Vicar of Christ

[ vik-er uhv krahyst ]

noun

, Roman Catholic Church.

1. the pope, with reference to his claim to stand in the place of Jesus Christ and possess His authority in the church.

Vicar of Christ

noun

1. RC Church the Pope when regarded as Christ's earthly representative

Word History and Origins

Origin of Vicar of Christ¹

First recorded in 1475–85

Example Sentences

“He’s making sure that they engage with him, not treat him like a sacred relic. He’s the Vicar of Christ, not a Roman emperor,” tweeted the papal biographer, Austen Ivereigh.

From The Guardian

Papal biographer Austen Ivereigh, a supporter of Francis, countered by Tweeting: “He’s making sure that they engage with him, not treat him like a sacred relic. He’s the Vicar of Christ, not a Roman emperor.”

From Reuters

"The Pope is the earthly head of the Church, the Vicar of Christ," she says.

From BBC

But sure enough, there in the exclusive crowd at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue Thursday night, hanging out as the Vicar of Christ celebrated Vespers, was Kenneth Langone, soaking it all in.

From Salon

He is, after all, on spiritual matters and to those who believe he's the Vicar of Christ, infallible.

From US News