<P> The Catechism of the Catholic Church , quoting the Second Vatican Council 's document Lumen gentium , states : `` The pope , Bishop of Rome and Peter 's successor , ' is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful . ' '' Communion with bishop of Rome has become such a significant identifier of Catholic identity that at times the Catholic Church has been known in its entirety as `` Roman Catholic '' , though this is inaccurate in Catholic theology ( ecclesiology ) . </P>
who was the highest ranking official in the early christian church
The pope , Bishop of Rome and Peter 's successor