<P> The pope ( Latin : papa from Greek : πάππας pappas , a child 's word for `` father '' ) , also known as the supreme pontiff ( from Latin pontifex maximus `` greatest bridge - builder '' ) , is the Bishop of Rome and therefore ex officio the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . The primacy of the Roman bishop is largely derived from his role as the supposed apostolic successor to Saint Peter , to whom Jesus is said to have given the Keys of Heaven and the powers of `` binding and loosing '' , naming him as the `` rock '' upon which the church would be built . Since the 1860s , the pope has also been head of state of Vatican City , a sovereign city - state entirely enclaved within Rome . The current pope is Francis , who was elected on 13 March 2013 , succeeding Benedict XVI . </P>
who is a pope in the catholic church
the Bishop of Rome and therefore ex officio the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church