Meanings
nounBlack Pope (plural Black Popes)
plural Black Popes
- usually considered derogatoryThe Superior General of the Society of Jesus.
But just down the block from St. Peter's Square, church elders — though not all so old, and without a Cardinal among them — have begun gathering for a closed-door meeting to elect the man dubbed the "black pope".
2008, Jeff Israely, “Jesuits to Elect a New 'Black Pope'”, in Time Magazine
Origin
From the simple black vestments worn by the Superior General, in contrast to the Pope's white vestments.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Black Pope. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Black%20Pope
MLA
“Black Pope.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Black%20Pope. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Black Pope,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Black%20Pope.
Source: Black Pope on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.