Plaque commemorating the popes buried in St. Peter's Basilica (their names in Latin and the year of their burial)
This chronological list of popes of the Catholic Church corresponds to that given in the Annuario Pontificio under the heading "I Sommi Pontefici Romani" (The Roman Supreme Pontiffs), excluding those that are explicitly indicated as antipopes. Published every year by the Roman Curia, the Annuario Pontificio no longer identifies popes by regnal number, stating that it is impossible to decide which pope represented the legitimate succession at various times.[1] The 2001 edition of the Annuario Pontificio introduced "almost 200 corrections to its existing biographies of the popes, from St Peter to John Paul II". The corrections concerned dates, especially in the first two centuries, birthplaces and the family name of one pope.[2]
The term pope (Latin: papa, lit.'father') is used in several churches to denote their high spiritual leaders (for example Coptic pope). This title in English usage usually refers to the head of the Catholic Church. The Catholic pope uses various titles by tradition, including Summus Pontifex, Pontifex Maximus, and Servus servorum Dei. Each title has been added by unique historical events and unlike other papal prerogatives, is not incapable of modification.[3]
Hermannus Contractus may have been the first historian to number the popes continuously. His list ends in 1049 with Leo IX as number 154. Several changes were made to the list during the 20th century. Christopher was considered a legitimate pope for a long time but was removed due to how he obtained the papacy. Pope-elect Stephen was listed as Stephen II until the 1961 edition, when his name was removed. The decisions of the Council of Pisa (1409) were reversed in 1963 in a reinterpretation of the Western Schism, extending Gregory XII's pontificate to 1415 and classifying rival claimants Alexander V and John XXIII as antipopes.
A significant number of these popes have been recognized as saints, including 48 out of the first 50 consecutive popes, and others are in the sainthood process. Of the first 31 popes, 28 died as martyrs.
Chronological list of popes
1st millennium
1st century
The chronology of the early popes is heavily disputed. The first ancient lists of popes were not written until the late 2nd century, after the monarchical episcopate had already developed in Rome. These first lists combined contradictory traditions, and even the succession of the first popes is disputed. The first certain dates are AD 222 and 235, the elections of Urban I and Liberius. The years given for the first 30 popes follow the work of Richard Adelbert Lipsius, which often show a 3-year difference with the traditional dates given by Eusebius of Caesarea.[4] These are also the dates used by the Catholic Encyclopedia.[5]
First Greek pope. A peregrinus, free provincial subject of the Roman Empire who was not a Roman citizen. Feast day 26 April. Once erroneously split into Cletus and Anacletus.[9]
Hellenized Jew. A peregrinus, free provincial subject of the Roman Empire who was not a Roman citizen. Said to have divided Rome into parishes, assigning a priest to each. Feast day of 26 October.
Roman citizen, born in the capital of the Roman Empire. Inaugurated the custom of blessing houses with holy water. Also revered as a saint in Eastern Christianity, with a feast day of 18 March.
A Roman of Greek descent, born in Italia, the homeland of the ancient Romans. Uncertain if he was a peregrinus (a free subject of the Roman Empire) or a Roman citizen. Feast day of 5 January. Also revered as a saint in Eastern Christianity, with a feast day of 22 February. Church Father St. Irenaeus called him a great martyr; the earliest attested martyrdom of pope after St. Peter.
Hellenized Syrian; first Syrian pope. A peregrinus, free provincial subject of the Roman Empire who was not a Roman citizen. Tradition holds he was martyred; feast day 17 April. Decreed that priests are not allowed to have long hair.
Roman citizen, born in Italia, the homeland of the ancient Romans. Tradition holds he was martyred; feast day 22 April. Declared that marriage was valid as a sacrament blessed by a priest; formally inaugurated Easter as an annual festival in Rome.
Roman citizen, born in the capital of the Roman Empire. Combated against the adoptionist heresies of the followers of Theodotus of Byzantium who were ruled by Theodotus and Asclepiodotus. Although not physically martyred (murdered), he is called a martyr for the suffering he endured.
Roman citizen. Divided the communities of Rome into seven districts, each supervised by a deacon. Feast day 20 January. Also revered as a saint in Eastern Christianity, with a feast day of 5 August.
Roman citizen. Martyred by beheading (according to legend). Feast day 22 April. Also revered as a saint in Eastern Christianity, with a feast day of 11 August.
