What Does “Pontificate” Mean in the Bible?
The time during which a Pope governs the Church.
A detail
- The Pope: is the Bishop of Rome and the successor of Saint Peter. He is the visible foundation of the Church’s unity.
Where it appears in the Bible
Matthew 16:18; Matthew 16:19
What the Bible says
Matthew 16:18
And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 16:19
And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
Source: RAE, “pontificado”; Catechism 880-882