pontifex
A pontiff, state minister, or high priest, in Ancient Rome.
historical
Every traditional civilization is characterized by the presence of beings who […] embody within the temporal order the living and efficacious presence of a power that comes from above. One of these types of beings is the pontifex, according to the inner meaning of the word and according to the original value of the function that he exercised.
Where it comes from
Learned borrowing from Latin pontifex. Doublet of pontiff.
Adapted from the Wiktionary entry pontifex (CC BY-SA 4.0).