Roman citizen. One of Mark's undertakings was to compile stories of the lives of martyrs and bishops before his time. There is some reason to believe he founded two churches in the area of Rome. One of them is still known to this day as the Church of San Marco, although it is greatly changed since his time. The other church was at the Catacomb of Balbina, a cemetery. Emperor Constantine gave gifts of land and furnishing for both buildings. Feast day 7 October.
Roman citizen. Banished by the Arian-leaning Emperor Constantius II and later yielding to him. Earliest pope not canonized by the Latin Church. Revered as a saint in Eastern Christianity, with a feast day of 27 August.[14]
Roman citizen. His famous letters—the earliest surviving texts of papal decretals—focus particularly on religious discipline and include decisions on baptism, consecration, ordination, penance, and continence. Siricius' important decretal of 386 (written to Bishop Himerius of Tarragona), commanding celibacy for priests, was the first decree on this subject.[15]
39
27 November 399 – 19 December 401 (2years, 22days)
Roman citizen. In opposition to Pope Boniface I. Elected on the eve of the election of Boniface, first benefited from the support of the emperor Honorius, but lost it quickly. Exiled in Campania, and died in 423.
42
28 December 418 – 4 September 422 (3years, 250days)
Roman citizen. Also revered as a saint in Eastern Christianity, with a feast day of 8 April. Pope during the Council of Ephesus (431), the third ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches.
Roman citizen. Convinced Attila the Hun to turn back his invasion of Italy. Convinced the Vandals to spare the lives of the citizenry of Rome during their sack of the city. Wrote the Tome which was instrumental in the Council of Chalcedon (451) and in defining the hypostatic union. Feast day 10 November. Also revered as a saint in Eastern Christianity, with a feast day of 18 February.
46
19 November 461 – 29 February 468 (6years, 102days)
Roman citizen, later a subject of the Kingdom of Italy. Papacy during the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent overtaking of Rome and Italy in general by Odoacer.
Roman citizen of Berber descent, later a subject of the (Ostrogothic) Kingdom of Italy; the last pope to have been born on the continent of Africa. The first pope called the "Vicar of Christ".[16]
50
24 November 496 – 19 November 498 (1year, 360days)
Roman citizen, later a subject of the (Ostrogothic) Kingdom of Italy. In opposition to Symmachus. Elected on the same day as Symachus, King Theodoric settled in favour of his adversary. Took control of Rome in 501 and remained pope in fact until he died in 506/08.
(Eastern) Roman citizen of Greek descent. In opposition to Pope Boniface II. Candidate of the Byzantine party, elected by the majority of the cardinals and recognized by Constantinople, he died less than a month after his election.
(Eastern) Roman citizen. Was of Roman ethnicity. Sometimes called Deusdedit. The first pope to use lead seals on papal documents, which in time came to be called papal bulls.
69
23 December 619 – 25 October 625 (5years, 306days)
(Eastern) Roman citizen. Was of Roman ethnicity. Last pope recognized as a martyr. Feast day of 12 November. Also revered as a saint in Eastern Christianity, with a feast day of 14 April.
Born as subject of the Umayyad Caliphate; the last pope from Syria. The third pope to come from a Muslim country. The third pope to bear the same name as his immediate predecessor. Last pope to have been born outside Europe until the election of Francis in 2013.
(Eastern) Roman citizen. Was of Roman ethnicity. Previously known as Stephen II. Died three days after his election, having never received episcopal consecration. Some lists still include him. The Vatican sanctioned his addition in the sixteenth century; removed in 1961. He is no longer considered a pope by the Catholic Church.
(Eastern) Roman citizen (was of Roman ethnicity), later the sovereign of the independent Papal States. Pope during the Second Council of Nicaea (787), the seventh ecumenical council accepted by the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.
(Eastern) Roman citizen (was of Roman ethnicity), later the sovereign of the independent Papal States. Crowned Charlemagne emperor on Christmas Day, 800, thereby initiating what would become the Holy Roman Empire, requiring the imprimatur of the pope for its ruler's legitimacy.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Rebuilt the atrium of St. Peter's Basilica and in the newly decorated chapel transferred the body of Gregory I.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Probably, according to the Liber Pontificalis and Liutprand of Cremona, the son of Pope Sergius III, and not of Alberic I of Spoleto, who was Marozia's husband.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Third pope not to use his personal name (Octavian). Deposed in 963 by Emperor Otto invalidly; end of the "Saeculum obscurum".
