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What is "to be more catholic than the pope"

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to be more Catholic than the Pope

Pope \Pope\ (p[=o]p), n. [AS. p[=a]pa, L. papa father, bishop. Cf. Papa, Papal.]

  1. Any ecclesiastic, esp. a bishop. [Obs.]
    --Foxe.

  2. The bishop of Rome, the head of the Roman Catholic Church. See Note under Cardinal.

  3. A parish priest, or a chaplain, of the Greek Church.

  4. (Zo["o]l.) A fish; the ruff.

    Pope Joan, a game at cards played on a round board with compartments.

    Pope's eye, the gland surrounded with fat in the middle of the thigh of an ox or sheep.
    --R. D. Blackmore.

    Pope's nose, the rump, or uropygium, of a bird. See Uropygium.

    to be more Catholic than the Pope to adhere more stringently to Roman Catholic practices and doctrine than is required by church doctrine; -- usually used in a negative sense to mean, to be excessively pious.