Why did the bishop of Rome become known as the pope?

Answer 1

Roman Catholic AnswerSince the Apostle Peter was appointed by Jesus Christ in the Gospel as head of His Church. When the Peter, the first Pope made Rome his headquarters. The bishop of Rome, the Holy Father, has always been the most important.

From A Catholic Dictionary

"To manifest his power still more effectively, [Christ] ordained that the head of his Church should be in Rome itself, the capital of the world, as a sign of his complete victory and that thence faith should spread to the whole world" (St. Thomas Aquinas, III xxxv, 7, ad 3). That St. Peter, the first pope, set up his episcopal chair and was martyred and buried in Rome is historically established beyond a doubt, and since then, except for the Avignon Popes, the popes have never abandoned the city. From 800 till 1870 they were sovereigns (but not always undisputed masters) of the city; it then became the de facto capital of united Italy, a state of affairs confirmed by Pope Pius XI in 1929, when the independent Vatican City State was carved out of it.

Answer 2

The pope is first and foremost the bishop of rome. The supremacy of the bishop of Rome came many decades after Christ and is accepted by all Roman Catholics. As the pope is seated in Rome, there is also a direct lineage from the current Pope to the first Pope, Saint Peter.

Answer 3

Because the latin word "pope" means "father". The christians believed the bishop was the "father" of the church. Therefor, they called him the "pope".

Answer 4

Any man chosen as pope is automatically the Bishop of Rome.