Subject and later the claimant of the throne of the Papal States. Appointed antipope by Emperor Otto in 963 in opposition to John XII and Benedict V. His pontificate after the deposition of Benedict V is considered legitimate by the modern Catholic Church.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Elected by the people of Rome, in opposition to Leo VIII who was appointed by Emperor Otto; he accepted his own deposition in 964 leaving Leo VIII as the sole pope.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. His pontificate from 963 to 964 is considered illegitimate by today's Catholic Church. An appointee of Emperor Otto I, his pontificate occurred during the period known as the Saeculum obscurum.
Born as a subject of the Duchy of Carinthia, the first official German pope and fifth not to use his personal name (Bruno). Henceforth, this decision became tradition among future popes.
Born as a subject of the County of Savoy, was of French ethnicity. In 1059 the College of Cardinals was designated the sole body of pope electors in the document In nomine Domini.
Born as a subject of the Duchy of Benevento, was of Lombard ethnicity. Member of the Order of Saint Benedict. Called the Synod of Benevento (1087) condemning lay investiture.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Canon Regular of S. Maria di San Reno. Approved the new military order of the Knights Templar in 1128.
Born as a subject of the Kingdom of England. The only English (Anglo-Saxon) pope; purportedly granted Ireland to Henry II, King of England. Canon Regular of St. Rufus Monastery.
Motto: Perfice gressus meos in semitis tuis("Going in Thy path") Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Confirmed the statutes of the Teutonic Knights as a military order.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Convened the Fourth Council of the Lateran, 1215. Initiated the Fourth Crusade but later distanced himself from it and threatened participants with excommunication when it became clear that the leadership abandoned a focus on conquest of the Holy Land and instead intended to sack Christian cities.[20] Endorsed the Franciscan Order.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. First pope born after the Papal States ceased to be a state of the Holy Roman Empire. Established an Inquisition in France.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Formalized the Jubilee in 1300. Issued Unam Sanctam (1302) which proclaimed papal supremacy and pushed it to its historical extreme.
Born as a subject of the Kingdom of France. Pope at Avignon. Controversial for his views on the beatific vision. Opposed the Franciscan understanding of the poverty of Christ and his apostles, famously leading William of Ockham to write against unlimited papal power
Born as a citizen of the Republic of Venice. Was of Greek ethnicity. Western Schism. In opposition to Gregory XII. Considered a legitimate pope until 1963 and is numbered as such to this day.
Two-year period without a valid pope elected. The Council of Constance called on all three papal claimants to abdicate, but only Gregory XII (Roman) did. John XXIII (Pisan) was deposed, Benedict XIII (Avignon) was excommunicated, and a new pope was elected.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. His election effectively ended the Western Schism (1378–1417). Convened the Council of Basel (1431). Initiated the Hussite Wars.
—
10[23] or 20[24] June 1423 – 26 July 1429 (6years, 36days)
Born as a citizen of the Republic of Venice. Member of the Augustinian Order. Nephew of Gregory XII. Crowned Emperor Sigismund at Rome in 1433. Transferred the Council of Basel to Ferrara. It was later transferred again, to Florence, because of the Bubonic plague. Issued the bull "Creator Omnium", rescinding any recognition of Portugal's right to conquer the Canary Islands, still pagan. He excommunicated anyone who enslaved newly converted Christians, the penalty to stand until the captives were restored to their liberty and possessions.
13 November 1397 Sarzana, Republic of Genoa, Holy Roman Empire
49 / 57
Born as a citizen of the Republic of Genoa. Held the Jubilee of 1450. Crowned Emperor Frederick III at Rome (1452). Issued the bull Dum Diversas allowing Portugal's right to conquer and subjugate Saracens and pagans (1452). Created a library in the Vatican which would eventually become the Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana.
Citizen of the Republic of Siena. Displayed a great interest in urban planning. Founded Pienza near Siena as the ideal city in 1462. Known for his work on the Commentaries.
Citizen of the Republic of Venice. The nephew of Eugene IV. Built the Palazzo San Marco (now Palazzo Venezia). Approved the introduction of printing in the Papal States.
21 July 1414 Celle Ligure, Republic of Genoa, Holy Roman Empire
57 / 70
Citizen of the Republic of Genoa. Member of the Franciscan Order. Commissioned the Sistine Chapel and created the Vatican Archives. Authorized the Spanish Inquisition targeting converted Jewish Christians in Spain at the request of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain. A patron of the arts, he brought together the group of artists who ushered the Early Renaissance into Rome with the first masterpieces of the city's new artistic age. Noted for his nepotism and involved in the Pazzi conspiracy.
