What does See mean in Holy See?

The term Holy See is used as a synonym of the Vatican, or of the Roman Catholic Church (as in the first paragraph of this article). The original meaning of 'see' was seat or place of sitting. Chaucer used it about ordinary seats, but generally a see was a seat of dignity or authority, often a royal seat or a throne, but also the special seat or throne of a bishop. The word entered English via Old French, which itself acquired it from the Latin word for 'seat'. (The verb, 'to see', is unrelated; it has Germanic roots.)

 

Soon the word 'see' began to refer not only to the actual seat (also called a cathedra), but also to the office or position of the person sitting in the seat, in other words being a bishop of a particular diocese. Another title for the Pope is the Bishop of Rome, so the Holy or Papal See means the office or position of Pope, the authority or jurisdiction belonging to the Pope, or it can refer to the Pope in his official capacity as head of the RC Church.

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