pontifex

Ancient religious official

A pontifex was a member of the principal college of priests in ancient Rome, responsible for overseeing religious practices and maintaining the sacred calendar.

The pontifex maximus was the chief priest—a title later adopted by Roman emperors and eventually by the Pope.

The English words pontiff and pontificate derive from this Latin term.

roman

Caesar

Roman imperial title

augur · flamen · rex sacrorum · vestal · toga · patrician · forum · ritual · sacrifice · collegium

papal

pope

Catholic Church's supreme leader

tiara · mitre · crosier · encyclical · papacy · infallibility · apostolic · canonization · cardinal · bishopric

priestly

altar

Sacred ritual table

  • vestmentCeremonial religious garment
  • liturgyFormal worship structure
  • clergyOrdained religious officials collectively

sacrament · ritual · sermon · parish · theology · devotion · ordination · celebrant · sacrifice · sanctuary

authority

jurisdiction

Legal authority's scope

supremacy · hierarchy · mandate · decree · ruling · command · dominion · pastoral · office · stewardship

bridge-builder

span

Distance between endpoints

  • archCurved spanning structure
  • crossingPoint where paths intersect
  • linkageConnected system of parts

connection · metaphor · reconciliation · unity · division · gap · chasm · peoples · cultures · faiths

Opposites
religious vs. secular authority

pontifexconsul

Diplomat in foreign city

praetor · tribune · senator · imperator · proconsul

priestly vs. lay status

pontifexlayman

Ordinary untrained person

layperson · plebeian · uninitiated · private citizen · congregant

Phrases
Family

pontificate, pontiff, pontifical, pontiffs, pontificating

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