1 January 1431 Xàtiva, Kingdom of Valencia, Crown of Aragon
61 / 72
Born as a subject of the Kingdom of Valencia (and therefore subject to the monarch of the Crown of Aragon). Spanish (Valencian); Nephew of Callixtus III; father to Cesare Borgia and Lucrezia Borgia. Divided the extra-European world between Spain and Portugal in the bull Inter caetera (1493). Considered one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, partly because he acknowledged fathering several children by his mistresses. As a result, his Italianized Valencian surname, Borgia, became a byword for libertinism and nepotism, which are traditionally considered as characterizing his pontificate
5 December 1443 Albisola, Republic of Genoa, Holy Roman Empire
59 / 69
Born as a citizen of the Republic of Genoa. Nicknamed the 'Warrior Pope' or the 'Fearsome Pope'. Nephew of Sixtus IV; convened the Fifth Council of the Lateran (1512). Took control of all the Papal States for the first time. Became Pope in the context of the Italian Wars, a period in which the major powers of Europe fought for primacy in the Italian peninsula. Established the Vatican Museums and initiated the rebuilding of the St. Peter's Basilica. The same year he organized the famous Swiss Guard for his personal protection and commanded a successful campaign in Romagna against local lords. The interests of Julius II lay also in the New World as he ratified the Treaty of Tordesillas, establishing the first bishoprics in the Americas and beginning the catholicization of Latin America. In 1508, he commissioned the Raphael Rooms and Michelangelo's paintings in the Sistine Chapel.
Julius II was described by Machiavelli in his works as the ideal prince. Pope Julius II allowed people seeking indulgences to donate money to the Church which would be used for the construction of Saint Peter's Basilica.
Citizen of the Republic of Florence. Son of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Closed the Fifth Council of the Lateran. Remembered for granting indulgences to those who donated to rebuild St. Peter's Basilica; excommunicated Martin Luther (1521). Extended the Spanish Inquisition into Portugal. Borrowed and spent money without circumspection and was a significant patron of the arts. Under his reign, progress was made on the rebuilding of St. Peter's Basilica and artists such as Raphael decorated the Vatican rooms. Leo also reorganized the Roman University, and promoted the study of literature, poetry and antiquities. The last pope to not have been in priestly orders at the time of his election to the papacy.
Born as a subject of the Bishopric of Utrecht. The only Dutch pope; last non-Italian to be elected pope until John Paul II in 1978. Tutor of Emperor Charles V. Came to the papacy in the midst of one of its greatest crises, threatened not only by Lutheranism to the north but also by the advance of the Ottoman Turks to the east. He refused to compromise with Lutheranism theologically, demanding Luther's condemnation as a heretic. However, he is noted for having attempted to reform the Catholic Church administratively in response to the Protestant Reformation. Adrian's remarkable admission that the turmoil of the Church was the fault of the Roman Curia itself was read at the 1522–1523 Diet of Nuremberg.
His efforts at reform, however, proved fruitless, as they were resisted by most of his Renaissance ecclesiastical contemporaries, and he did not live long enough to see his efforts through to their conclusion.
Citizen of the Republic of Florence. Cousin of Leo X. Rome sacked by imperial troops (1527). Forbade the divorce of Henry VIII; crowned Charles V as emperor at Bologna (1530). Commissioned Michelangelo's painting of The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel (1533). Approved Copernicus' heliocentric universe theory (1533). However Copernicus made very few astronomical observations and based his new model squarely on his mathematical calculations. Natural philosophers of that time (professionals who began to be called scientists only in the 19th century) noted that if the earth rotated there would be observable Coriolis effects. Secondly, a revolving earth would imply a stellar parallax. Given that neither of these effects were observed at the time (would be observed decades later) , Copernicus' model still did not prove heliocentrism.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. The last to use his birth name as the regnal name. Instituted immediate economies in Vatican expenditures. The Missa Papae Marcelli composed in his honour.
7 January 1502 Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Papal States
70 / 83
Motto: Aperuit et clausit("Opened and closed")[32]
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Reformed the calendar (1582); built the Gregorian Chapel in the Vatican. The first pope to bestow the Immaculate Conception as patroness to the Philippine Islands through the bull Ilius Fulti Præsido (1579). Strengthened diplomatic ties with Asian nations.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Supported by the Spanish. Shortest-reigning pope; died before coronation. Set the first known worldwide smoking ban, banning smoking in and near all churches.
