Vicar of Christ (Latin:Vicarius Christi) is a term used in different ways and with differenttheological connotations throughout history. The original notion of avicar is as an "earthly representative ofChrist", but it is also used in the sense of "person acting as parish priest in place of a real parson."[1] The title is now used inCatholicism to refer to thebishops,[2] and more specifically, was historically used to refer to theBishop of Rome (the pope).
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During thehistory of Christianity, the title of Vicar of Christ was used in different ways, with implications for theological, pastoral or different time.
An early appearance of a similar concept of the Vicar of Christ is mentioned in theEpistle to the Magnesians ofSt. Ignatius,Bishop of Antioch (who was possibly a disciple of bothJohn the Apostle andSaint Peter[3]), written between the years AD 88 and 107, which states: "your bishop presides in the place of God".[4] Although Ignatius did not explicitly use the term Vicar of Christ, he sets out the concept, with regard to local bishops. More recently, theSecond Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on the ChurchLumen gentium noted that bishops are "vicars and ambassadors of Christ",[2] and theCatechism of the Catholic Church notes that each bishop governs his diocese "[a]s Christ's vicar".[5]
The first recorded use of the term "Vicar of Christ" is found in the epistles ofTertullian in the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries, referring to theHoly Spirit,[6] that is, as Christ is not physically performing miracles in the Church, the Holy Spirit acts as his Vicar on his behalf, performing miracles and protecting the Church from error.[7] Other roles Tertullian attributed to the Holy Spirit as Vicar were: the direction of discipline, the revelation of the Scriptures, the reformation of the intellect, and the advancement toward the "better things".[8]
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The third use of the term Vicar of Christ appears in the 5th century, in asynod of bishops to refer toPope Gelasius I. The theological connotations of the title got a pastoral sense, evoking the words of Christ to theApostle Peter, regarded by the first Catholic Pope inJohn 21:16-17, "Feed my lambs [...] Feed my sheep". Catholics interpret this as Christ making Peter his vicar and pastor with the responsibility to feed his flock (i.e. the Church) in his own place.[9]
However, the use of the title to refer to the popes in the early Church was unstable, and several variants of the use of Vicar were used for the Pope, as "Vicar of Peter", indicating that they were the successors of St. Peter, "Vicar of thePrince of the Apostles" or "Vicar of theApostolic See",[9] among other variants. This title is used by theRoman Missal in their prayers for a dead pope,[10] and the oath of allegiance toSt. Boniface toPope Gregory II.[11] Since 1200, Popes have consistently used this title.[12] Insisting that he—and he alone—had the right to remove bishops from office,Pope Innocent III appealed to the title of Vicar of Christ.[9] Occasionally, popes likeNicholas III used "Vicar of God" as an equivalent title.[9] The 2012 edition of theAnnuario Pontificio gives "Vicar of Jesus Christ" as the second official title of the Pope (the first being "Bishop of Rome").[13] The edition of the same book published on March 25, 2020, included the title of "Vicar of Christ" to the section "Historical titles" section, to indicate its bond with the history of the papacy.[14]
Another use of the title, with a different meaning, appeared in theEastern Churches between the fifth and sixth centuries. The term was used to refer to theByzantine emperor,[12] showing the apex ofcaesaropapism, though decisions on doctrine, liturgy and spirituality were left to the bishops.[15]
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