Discordian Pope

In Discordianism, a pope is "every single man, woman, and child on this Earth."

Included in the Principia Discordia there is an "offical =POPE= card" (on page 00036) that may be reproduced and distributed freely to anyone and everyone. Popehood, however, is not granted through possession of this card &mdash;it is merely to inform people that they are a genuine and authorized Pope of Discordia.

While the powers of a Pope were not necessarily enumerated in the Principia, we are given some idea from a note under the card which states, "A =POPE= is someone who is not under the authority of the authorities." Some Discordians have also taken it upon themselves to further elaborate upon the powers of a Pope. On the back of some Pope cards, the following message can be found:

"The rights of a =POPE= include but are not necessarily limited to:
 * 1) To invoke infallibility at any time, including retroactively.
 * 2) To completely rework the Erisian church.
 * 3) To baptise, bury, and marry (with the permission of the deceased in the latter two cases).
 * 4) To ex-communicate, de-ex-communicate, re-ex-communicate, and de-re-ex-communicate (no backsies!) both his-/her-/it-/them-/your-/our-/His-/Her-/It-/Them-/Your-/Our-self/selves and others (if any).
 * 5) To perform all rites and functions deemed inappropriate for a Pope of Discordia."

This understanding of the notion of Pope has far reaching consequences in Discordianism. For example, the introduction to Principia Discordia says, "Only a Pope may canonize a Saint. [...] So you can ordain yourself &mdash;and anyone or anything else &mdash;a Saint." The last enumerated right of a =POPE= may be an allusion to the necessary and proper clause.

A female version, with the word Mome substituted for Pope, has also been promulgated.