Matthai Reese

The Pope (ローマ教皇) is the head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Toaru Majutsu no Index series.

His real name is Matthai Reese (マタイ＝リース). He was a friend and a former disciple of Fiamma of the Right before becoming Pope.

Personality
Unlike a lot of popes in the real world, he feels that he's disconnected from the people outside the chapel and wonders why's that so. Despite this he is still bound by the rules of the Catholic Church and its beliefs. When the magic world learns of the existence of Touma and his powers, Fiamma convinced the Pope that Touma is a Heretic and his powers are a threat to the world, The Pope declares him a Heretic that must be eliminated.

An inherently well meaning person, he believes himself to truly be serving both God and the greater good with his actions and is even willing to use his own self to defend populated streets from Fiamma of the Right's Holy Right, despite knowing it would most likely kill him. He is described as being kind.

Appearance
He's an elderly man with a white beard. He wears the typical papal regalia and bears a crosier bearing a crusifixed Christ and the hanged body of Judas on the opposite end.

La Regina del Mare Adriatico Arc

 * Main article:La Regina del Mare Adriatico Arc

Matthai Reese is first introduced after the events reqarding the Queen of Adriatic Sea's failure to activate and eventual destruction at the hands of Kamijou Touma. Vento ordered him to sign the document that authorises the attack on Touma to end his life, and by extension an invasion into Academy City to ensure the elimination of a enemy of the Church.

Document of Constantine Arc

 * Main article:Document of Constantine Arc

Some time before the beginning of the October riots, the Pope, along with Acqua of the Back, comes upon Terra of the Left drinking cheap wine, trying to replenish his strength. The Pope comments on his brusque nature of slovenly drinking in the middle of a square, as well as the fact that two of God's Right Seat are out and about without protection. He later scolds Acqua of the Back for smirking at Terra's joke regarding his knowledge of wines despite being a mercenary. Terra of the Left prepares to leave, intending to use the Document of Constantine to cause mayhem among the constituents of the Church against Academy City in order to draw the Russian Orthodox Church to their side. Acqua of the Back objects to the use of civilians, but Terra of the Left states that it would be unnatural not to use the Church's vast human resources, much to Acqua of the Back's chagrin. Terra of the Left later leaves, and the Anti-Academy City October riots begin.

After Acqua of the Back eviscerates, with a pillar in St. Peter's Basilica, Terra of the Left after he discovers that he used children and sight-seers in order to make alignment adjustments to his Execution of Light spell, the Pope arrives. Here, he tells Acqua of the Back to be careful on not destroying the St. Peter's Basilica, not just because of aesthetic and historical reasons, but also because of its importance in defensive functions. Acqua then states that the problem in organizations, that there is always someone out of control in it, and cites God's Right Seat and Terra of the Left as an example. He tells the Pope that it is not enough for God's Right Seat to achieve its goal and become La Persona Superiore a Dio for his desure to save more believers, and states that in order for God’s Right Seat to continue functioning as it should, it needs someone outside of it to watch over it and to guide it. Acqua of the Back tells the Pope that he is the one most suited for that position. The Pope smiles and says that when he first heard about God's Right Seat, he was overjoyed that there was such a quick way of guiding believers. However, he then states that he realized that God does not wish for an easy path to salvation, and comments on how the Father watching over him truly likes trials and tribulations. The Pope then asks what his next move will be, to which Acqua of the Back comments that there is only one option after Terra was purged and Vento still recuperating. The Pope asks if he is going to attack Japan via Russia as Terra suggested. Acqua of the Back states that civilians should not stand on the battlefield, and that only soldiers need to cross swords, implying to the Pope he will act himself. The Pope mubles to himself on how the man who is both a member of God's Right Seat and having the disposition of a Saint will now act.

Acqua of the Back Arc
He seen lamenting his isolation from the common people of the city. Later he is shown to be furious at the news of Acqua of the Back's defeat had two major implications: For one, it was a major blow to their fighting strength, and for another the enemy had assumed superior fighting strength for themselves. The other being Kamijou Touma who had many people whom spontaneously gathered around him for the sole purpose of protecting him, this circle of protective friends was his greatest strength, not Imagine Breaker itself. He is then surprised by the sudden arrival Fiamma who is unconcerned about the defeat of Acqua. Fiamma then states that their next plain is to attack England but, not for them being allied with Academy City just to aquir the control devise for Index's John Pen Mode. The Pope learning this realized that Fiamma had manipulated him all this time and curses him. Fiamma then casts a powerful spell to destroy the Vatican but the Pope manages to divert the spell onto himself to save the city. Before he loses consciousness Vento of the Front appears before him as he tries to tell her Fiamma's plan though she only listens to him because it has become her goal to stop Fiamma as well.

World War III
When he finally regains consciousness and he immediately tries to contact Vasilisa having exchanged the information on how to do so earlier at the talks between their respected churches, when he does contact her she comments that she is currently dealing with a group of rebellious subordinates.

After his recovery he sets out to stop Fiamma and his plans, while protecting the Vatican from civil unrest that started since World War III has erupted in Europe. He single-handedly stops the riot in Rome and took back the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church without bloodshed from the bishops that supported Fiamma, as his holiness stopped all conflict and hostile intentions just by his presence. As all the Roman Catholic Church's forces stood in awe at Matthai Reese's return making his way through the basilica, while Pietro Yogdis started to breakdown similar to that of a child about to burst into tears as he vainly tried ordering the forces all around to kill the pope. Matthai Reese, unconcerned with the threats that he had no intention of stopping the papal conclave, only sought the great Vatican library to use in stopping Fiamma’s Star of Bethlehem. As the pope stepped closer to him Pietro was sure he would be killed but, instead he complemented him on handling the situation in his absence while calling himself an incompetent leader.

To fully understand the spell she contacts Matthai Reese to coordinate their plans ignoring the fact he is no longer the pope and all the while going on about the Patriarch's cuteness.

Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index
In New Testament it is mentioned on a news show that after the events of World War III he did step down from his position of Pope and was replaced by Pietro Yogdis.

Design evolution
Matthai Reese's design remains static all throughout the series. Haimura felt that designing him similarly to the real life Pope would not fit the story, and as such stayed his hand from basing it off the Pope, instead basing him off Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series, and Ian McKellen's movie portrayal of Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings novels.

Quotes

 * (To Vassilisa in Vol22): "It matters not. … It is meaningless to have power that cannot protect everyone. As long as it can protect the people, even if the power of the Roman Catholic Church is weakened we must stop Fiamma of the Right"
 * (Vol22) "I can still fight. For the road that leads to a hopeful tomorrow, I cannot possibly stop here."