11 February 1535 Somma Lombardo, Lombardy, Duchy of Milan, Holy Roman Empire
55 / 56
Born as a subject of the Duchy of Milan. Modified the constitution Effraenatam of Sixtus V so that the penalty for abortion did not apply until the foetus became animated (1591). Made gambling on papal elections punishable by excommunication.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Initiated an alliance of European Christian powers to partake in the war with the Ottoman Empire known as The Long War (1595). Convened the Congregatio de Auxiliis which addressed doctrinal disputes between the Dominicans and Jesuits regarding free will and divine grace.[33]
During his pontificate Galileo's scientific contributions caused difficulties for theologians and natural philosophers of the time, as they contradicted scientific and philosophical ideas based on those of Aristotle and Ptolemy and closely associated with the Catholic Church at that time.
Not all Catholic priests at the time were against Galileo's discoveries. Christoph Grienberger, one of the Jesuit scholars, was sympathetic to Galileo's theories, but was invited to defend the Aristotelian point of view by Claudio Acquaviva, the Jesuits' Father General.
Not all scientists at the time supported Galileo. Opposition from Tycho Brahe and others arose from the fact that, if heliocentrism were true, an annual stellar parallax should be observed, although no such evidence existed at the time. (Only in 1838 was Friedrich Bessel able to accurately observe it.) Galileo's arguments – based on sunspots and the action of tides – were flawed and were refuted and rejected by other scholars at the time.
9 January 1554 Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Papal States
67 / 69
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Established the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (1622). Issued the bull Aeterni Patris (1621) which imposed conclaves to be by secret ballot. Issued the constitution Omnipotentis Dei against magicians and witches (1623).
Born as a subject of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Trial against Galileo Galilei. The last pope to expand papal territory by force of arms. Issued a 1624 bill that made the use of tobacco in holy places punishable by excommunication.
Motto: Bonum auget malum minuit("He increases good and diminishes evil")[37]
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Canonized the first saint from the Americas: St. Rose of Lima (1671). Decorated the bridge of Sant' Angelo with the ten statues of angels and added one of the two fountains that adorn the piazza of St. Peter's. Established regulations for the removal of relics of saints from cemeteries.
Born as a subject of the Kingdom of Naples. Issued the bull Romanum decet Pontificem to stop nepotism (1692). Erected various charitable and educational institutions.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. The Chinese Rites controversy. Patronized the first archaeological excavations in the Roman catacombs and made the feast of the Immaculate Conception universal. The Inquisition's ban on reprinting Galileo's works was lifted in 1718 when permission was granted to publish an edition of his works (excluding the condemned Dialogue) in Florence.[16][39]
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Prohibited the Jesuits from prosecuting their mission in China ordering that no new members should be received into the order. Issued the papal bull Apostolici Ministerii (1724) to revive ecclesiastical discipline in Spain.
Born as a subject of the Kingdom of Naples. Member of the Dominican Order; third and last member of the Orsini family to be pope. Originally called Benedict XIV due to the antipope but reverted to XIII. Repealed the worldwide tobacco smoking ban set by Urban VII and Urban VIII. During his pontificate James Bradley discovered the stellar aberration, proving the relative motion of the Earth in its orbit around the Sun.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Reformed the education of priests and the calendar of feasts. Completed the Trevi Fountain and affirmed the teachings of Thomas Aquinas; founded academies of art, religion and science. Authorized the publication of an edition of Galileo's complete scientific works which included a mildly censored version of the Dialogue.
Citizen of the Republic of Venice. Provided the famous fig leaves on nude male statues in the Vatican. Defended the Society of Jesus in "Apostolicum pascendi" (1765). During his pontificate (or at the end of his predecessor's pontificate), the general prohibition against works advocating heliocentrism was removed from the Index of prohibited books, although the specific ban on uncensored versions of the Dialogue and Copernicus's De Revolutionibus remained.
25 December 1717 Cesena, Emilia-Romagna, Papal States
57 / 81
Motto: Floret in domo domini("It blossoms in the house of God")[42]
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Condemned the French Revolution; expelled from the Papal States by French troops from 1798 until his death. The last pope to be a patron of Renaissance art.
