Vicar of Christ
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of Vicar of Christ
First recorded in 1475–85
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Gelasius I is widely recognised as the first pope to officially be called the "Vicar of Christ", a term that signifies the Pope's role as Christ's representative on Earth.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2025
“He’s making sure that they engage with him, not treat him like a sacred relic. He’s the Vicar of Christ, not a Roman emperor,” tweeted the papal biographer, Austen Ivereigh.
From The Guardian • Mar. 29, 2019
Papal biographer Austen Ivereigh, a supporter of Francis, countered by Tweeting: “He’s making sure that they engage with him, not treat him like a sacred relic. He’s the Vicar of Christ, not a Roman emperor.”
From Reuters • Mar. 26, 2019
In 1965, when Pope Paul VI became the first Vicar of Christ to visit New York, the police used gray wooden sawhorses to line the papal route through the city’s streets.
From New York Times • Sep. 25, 2015
The influence of the Vicar of Christ is not confined to any race or people.
From Leo XIII., the Great Leader by Doyle, Rev. A. P.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
