Fear of the Pope (papaphobia)

Papaphobia is a fear of the Pope, and sometimes of the papacy and what it represents. It might show up as anxiety when the Pope appears on the news, during a papal visit, or in Catholic settings such as a school or church. For some, the fear is less about one person and more about authority, religion or past experiences tied to them.

About this phobia

The word comes from papa, the Latin and Italian word used for the Pope. It is not a recognised clinical term and appears almost entirely on lists of unusual phobias. Better-known related fears include hierophobia, a fear of priests or sacred things, and a wider fear of authority figures.

What it feels like

• Tension or discomfort when the Pope appears on TV or in the news
• Avoiding Catholic churches, ceremonies or papal events
• Unease linked to religious authority rather than to the man himself

Explore more unusual fears in the rare phobias A to Z, or browse the common phobias.

Common questions

Why would someone be afraid of the Pope?

Fears like this often grow from what a figure stands for, such as strict rules, guilt or memories of a particular upbringing. If the fear connects to difficult or harmful experiences in a religious setting, a GP or specialist counsellor can help with that side of things. Feeling this way is not a sign that anything is wrong with you.

How can you help?

I use hypnotherapy and NLP to change how your mind responds to the thing you fear, so the old alarm stops going off. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.

How many sessions will I need?

Many clients notice a real difference after one 90 minute session. If the fear goes back a long way, three sessions gives us room to make the change stick.

Ready to start?

Book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through your fear, or take the free suitability test first.

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