the [[Australian legislative election, 2004|2004 federal election]], and lost it.

During its brief period of popularity, One Nation had a great impact on Australian politics. The appeal of its policies to the [[National Party of Australia]]'s constituency put great pressure on that party. For the rest of Australian politics, the party revealed a substantial minority of discontented voters dissatisfied with the major parties. Prime Minister [[John Howard]]'s campaigning on issues of "border protection" at the [[2001]] federal election were widely seen as a successful effort to win One Nation voters back to the Liberal and National parties.

==External links==
*[http://www.onenation.com.au/ One Nation official website]

{{election australia}}
[[Category:Australian political parties]]
[[Category:Right-wing populists]]