papacy: Media
Roman Catholicism
Videos
Who was St. Peter the Apostle?
Questions and answers about St. Peter the Apostle.
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
History of the Avignon Papacy
Learn about how the Papal Palace in Avignon, France, reflects the wealth and power...
Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
The Western Schism and the Roman Catholic Church
Learn about the Great Schism (Western Schism) and the Council of Constance.
Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Scaliger/Dreamstime.com; © Photos.com/Getty Images Plus
How Is a Pope Elected?
Popes are elected for life. Learn about how they get the job.
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; thumbnail © Franco Origlia/Getty Images
How Pope Francis guided the Roman Catholic Church?
Learn about the worldwide impact of Pope Francis.
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Images
Pope facts
Discover fascinating facts about popes throughout the history of the Roman Catholic...
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. / Patrick Riley
Hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church
An illustration showing the levels of authority in the Roman Catholic Church, including...
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
St. Gregory the Great
Pope Gregory I with a dove; depicted in a stained glass window at Saint Michael &...
© Fr James Bradley (CC BY 2.0)
The crowning of Charlemagne
By crowning Charlemagne the Holy Roman emperor in 800, Pope Leo III gained a measure...
SuperStock
Expulsion of Pope Gregory VII and excommunication of King Henry IV
Pope Gregory VII, after his expulsion from Rome, laying a ban of excommunication...
Leonard von Matt/Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Innocent III: one of the youngest popes to ascend the throne
Pope Innocent III, fresco in the Abbey of San Benedetto, Subiaco, Italy. He was about...
Gunter.krebs
St. Peter's Basilica
Pope Nicholas V conceived building St. Peter's Basilica in the mid-15th...
© Zoja/Adobe Stock
The globe-trotting Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II greeting pilgrims during a visit to Coventry, Warwickshire, England,...
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Certifying the pope's death
The cardinal camerlengo certifying a papal death, illustration from The London...
The pope as the supreme authority in Roman Catholic societal hierarchy
Detail of The Church Militant and Triumphant, fresco by Andrea da Firenze,...
SCALA/Art Resource, New York
St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican obelisk in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City....
© Ron Gatepain (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
Interactives
Where do the cardinal electors come from?
An infogram showing where the cardinal electors come from.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Pope Francis: A Life in Pictures
A slideshow of highlights from the life of Pope Francis.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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