The Roman-Ruthenian papacy is the supreme pastoral and temporal office of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church and its associated pontifical state. Its holder is the Roman-Ruthenian Pope, also known by his principle diocesan title of Prince-Bishop of Rome-Ruthenia.
Ecclesiastical character
The office unites Petrine, patriarchal, and governance functions within the Church’s own canonical order. Granted and recognized in 2014 and first made public in 2020, it is an inheritance received. It relates to the Church’s converging Roman and Eastern patrimony. The Roman-Ruthenian Pope is the Latin Orthodox spiritual successor to St. Peter the Apostle and the temporal successor to St. Peter and the Roman patrimony. The Roman-Ruthenian Papacy is one of several papal offices in the world, including the Coptic and Greek Alexandrian papacies, and exercises its jurisdiction within the United Roman-Ruthenian Church.
Public development
The Church records show that the papal office was granted in 2014 and began to be made public only in 2020. Nevertheless, the presence of the papal office informed the acts of the patriarch and the Church's internal development before the title was used openly. Roman-Ruthenian papal status was fully manifested in 2025.