Pope

=== Political role ===
{{Main|Politics of Vatican City}}
{{Infobox
| above = Sovereign of the Vatican City State
| image = [[File:Coat of arms of the Vatican City.svg|120px]]
| caption = Coat of arms of the Vatican
| label1 = Incumbent | data1 = {{Incumbent pope}}
| label2 = Style     | data2 = [[His Holiness]]
| label3 = Residence | data3 = [[Apostolic Palace]]
| label4 = First Sovereign | data4 = [[Pope Pius XI]]
| label5 = Formation | data5 = 11 February 1929
| label6 = Website   | data6 = {{URL|vaticanstate.va/}}
}}
[[File:PapalPolitics2.JPG|left|thumb|upright|''Antichristus'', a woodcut by Lucas Cranach of the pope using the temporal power to grant authority to a generously contributing ruler]]

Though the progressive [[Christianization]] of the [[Roman Empire]] in the 4th century did not confer upon bishops civil authority within the state, the gradual withdrawal of imperial authority during the 5th century left the pope the senior imperial civilian official in Rome, as bishops were increasingly directing civil affairs in other cities of the Western Empire. This status as a secular and civil ruler was vividly displayed by Pope Leo I's confrontation with [[Attila]] in 452. The first expansion of papal rule outside of Rome came in 728 with the [[Donation of Sutri]], which in turn was substantially increased in 754, when the Frankish ruler [[Pippin the Younger]] gave to the pope the land from his conquest of the Lombards. The pope may have utilized the forged [[Donation of Constantine]] to gain this land, which formed the core of the [[Papal States]]. This document, accepted as genuine until the 15th century, states that Constantine the Great placed the entire Western Empire of Rome under papal rule. In 800, Pope Leo III [[coronation|crowned]] the Frankish ruler Charlemagne as [[Roman emperor]], a major step toward establishing what later became known as the [[Holy Roman Empire]]; from that date onward the popes claimed the prerogative to crown the emperor, though the right fell into disuse after the coronation of [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] in 1530. [[Pius VII]] was present at the [[coronation of Napoleon I]] in 1804 but did not actually perform the crowning. As mentioned above, the pope's sovereignty over the Papal States ended in 1870 with their annexation by Italy.

Popes like [[Alexander VI]], an ambitious if spectacularly corrupt politician, and [[Julius II]], a formidable general and statesman, were not afraid to use power to achieve their own ends, which included increasing the power of the papacy. This political and temporal authority was demonstrated through the papal role in the Holy Roman Empire (especially prominent during periods of contention with the emperors, such as during the pontificates of Pope Gregory VII and Pope Alexander III).

Papal bulls, [[interdict]], and [[excommunication]] (or the threat thereof) have been used many times to exercise papal power. The bull ''[[Laudabiliter]]'' in 1155 authorized King [[Henry II of England]] to invade Ireland. In 1207, [[Innocent III]] placed England under interdict until [[John, King of England|King John]] made his kingdom a [[fiefdom]] to the pope, complete with yearly [[tribute]], saying, "we offer and freely yield...to our lord Pope Innocent III and his catholic successors, the whole kingdom of England and the whole kingdom of Ireland with all their rights and appurtenences for the remission of our sins".<ref>Quoted from the [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/innIII-policies.html Medieval Sourcebook] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814182618/http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/innIII-policies.html |date=14 August 2014 }}</ref> The Bull ''[[Inter caetera]]'' in 1493 led to the [[Treaty of Tordesillas]] in 1494, which divided the world into areas of Spanish and Portuguese rule. The bull ''[[Regnans in Excelsis]]'' in 1570 excommunicated Queen [[Elizabeth I of England]] and declared that all her subjects were released from allegiance to her. The bull ''[[Inter gravissimas]]'' in 1582 established the [[Gregorian calendar]].<ref>See [http://tera-3.ul.cs.cmu.edu/cgi-bin/getImage.pl?target=/data/www/NASD/4a7f1db4-5792-415c-be79-266f41eef20a/009/499/PTIFF/00000673.tif&rs=2 selection from ''Concordia Cyclopedia'': Roman Catholic Church, History of] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716144949/http://tera-3.ul.cs.cmu.edu/cgi-bin/getImage.pl?target=%2Fdata%2Fwww%2FNASD%2F4a7f1db4-5792-415c-be79-266f41eef20a%2F009%2F499%2FPTIFF%2F00000673.tif&rs=2 |date=16 July 2011 }}</ref>

In recent decades, although the papacy has become less directly involved in politics, popes have nevertheless retained significant political influence. They have also served as mediators, with the support of the Catholic establishment.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Byrnes |first=Timothy |date=26 November 2019 |title=The Enduring Power of the Papacy: Pope Francis and International Relations |url=https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/responses/the-enduring-power-of-the-papacy-pope-francis-and-international-relations |access-date=16 August 2023 |website=Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs |language=en |archive-date=21 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321072013/https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/responses/the-enduring-power-of-the-papacy-pope-francis-and-international-relations |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Toosi |first=Nahal |date=18 February 2016 |title=The pope flashes his political passions |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/pope-francis-presidential-race-219448 |access-date=16 August 2023 |website=Politico |language=en |archive-date=5 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205205116/http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/pope-francis-presidential-race-219448 |url-status=live }}</ref> John Paul II, a native of [[Poland]], was regarded as influential in the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Judt |first=Tony |title=Postwar: a history of Europe since 1945 |date=2006 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=978-0-14-303775-0 |location=New York |pages=584–595}}</ref> He also [[Papal mediation in the Beagle conflict|mediated the Beagle conflict]] between Argentina and Chile, two predominantly Catholic countries.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Andersen |first=Martin |date=19 October 1984 |title=Chile, Argentina Sign Protocol on Beagle |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1984/10/19/chile-argentina-sign-protocol-on-beagle/f8e5a9db-f01c-4a5a-9691-f91861c095eb/ |access-date=16 August 2023 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=2 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151202084736/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1984/10/19/chile-argentina-sign-protocol-on-beagle/f8e5a9db-f01c-4a5a-9691-f91861c095eb/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In the 21st century, Francis played a role in brokering the 2015 [[Cuban thaw|improvement in relations]] between the United States and Cuba.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hooper |first=John |date=17 December 2014 |title=Pope Francis and the Vatican played key roles in US-Cuba thaw, leaders reveal |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/17/us-cuba-pope-franicis-key-roles |access-date=16 August 2023 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=14 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230614201740/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/17/us-cuba-pope-franicis-key-roles |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chandler |first=Adam |date=17 December 2014 |title=How the Pope Helped Bring the United States and Cuba Together |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/12/pope-francis-birthday-cuba-deal-castro-obama-letter/383854/ |access-date=16 August 2023 |website=The Atlantic |language=en |archive-date=28 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128060208/https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/12/pope-francis-birthday-cuba-deal-castro-obama-letter/383854/ |url-status=live }}</ref>