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.

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 another figure on the opposite end.

Chronology
Matthai Reese is first introduced in volume 16. When the Pope later learns that Fiamma had manipulated him all this time, Fiamma casts a powerful spell to destroy the Vatican but the Pope manages to divert the spell onto himself to save the city. 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.

In Volume 21 he single-handedly stops the riot in Rome and taken 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 of the end of Vol21, he is in the underground library of the Vatican trying to find a way to stop Fiamma's plans.