papal

Papal is an adjective meaning relating to the pope or the papacy, or to the Holy See. It is used to describe things connected with the pope's office, authority, or jurisdiction, including documents, roles, offices, and activities. The term derives from Latin papa, meaning father, and is used across church and secular contexts (for example, papal nuncio or papal bull).

In the Catholic Church, the pope is the Bishop of Rome and the spiritual leader of the worldwide Catholic Church. The institution of the papacy, or papacy, has evolved from early episcopal primacy to a centralized office with a global diplomatic and administrative presence. The Holy See is the jurisdiction of the pope, distinct from Vatican City, the independent city-state.

Historically, the Papal States were a body of territories in central Italy governed by the papacy from roughly 756 to 1870, later incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy. The Lateran Treaty of 1929 established Vatican City as an independent sovereign entity to serve as the pope's spiritual and administrative seat.

Papal authority includes doctrinal primacy and, according to Catholic doctrine, the charism of infallibility when the pope speaks ex cathedra on faith or morals (as defined by the First Vatican Council in 1870). The term appears in various contexts, such as papal bulls (official decrees), papal encyclicals (letters to bishops and the faithful), and papal residence (the Apostolic Palace).