Pontificate in its original sense literally means to perform the duties of a pope or priest (a pontiff). The auto part I guess because it’s email? That part is shakier
Calling him a writer is somewhat underselling his talent. Jodorowsky was a world-class clown and mime (yes, really) before becoming an award-winning filmmaker, visual artist, and comic book writer.
Charlie explains why his site is named this, but the word "Antipope" does mean something already and it means specifically a person who says they are the Pope, but you recognise somebody else as Pope instead.
It's thus sometimes unclear which people are "really" Antipopes until some time passes and you're like OK, Steve was an Antipope, the Roman Catholic Church still exists, the Pope is now this Dave guy, so his predecessor Geoff was also Pope, and Geoff's rival Steve's group died out, so Steve was an Antipope, even though for a few years my church said Steve was Pope, I now know that was wrong because God wouldn't let the One True Church vanish and once Steve died his whole church went back to Geoff.
I think it is a reference to the song by the Damned, but given Stross has lived in central Scotland for decades, you'd think he'd realise by now that it sounds more like someone from the Orange Order (Protestant supremacists) in these parts. There is historically a major issue with the Orange Order and Loyalists in the areas in and around Edinburgh and Glasgow, and they organise anti-Catholic marches in many working class communities as well as violence at football matches. I have met him and doubt this is what he is after, but it comes over like this.
Charles Stross has lived in Edinburgh for years and you would think by now that something like "Antipope" comes off as Protestant supremacist rather than secularist in central Scotland. One of his close friends has a similar background and she had antipope as part of her email back in the nineties when I was acquainted with her... It caused a lot of issues when she was emailing someone who was Catholic, because they thought it was some kind of Orange/loyalist account.
Probably a reference to the song by the Damned. A friend of his that I used to know had this name on her email back in the nineties and I remember that because it caused some trouble when it was used to email someone who was Catholic and it came off as bigoted. No idea about Charles Stross himself but I have seen them out and about together and they seem quite close.
Less likely a reference the Antipopes of Avignon, but anyway.
Such are many of the names coined by creative minds using the early internet.
This person died independently. Welcome to our timeline!
It's thus sometimes unclear which people are "really" Antipopes until some time passes and you're like OK, Steve was an Antipope, the Roman Catholic Church still exists, the Pope is now this Dave guy, so his predecessor Geoff was also Pope, and Geoff's rival Steve's group died out, so Steve was an Antipope, even though for a few years my church said Steve was Pope, I now know that was wrong because God wouldn't let the One True Church vanish and once Steve died his whole church went back to Geoff.
Less likely a reference the Antipopes of Avignon, but anyway.