Papaphobia

Papaphobia is the fear of the pope. It’s a real dictionary word. Noah Webster put it in his 1828 American dictionary, and the definition still used today reads “intense fear or dread of the pope, or of the Roman Catholic Church.” Wordnik: papaphobia Modern dictionaries define it as a fear of the pope or the papacy, meaning the office of the pope and the Church’s leadership. Wiktionary: papaphobia

It isn’t a clinical diagnosis, and we couldn’t find any research on it as a separate fear. Dictionaries mark it as rare. Wordnik: papaphobia It’s more a piece of religious and political history than a medical term.

Where does the word come from?

It’s built from the Latin papa, meaning pope, plus “-phobia.” Wiktionary: papaphobia Papa originally meant “father,” which is also where the word “pope” comes from. Its opposite is papaphilia, a love of the pope. Wordnik: papaphobia

The word was in print by 1828, when Webster included it in An American Dictionary of the English Language. StudyLight: Webster’s 1828 Dictionary Dictionaries cross-reference it with “Protestant” and “Reformation,” which gives a clue to how it was used. Wordnik: papaphobia

What did papaphobia mean in history?

In the 1800s, “papaphobia” was less about personal fear and more about politics. In Britain and the United States, there was strong suspicion of the Catholic Church and of the pope’s influence.

One example is Britain in 1850. When the pope set up Catholic dioceses in England and Wales, the anti-Catholic reaction was so strong that Parliament passed the Ecclesiastical Titles Act 1851. It made it a crime for anyone outside the Church of England and Ireland to use a bishop’s title tied to a place in the United Kingdom. The law didn’t work well and was repealed in 1871. Wikipedia: Ecclesiastical Titles Act 1851

So when the word turns up in older writing, it usually points to a public mood or prejudice rather than a phobia in the medical sense.

Are there similar words?

Papaphobia sits in a small family of religion-related fear words:

• hierophobia, a fear of what’s religious or sacred Wiktionary: hierophobia
• ecclesiophobia, a fear of churches
• hagiophobia, a fear or dislike of holiness or holy things
• theophobia, a fear of God or gods

Like papaphobia, these are rare words with long histories in print, not diagnoses.

What might a real fear look like?

Most people who search for papaphobia are just curious about the word. But some people do feel strong fear or distress around religious figures, buildings, or ceremonies. That can happen after painful experiences in a faith community.

Religious trauma is a term some therapists use for harm that comes from stressful, degrading, abusive, or otherwise harmful experiences in a faith community. It can build up over years of harmful messages, not only from one event. It isn’t a formal diagnosis, but therapists recognize its effects, which can include shame, anxiety, hypervigilance, and trouble making decisions. therapist.com: Religious trauma

Here’s a made-up example. Someone who grew up in a strict religious community may feel their heart pound when they see a priest’s collar, or feel panicky walking past a cathedral. They may skip a friend’s wedding because it’s in a church. A news story about the pope might leave them on edge for the rest of the day. Nobody would call that “papaphobia,” but the fear is real and it deserves care.

Is it fear or a phobia?

Disagreeing with the papacy, or distrusting any religious institution, is a view. It isn’t a fear. A phobia means a strong, lasting fear of something particular that’s much bigger than the danger, and that leads you to avoid it. APA Dictionary of Psychology Our fear versus phobia guide explains the difference.

If a religion-related fear is strong, a doctor would look at it as a possible specific phobia, or as part of anxiety or trauma, rather than giving it a name like papaphobia.

What can help?

Fears linked to religion can respond to the same kinds of treatment as other fears. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), cognitive processing therapy, EMDR, and exposure-based therapy have all helped people who’ve been through religious trauma. The same list includes faith-based therapy, for people who want their beliefs to be part of the work. therapist.com: Religious trauma Look for someone who respects the religious side of your experience rather than brushing it aside.

Exposure should always be gradual and agreed with you. Our guide to how specific phobias are treated explains how that works.

If someone you know is struggling

Avoid arguing about religion when someone is scared. Ask what feels hard, and offer to skip or adjust plans that involve churches or ceremonies while they get support. Our guide on supporting someone with a phobia has more ideas.

When to get help

If fear connected to religion is limiting where you go, straining relationships, or causing panic, a mental health professional can help. You don’t need a dictionary word for it first. Our appointment preparation tool can help you plan what to say.

For more odd fear names with real histories, see our guide to the strangest named phobias, or read about hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia, the fear of the number 666, which also grew out of religious belief.