During his pontificate, the astronomer William Herschel, studying the movement of stars, was the first to realize that the Solar System is moving in space, and determined the approximate direction of movement. Also discovered that the Milky Way (which in the late 18th century was believed to be the entire Universe) is flat, disk-shaped and with the Sun at its center (assertion discovered to be wrong decades later, because today it is known that the Sun is not located in the Galactic Center).
Six-month period without a valid pope elected. This was due to unique logistical problems (the old pope died a prisoner and the conclave was in Venice) and a deadlock among cardinals voting.
Count Annibale Francesco Clemente Melchiore Girolamo Nicola Sermattei della Genga
22 August 1760 Genga, Marche, Papal States
63 / 68
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Placed the Catholic educational system under the control of the Jesuits through Quod divina sapientia (1824). Condemned the Bible societies.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Accepted Louis Philippe I as king of the French. Condemned the masonic secret societies and modernist biblical translations in the brief Litteris altero (1830).
18 September 1765 Belluno, Veneto, Republic of Venice
65 / 80
Citizen of the Republic of Venice. Member of the Camaldolese; last non-bishop to be elected to the papacy. Politically opposed democratic and modernising reforms in the Papal States. Regarding scientific thinking, all traces of official opposition to heliocentrism by the church disappeared in 1835 when the uncensored versions of Dialogue and De Revolutionibus were finally dropped from the Index.
Even before the development of the scientific method, Catholic theology had allowed for biblical texts to be read as allegorical rather than literal where they appeared to contradict that which could be established by science or reason. Thus, Catholicism has been able to refine its understanding of scripture in light of scientific discoveries.[44][45]
Motto: Lumen in coelo("Light in Heaven") Born as a French citizen, of Italian ethnicity, later became a subject of the Papal States and finally an Italian citizen. Issued the encyclical Rerum novarum; supported Christian democracy against Communism. Had the third-longest reign after Pius IX, and John Paul II. Promoted the rosary and the scapular and approved two new Marian scapulars; first pope to fully embrace the concept of Mary as mediatrix.
Motto: In te, Domine, speravi: non confundar in aeternum.("In thee, o Lord, have I trusted: let me not be confounded for evermore.")
Born as a subject of the Kingdom of Sardinia, later became an Italian citizen. Credited for intervening for peace during World War I. Issued the 1917 Code of Canon Law; supported the missionaries in Maximum illud. Remembered by Benedict XVI as a "prophet of peace".
Motto: Opus Justitiae Pax("The work of justice [shall be] peace")
Italian citizen. Invoked papal infallibility in the encyclical Munificentissimus Deus; defined the dogma of the Assumption. Eliminated the Italian majority of cardinals. Credited with intervening for peace during World War II; controversial for his reactions to the Holocaust. Published the Humani generis, the first encyclical to specifically refer to evolution and took up a neutral position, concentrating on human evolution:
"The Church does not forbid that ... research and discussions, on the part of men experienced in both fields, take place with regard to the doctrine of evolution, in as far as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter."[46]
Italian citizen. Abolished the coronation and opted for the papal inauguration. First pope to use 'the First' in papal name; first with two names for two immediate predecessors. Last pope to use the sedia gestatoria.
Polish citizen, first pope of Slavic origin. First non-Italian pope since Adrian VI (1522–1523). Travelled extensively, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate. Second-longest reign after Pius IX. Founded World Youth Day (1984) and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences (1994). Canonized more saints than any of his predecessors. Youngest individual to start his papacy since Pius IX (1846).
Motto: Miserando atque Eligendo("Lowly but chosen", literally 'by having mercy, by choosing him')[50]
Argentine citizen. First pope to be born outside Europe since Gregory III (731–741) and the first from the Americas; first pope from the Southern Hemisphere. First pope from a religious institute since Gregory XVI (1831–1846); first Jesuit pope. First to use a new and non-composed regnal name since Lando (913–914). First pope to visit and celebrate a mass on the Arabian Peninsula.[51]
Religious orders
51 popes and 6 antipopes (in italics) have been members of religious orders, including 12 members of third orders. They are listed by order as follows:
Regnal numbers follow the usual convention for European monarchs. The first pope who chooses a unique name is not usually identified by an ordinal, John Paul I being the exception. Antipopes are treated as pretenders, and their numbers are reused by those considered to be legitimate popes. However, there are anomalies in the numbering of the popes. Several numbers were mistakenly increased in the Middle Ages because the records were misunderstood. Several antipopes were also kept in the sequence, either by mistake or because they were previously considered to be true popes.[52]
Alexander: Antipope Alexander V (1409–1410) was listed in the Annuario Pontificio as a legitimate pope until the 20th century,[53] when the Pisan popes were reclassified as antipopes. There had already been three more Alexanders by then, so there is now a gap in the numbering sequence.
