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] Also revered as a saint in Eastern Christianity, with the same feast day.
Hellenized Jew. A peregrinus, free provincial subject of the Roman Empire who was not a Roman citizen. Feast day of 26 October. Said to have divided Rome into parishes, assigning a priest to each.
Roman citizen, born in the capital of the Roman Empire. Feast day 3 May. 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 5 January. Church Father St. Irenaeus called him a great martyr; the earliest attested martyrdom of pope after St. Peter. Also revered as a saint in Eastern Christianity, with a feast day of 22 February.
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 20 April. Decreed that priests are not allowed to have long hair. Also revered as a saint in Eastern Christianity, with a feast day of 17 April.
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. Although not physically martyred (murdered), he is called a martyr for the suffering he endured; feast day 20 December. Combated against the adoptionist heresies of the followers of Theodotus of Byzantium, who were ruled by Theodotus and Asclepiodotus.
Roman citizen. Feast day 20 January. Divided the communities of Rome into seven districts, each supervised by a deacon. 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. Feast day 7 October. 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.
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. Feast day 26 November. His famous letters—the earliest surviving texts of papal decretals—were focused particularly on religious discipline and include decisions on baptism, consecration, ordination, penance, and continence. Siricius's 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 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 to Campania and died in 423.
42
28 December 418 – 4 September 422 (3years, 250days)
Roman citizen. Feast day 27 July. 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. Feast day 10 November. 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. 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. Feast day 10 March. Pope during the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent overtaking of Rome and Italy in general by Odoacer.
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 Boniface II. Candidate of the Byzantine party, elected by the majority of the cardinals and recognized by Constantinople, died less than a month after his election.
(Eastern) Roman citizen. Was of Roman ethnicity. Feast day 8 November. Sometimes called Deusdedit. 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 12 November. Also revered as a saint in Eastern Christianity, with a feast day of 14 April.
(Eastern) Roman citizen. Was of Greek ethnicity. Feast day 10 January. Also revered as a saint in Eastern Christianity, with a feast day of 20 February. Pope during the Third Council of Constantinople (680), the sixth ecumenical council accepted by the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.
Subject of the Umayyad Caliphate; Last pope from Syria. Third pope to come from a Muslim country. 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, later the sovereign of the independent Papal States. Was of Roman ethnicity. Pope during the Second Council of Nicaea (787), the seventh ecumenical council accepted by the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.
(Eastern) Roman citizen, later the sovereign of the independent Papal States. Was of Roman ethnicity. Crowned Charlemagne emperor on Christmas Day (800), thereby initiating what would become the Holy Roman Empire, requiring the imprimatur of the pope for its rulers' 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, who was Marozia's husband, and not of Alberic I of Spoleto.
Subject and later the claimant of the throne of the Papal States. Appointed antipope by Emperor Otto I in 963 in opposition to John XII and Benedict V. His pontificate from 963 to 964 is considered illegitimate by today's 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 after the deposition of Benedict V is considered legitimate by the modern Catholic Church.
Subject of the Duchy of Carinthia. First German pope. Fifth pope not to use his personal name (Bruno). Henceforth, this decision became tradition among future popes.
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 claimant of the throne of the Papal States. Was of Lombard ethnicity. In opposition to Paschal II. Captured and sent to a monastery.
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.
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.
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 its participants with excommunication when it became clear that the leadership abandoned their 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 of the Kingdom of Sicily. One of the few popes who abdicated voluntarily. Member of the Order of Saint Benedict. Founded the Celestines. Reinstituted the rules of Ubi periculum. Abdicated and rumoured to have been murdered in prison by his successor, Boniface VIII.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Incorporated Ubi periculum into canon law (1298). Formalized the jubilee (1300). Issued the bull Unam Sanctam (1302), which proclaimed papal supremacy and pushed it to its historical extreme.
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.
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 still numbered as such to this day.
Two-year period without a valid pope elected. The Council of Constance (1414–1418) 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 (Martin V) 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.
Citizen of the Republic of Venice. Member of the Augustinian Order. Nephew of Gregory XII. Crowned Emperor Sigismund at Rome in 1433. Issued the bull Creator Omnium (1434), 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. Transferred the Council of Basel to Ferrara (1438); it was eventually transferred again to Florence (1439–1445) due to the bubonic plague.
13 November 1397 Sarzana, Republic of Genoa, Holy Roman Empire
49 / 57
Citizen of the Republic of Genoa. Held the 1450 jubilee. Crowned Emperor Frederick III at Rome (1452). Issued the bull Dum Diversas (1452), allowing Portugal's right to conquer and subjugate Saracens and pagans. 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. Nephew of Eugene IV. Built the Palazzo San Marco (now Palazzo Venezia). Approved the introduction of printing in the Papal States.
