Msgr. Pope on the Significance of the “N” in the Eucharistic Prayers

“. . . We Catholics were prepared to love the Pope and support him long before we knew his name. Somehow, for faithful Catholics,  we instinctively know, despite all the anti-authority attitudes of Western culture, that the Pope is Christ’s true vicar and the one who unites us. Whatever his name, nationality or background, he represents Christ, and is the successor to Simon Peter to whom the Lord entrusted the task of uniting and strengthening us, whom the devil would sift (divide) like wheat. (cf Luke 22:31).

“. . . [But] we must not overlook the ‘N’ that is in the Eucharistic prayer. And thus we see reference to ‘N., our Pope,’ and ‘N., our Bishop.’ ‘N’ of course stands for ‘Name.’

“At first glance the ‘N’ reminds us that the men in those offices come and go, though the office remains.

“But we must also not forget that, except for brief periods, that ‘N’ is filled in with a name of an actual person. ‘N’ signifies a real man.”

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the truth that there is an actual Church, actual successors to the apostles, and an actual representative of Christ, an actual vicar (or representative of Christ the Head) to whom we can point: Francis our Pope.

To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:

Msgr. Charles Pope: On The Significance of the “N” in the Eucharistic Prayers (25 MAR 13)