POPAYAN, a city of the United States of Colombia (New Grenada), South America, stands in a fertile plain, 6,000 ft, above sea-level, on the Cauca, in lat. 2° 27' n. It con tains a cathedral and a number of conventual edifices. It was founded in 1537, and was the first city built by Europeans in this region. Under the Spaniards it rose to considerable importance; but an earthquake in 1834, and the continued unsettled state of the country, have done much to reduce it. It is still of some consequence as a mart for agricultural produce. A great commercial road, about 1000 miles in length, leads from Popayan to Truxillo, in Peru. Pop. 20,000.
POPE (Gr. papas; Lat. papa, father), the title of the bishop of Rome, and supreme pontiff of the Roman Catholic church; applied also to all priests of the Greek and Russo creek church. Under very many heads occasions have arisen requiring reference more or less detailed to the authority and the privileges ascribed to the bishop of Rome by the church of which he is the head. We propose in the present article to explain briefly the titles of the pope, the manner of his election, the nature and functions of his office, and the authority ascribed to him by the different schools of Catholics; and finally the chronological succession of the bishops of Rome from the earliest ages to our own day.
1. The name "papa" (q.v.)—the Latin equivalent of pope—was originally used of all bishops The first known writer who applies it to the Roman bishop as his specific title is Ennodius of Pavia, iu the latter part of the 5th c.,who thus addresses pope Sym machus. It is used also by Cassiodorus; and from his time gradually came to be reserved to this application, but it did not lose entirely its old and general use for many centuries later. In the modern ecclesiastical vocabulary the pope is called the " sovereign pontiff," the "vicar of Christ," the "head of the church," the " holy father," etc. He subscribes himself, since St. Gregory the great, servus servorum Dei (servant of the servants of God); .and he is addressed as your holiness, your beatitude, etc.
2. The office of pope is elective. The electoral body, according to the present usage, is the college of cardinals. Primitively, the pope, as the other bishops, was elected by the clergy and people, although the rights of both were not the same. Some -elections having been attended with violence, the electoral body was by degrees limited. At length, by a decree of Pope Nicholas II. in 1059, the right of election was vested in .;the cardinals. Provision was thus made for a representation of all the tyncient electoral bodies; the cardinal bishops representing the bishops of the Roman synod, the cardinal priests, the parish clergy, and tAe cardinal deacons, the heads of the popular electoral
.districts (regimes) of the city. Preparatory to an election, the cardinals are shut up in what is called "the conclave," all communication with the outer world being inter rupted until the election shall have been made. A simple majority of voices does not .suffice—two-thirds of the cardinals must vote for the same candidate. There are four modes of election—" scrutiny," " access," " compromise," and " inspiration." Twice a -day during the conclave each cardinal deposits, in a chalice placed on the altar, the 'name of his candidate. If the requisite number of votes are not found for any one, the papers are at once burned, and the smoke of the burning votes is a signal to the expect ant crowd outside that no election has taken place. This is called the "'scrutiny." If votes be added to those already given for one candidate, so as to make the required • two-thirds, it is called "access." If the cardinals of two parties unite, it is called "compromise." If, by a public movement, a particular candidate he carried as if by .occla-mation, the election is said to be by "inspiration." The present pope, Pius IX., was elected in this way. The•greater Catholic powers—France, Austria, and Spain— were formerly understood to have the privilege of placing a veto upon the election of one candidate; but this right was vague and undefined, and had no formal foundation in law. It is required by long usage, as a condition of election, that the candidate,shall be an Italian. After election, the pope is enthroned, enters upon possession of his see, and finally, is solemnly crowned. The ceremonial of consecration is very splendid and deeply impressive. One of the ceremonies—that of burning a bunch of flax before him, with the words, "Holy father, thus passeth away the glory of the world!"—has often been cited for its highly symbolical character, as well as for its dramatic effect. Cardinals, in order to vote, must be present at the conclave—no voting by proxy is permitted. Some of these conditions are practically set aside by the cessation of the status of the pope as an Italian temporal sovereign, and it is not unlikely that the forms of election may be modified by special legislation. It has even been alleged that the present pope has prepared a special bull regulating the time, place, and order of the election of his successor.