Papiste

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A member of a church or denomination that adheres to the authority of the Pope; someone who supports papal supremacy in spiritual and ecclesiastical matters; a term often used pejoratively to describe someone with excessive devotion to Roman Catholicism
2. An adherent to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, especially in the context of its hierarchical structure; a person who fervently upholds the Pope's religious leadership; an often-negative label for individuals seen as excessively loyal to Catholic traditions
3. A follower of the Catholic faith particularly focused on the Papacy; an advocate for the power and influence of the Pope in religious matters; a word sometimes used in a derogatory way for people with strong Catholic affiliations

Etymology: Its root is "papa," which began as a child's word for father. Greek "pappas" was baby talk of this kind, and it passed into Latin and then into church usage. For a long time "papa" was an affectionate title for bishops in several parts of the church, and only later did it become the exclusive title of the bishop of Rome. From that title came the Medieval Latin "papista," formed with the suffix "-ista," which marks an adherent or follower, as in "Calvinist" or "royalist." French took the form "papiste," and English adopted the same pattern as "papist." The French spelling is a variant of the English word, and both name a supporter of papal authority. The suffix explains the word's shape. It names a person defined by loyalty to a single figure, which made it easy to use as an insult. Critics could describe anyone who put the pope first as a partisan rather than an ordinary believer.

Synonyms: Catholic, Roman Catholic, papal supporter, Vatican adherent, Church member

Antonyms: Protestant, non-Catholic, heretic, dissenter, anti-papal