Donus: The name has only been used by one pope. The apocryphal Pope Donus II resulted from confusion between the Latin word dominus (lord) and the name Donus.
John: The numbering of the Popes John is particularly confused. In the modern sequence, they are identified by the numbers they used during their reigns.
Pope John XXI (1276–1277) chose to skip the number XX, believing that there had been another Pope John between XIV and XV. In reality, John XIV had been counted twice.[55]
By the 16th century, the numbering error had been conflated with legends about a female Pope Joan, whom some authors called John VIII. She was never listed in the Annuario Pontificio.[56]
Antipope John XXIII (1410–1415) was listed in the Annuario Pontificio as a legitimate pope until the 20th century.[53] After the Pisan popes were classified as antipopes, Pope John XXIII (1958–1963) chose to reuse the number, citing "twenty-two [sic] Johns of indisputable legitimacy."[57]
Martin: Pope Martin I (649–655) is followed by Martin IV (1281–1285). Due to the similarity between the Latin names Marinus and Martinus, MarinusI and MarinusII were mistakenly considered to be Martin II and III.[58]
Stephen: Pope-elect Stephen (752) died before being consecrated. He was previously known as Stephen II, but the Vatican removed him from the official list of popes in 1961.[55] The remaining Stephens are now numbered Pope Stephen II (752–757) to Pope Stephen IX (1057–1058).
↑ Nicopolis is now a Roman ruin near the city of Preveza, Greece.
↑ It is not clear when Pope Victor I was born, and where he was born, although some[11] suggest he was born in Leptis Magna, now a part of Libya.
Related Research Articles
An antipope is a person who claims to be Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church in opposition to the legitimately elected pope. Between the 3rd and mid-15th centuries, antipopes were supported by factions within the Church itself and secular rulers.
Baldassarre Cossa was Pisan antipope as John XXIII (1410–1415) during the Western Schism. The Catholic Church today regards him as an antipope in opposition to Pope Gregory XII, whom it recognizes as the rightful successor of Saint Peter. John XXIII was also an opponent of Antipope Benedict XIII, who was recognized by the French clergy and monarchy as the legitimate Pontiff.
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the eighth century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of state of the Papal States, and since 1929 of the much smaller Vatican City state. The reigning pope is Francis, who was elected on 13 March 2013. From a Catholic viewpoint, the primacy of the bishop of Rome is largely derived from his role as the apostolic successor to Saint Peter, to whom primacy was conferred by Jesus, who gave Peter the Keys of Heaven and the powers of "binding and loosing", naming him as the "rock" upon which the Church would be built.
Pope Benedict VII was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from October 974 to his death.
Pope Gregory XII, born Angelo Corraro, Corario, or Correr, was head of the Catholic Church from 30 November 1406 to 4 July 1415. Reigning during the Western Schism, he was opposed by the Avignon claimant Benedict XIII and the Pisan claimants Alexander V and John XXIII. Gregory XII wanted to unify the Church and voluntarily resigned in 1415 to end the schism.
Pope Anacletus, also known as Cletus, was the bishop of Rome, following Peter and Linus. Anacletus served between c. AD 80 and his death, c. AD 92. Cletus was a Roman who, during his tenure as pope, ordained a number of priests and is traditionally credited with setting up about twenty-five parishes in Rome. Although the precise dates of his pontificate are uncertain, he "...died a martyr, perhaps about 91". Cletus is mentioned in the Roman Canon of the mass; his feast day is April 26.
Christopher claimed the papacy from October 903 to January 904. Although he was listed as a legitimate pope in most modern lists of popes until the first half of the 20th century, the apparently uncanonical method by which he obtained the papacy led to his being removed from the quasi-official roster of popes, the Annuario Pontificio. As such, he is now considered an antipope by the Catholic Church.
The Western Schism, also known as the Papal Schism, the Great Occidental Schism, the Schism of 1378, or the Great Schism, was a split within the Catholic Church lasting from 20 September 1378 to 11 November 1417, in which bishops residing in Rome and Avignon simultaneously claimed to be the true pope, and were eventually joined by a third line of Pisan claimants in 1409. The event was driven by international rivalries, personalities and political allegiances, with the Avignon Papacy in particular being closely tied to the French monarchy.
