The 266th Pope of the Catholic Church is Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio (b. 1936). He was elected by the College of Cardinals on 13 March 2013, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Francis is the first pope from the Western Hemisphere.
A list of encyclicals, homilies, apostolic exhortations, and other writings of Pope Francis can be viewed on the Vatican website.
The office of the Pope is called the Papacy. The Encyclopedia of Religion 2nd. ed. states that the "papacy is the central governing institution of the Roman Catholic church under the leadership of the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. The word papacy...is medieval in origin and derives from the Latin papa, and affectionate term for "father."
-Granfield, Patrick. Encyclopedia of Religion 2nd ed., Lindsay Jones et. al ed. "Papacy." Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2005. View this article, which highlights the history and development of the papacy.
"The supreme jurisdiction and ministry of the pope as shepherd of the Whole Church. As successor of St. Peter, and therefore Bishop of Rome and Vicar of Christ, the pope is the perpetual and visible principle of unity in faith and communion in the Church."
-Glossary in the Catechism of the Catholic Church
To search for works by and about a specific pope, in BU Libraries Search, type:
"(Name of Pope) (Number, if applicable), pope"
For example, searching for resources by or about Pope Francis, in BU Libraries search, type Francis, pope. For resources by or about Pope Benedict XVI, type Benedict XVI, pope. The number should always be written as a Roman Numeral.
"The Curia is that complexus of bureaus that the pope uses to implement his judicial, legislative, and executive office as head of the Church. Although it really exists and acts only insofar as he wishes it to, its specific powers are set out in the Code of Canon Law and post-code documents. By force of tradition and practice, moreover, it has assumed a powerful position in day-to-day Church operations."
-Markham, JJ and E. McDonough. The Catholic Encyclopedia 2nd ed. Thomas Carson and Joann Cerrito, editors. "Curia, Roman." Washington, DC: Thomson Gale, 2003. View encyclopedia article here.