P'apa (Lat., 'father'), the Latin form of the title now, in the Western Church, given exclusively to the Bishop of Rome (see POPE). Originally, however, meaning simply 'father,' it was given indiscriminately to all bishops. In the Greek Church, whether in Greece proper or in Russia, papa is the common appellation of the clergy.
P'apa
Chambers's Encyclopaedia, Volume 7: Maltebrun to Pearson, p. 737
Source scan(s): p. 0752