A papal renunciation also called a papal abdication, occurs when the current pope of the Catholic Church voluntarily resigns his position. As a pope's time in office has conventionally lasted from his election until his death, a papal renunciation is an uncommon event. Before the 21st century, only five popes unambiguously resigned with historical certainty, all between the 10th and 15th centuries. Additionally, there are disputed claims of four popes having resigned, dating from the 3rd to the 11th centuries; a fifth disputed case may have involved an antipope.
Pedro Martínez de Luna y Pérez de Gotor, known as el Papa Luna(lit.'the Moon Pope') or Pope Luna, was an Aragonese nobleman who was christened antipope Benedict XIII during the Western Schism.
The Annuario Pontificio is the annual directory of the Holy See of the Catholic Church. It lists the popes in chronological order and all officials of the Holy See's departments. It also provides names and contact information for all cardinals and bishops, the dioceses, the departments of the Roman Curia, the Holy See's diplomatic missions abroad, the embassies accredited to the Holy See, the headquarters of religious institutes, certain academic institutions, and other similar information. The index includes, along with all the names in the body of the book, those of all priests who have been granted the title of "Monsignor".
According to Roman Catholicism, the history of the papacy, the office held by the pope as head of the Catholic Church, spans from the time of Peter to the present day.
The Prefecture of the Papal Household is the office in charge of the Papal Household, a section of the Roman Curia that comprises the Papal Chapel and the Papal Family.
A papal name or pontificial name is the regnal name taken by a pope. Both the head of the Catholic Church, usually known as the pope, and the pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria choose papal names. As of 2013, Pope Francis is the Catholic pope, and Tawadros II or Theodoros II is the Coptic pope. This article discusses and lists the names of Catholic popes; another article has a list of Coptic Orthodox popes of Alexandria.
Papal appointment was a medieval method of selecting the Pope. Popes have always been selected by a council of Church fathers; however, Papal selection before 1059 was often characterized by confirmation or nomination by secular European rulers or by the preceding pope. The later procedures of the Papal conclave are in large part designed to prohibit interference of secular rulers, which to some extent characterized the first millennium of the Roman Catholic Church, e. g. in practices such as the creation of crown-cardinals and the claimed but invalid jus exclusivae. Appointment may have taken several forms, with a variety of roles for the laity and civic leaders, Byzantine and Germanic emperors, and noble Roman families. The role of the election vis-a-vis the general population and the clergy was prone to vary considerably, with a nomination carrying weight that ranged from nearly determinative to merely suggestive, or as ratification of a concluded election.
The Diocese of Rome, also called the Vicariate of Rome, is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church under the direct jurisdiction of the Pope, who is Bishop of Rome and hence the supreme pontiff and head of the worldwide Catholic Church. As the Holy See, the papacy is a sovereign entity with diplomatic relations, and civil jurisdiction over the Vatican City State located geographically within Rome. The Diocese of Rome is the metropolitan diocese of the province of Rome, an ecclesiastical province in Italy. According to Catholic tradition, the first bishop of Rome was Saint Peter in the first century. The incumbent since 13 March 2013 is Pope Francis.
The numbering of "Popes John" does not occur in strict numerical order. Although there have been twenty-one legitimate popes named John, the numbering has reached XXIII because of two clerical errors that were introduced in the Middle Ages: first, antipope John XVI was kept in the numbering sequence instead of being removed; then, the number XX was skipped because Pope John XXI counted John XIV twice.
↑ For the dates of death of Clement III and the election of Celestine III see Katrin Baaken: Zu Wahl, Weihe und Krönung Papst Cölestins III. Deutsches Archiv für Erforschung des Mittelalters Volume 41 / 1985, pp. 203–211
↑ Philip Hughes, "Innocent III & the Latin East", History of the Church, vol. 2, p. 371, Sheed & Ward, 1948.
↑ John Henry Blunt (1874). "Jansenists". Dictionary of Sects, Heresies, Ecclesiastical Parties, and Schools of Religious Thought. Rivingtons. pp.234–240. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
↑ Heilbron, John L. (2005). "Censorship of Astronomy in Italy after Galileo". In McMullin, Ernan (ed.). The Church and Galileo. University of Notre Dame Press. p.299. ISBN978-0-268-03483-2.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
