Q. 1. I heard that the Pope is the Bishop of Rome. How can that be? Can he hold two positions at the same time?

A. 1. The office of the Pope is the papacy. His jurisdiction is called "the Holy See" or "the Apostolic See." The latter name is based on the belief that the Bishop of Rome is the successor of Peter the Apostle. The Pope is also the head of state of Vatican City which is a sovereign city-state that is surrounded by the Italian capital city of Rome.