1 January 1431 Xàtiva, Kingdom of Valencia, Crown of Aragon
61 / 72
Subject of the Kingdom of Valencia (and therefore subject 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
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 St. Peter's Basilica.
Citizen of the Republic of Florence. Son of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Closed the Fifth Council of the Lateran (1517). 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. Last pope to not have been in the priestly orders at the time of his election to the papacy.
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 Martin Luther's condemnation as a heretic. However, he is noted for his attempt to reform the Catholic Church administratively in response to the Protestant Reformation. Adrian VI'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.
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Recognized the Jesuits (1540). Opened the Council of Trent (1545). His illegitimate son became the first duke of Parma. Decreed the second and final excommunication of King Henry VIII of England. Appointed Michelangelo to supervise construction of St. Peter's Basilica (1546).
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Last to use his birth name as his papal name. Instituted immediate economies in the expenditure of the Holy See. The Missa Papae Marcelli was composed in his honour.
7 January 1502 Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Papal States
70 / 83
Motto: Aperuit et clausit("Opened and closed")[27]
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Built the Gregorian Chapel in the Vatican. First pope to bestow the Immaculate Conception as the patron saint of the Philippine Islands through the bull Ilius Fulti Præsido (1579). Strengthened diplomatic ties with Asian nations. Reformed the calendar (1582).
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, Duchy of Milan, Holy Roman Empire
55 / 56
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, addressing the doctrinal disputes between the Dominicans and Jesuits regarding free will and divine grace.[29]
Subject of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Trial against Galileo Galilei. Last pope to expand the 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")[33]
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.
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][35]
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.
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, liturgy, religion, and science. Authorized the publication of an edition of Galileo's complete scientific works, including 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 Jesuits in the bull 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 Forbidden Books, although the specific ban on uncensored versions of Galileo's Dialogue and Copernicus's De Revolutionibus remained.
Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio Braschi
25 December 1717 Cesena, Emilia-Romagna, Papal States
57 / 81
Motto: Floret in Domo Domini("It blossoms in the House of God")[38]
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Condemned the French Revolution; expelled from the Papal States by the French from 1798 until his death. Last pope to be a patron of Renaissance art.
Six-month period without a valid pope elected. This was due to unique logistical problems (the former pope died a prisoner and the conclave was in Venice) and a deadlock among cardinals voting.
Annibale Francesco Clemente Melchiorre Girolamo Nicola 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 the papal bull 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 translations of the Bible 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 opposition to heliocentrism by the church disappeared in 1835, when the uncensored versions of Dialogue and De Revolutionibus were finally removed 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.[40][41]
French citizen of Italian ethnicity, later becoming a subject of the Papal States and finally an Italian citizen. Issued the encyclical Rerum novarum (1891), supporting Christian democracy against Communism. Third-longest reigning pope after Pius IX and John Paul II, excluding Peter. Promoted the rosary and scapular. Approved two new Marian scapulars; first pope to completely embrace the concept of Mary as a mediatrix. First pope to be filmed using a motion picture camera (1898) and first pope with voice recorded. Oldest verified pope in office.
Motto: Opus justitiae pax("The work of justice [shall be] peace")
Italian citizen. Credited with intervening for peace during World War II; controversial for his reactions to the Holocaust. Eliminated the Italian majority of cardinals. Invoked papal infallibility in the encyclical Munificentissimus Deus; defined the dogma of the Assumption. Published the Humani generis (1950), 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."[42]
Motto: Cum Ipso in monte("With Him on the mountain")
Italian citizen. Last pope to be crowned. First pope since 1809 to travel outside Italy. Closed the Second Vatican Council (1965). Issued the encyclical Humanae vitae (1968), condemning artificial contraception. Revised the Roman Missal (1969).
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 his two immediate predecessors. First pope born in the twentieth century. 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. Third-longest reigning pope after Peter and Pius IX. Founded the 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 yet chosen")[46]
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 papal name since Lando (913–914). Facilitated the Cuban thaw (2015). Eliminated the European majority of cardinals. First pope to visit and celebrate a Mass on the Arabian Peninsula.[47]
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.[48]
Alexander: Antipope Alexander V (1409–1410) was listed in the Annuario Pontificio as a legitimate pope until the 20th century,[49] 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.[51]
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.[52]
Antipope John XXIII (1410–1415) was listed in the Annuario Pontificio as a legitimate pope until the 20th century.[49] 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."[53]
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.[54]
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.[51] The remaining Stephens are now numbered Pope Stephen II (752–757) to Pope Stephen IX (1057–1058).
↑ 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.
