Dictionary
pa•pa•cy
Pronunciation: (pā'pu-sē), [key]—
n.,
—pl. -cies.
Rom. Cath. Ch.
1. the office, dignity, or jurisdiction of the pope.
2. the system of ecclesiastical government in which the pope is recognized as the supreme head.
3. the period during which a certain pope is in office.
4. the succession or line of the popes.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.