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Popes of the Roman Catholic Church Popes of the Roman Catholic Church
Christ Giving the Keys to Saint Peter Christ Giving the Keys to Saint Peter

Popes of the Roman Catholic Church
The title of Pope is given to the bishop of Rome who is the head of the Roman Catholic Church. It comes from the Greek word pappas meaning "father", and is used out of affection and respect. In the Catholic Church the pope has final authority in all church matters. Beatification is a papal declaration that a person lived a venerable and holy life, and the title of "blessed" is conferred. This is the first step in the canonization process, which can ultimately lead to the individual being named saint.
Name Reign
St. Peter 42-67
St. Linus 67-79
St. Anacletus (Cletus) 79-92
St. Clement I 92-101
St. Evaristus 101-105
St. Alexander I 105-115
St. Sixtus I 115-125
St. Telesphorus 125-136
St. Hyginus 136-140
St. Pius I 140-155
St. Anicetus 155-166
St. Soter 166-175
St. Eleutherius 175-189
St. Victor I 189-199
St. Zephyrinus 199-217
St. Callistus I 217-222
St. Hippolytus 1, 2 217-235
St. Urban I 222-230
St. Pontian 230-235
St. Anterus 235-236
St. Fabian 236-250
St. Cornelius 251-253
Novatian 1 251
St. Lucius I 253-254
St. Stephen I 254-257
St. Sixtus II 257-258
St. Dionysius 259-268
St. Felix I 269-274
St. Eutychian 275-283
St. Gaius (Caius) 283-296
St. Marcellinus 3 296-304
St. Marcellus I 3 308-309
St. Eusebius 309
St. Miltiades 311-314
St. Silvester I 314-335
St. Mark 336
St. Julius I 337-352
Liberius 352-366
Felix II 1, 4 355-365
St. Damasus I 366-384
Ursinus 1 366-367
St. Siricius 384-399
St. Anastasius I 399-401
St. Innocent I 401-417
St. Zosimus 417-418
St. Boniface I 418-422
Eulalius 1 418-419
St. Celestine I 422-432
St. Sixtus III 432-440
St. Leo I 440-461
St. Hilary 461-468
St. Simplicius 468-483
St. Felix III (II) 4 483-492
St. Gelasius I 492-496
Anastasius II 496-498
St. Symmachus 498-514
Lawrence 1, 5 498; 501-505
St. Hormisdas 514-523
St. John I 523-526
St. Felix IV (III) 4 526-530
Boniface II 530-532
Dioscorus 1 530
John II 533-535
St. Agapitus I 535-536
St. Silverius 536-537
Vigilius 537-555
Pelagius I 556-561
John III 561-574
Benedict I 575-579
Pelagius II 579-590
St. Gregory I 590-604
Sabinian 604-606
Boniface III 607
St. Boniface IV 608-615
St. Deusdedit I 615-618
Boniface V 619-625
Honorius I 625-638
Severinus 640
John IV 640-642
Theodore I 642-649
St. Martin I 649-655
St. Eugene I 654-657
St. Vitalian 657-672
Deusdedit II 672-676
Donus 676-678
St. Agatho 678-681
St. Leo II 682-683
St. Benedict II 684-685
John V 685-686
Conon 686-687
Theodore 1 687
Paschal 1 687
St. Sergius I 687-701
John VI 701-705
John VII 705-707
Sisinnius 708
Constantine 708-715
St. Gregory II 715-731
St. Gregory III 731-741
St. Zachary 741-752
Stephen (II) 6 752
Stephen II (III) 6 752-757
St. Paul I 757-767
Constantine 1 767-769
Philip 1 768
Stephen III (IV) 6 768-772
Adrian I 772-795
St. Leo III 795-816
Stephen IV (V) 6 816-817
St. Paschal I 817-824
Eugene II 824-827
Valentine 827
Gregory IV 827-844
John 1, 7 844
Sergius II 844-847
St. Leo IV 847-855
Benedict III 855-858
Anastasius 1 855
St. Nicholas I 858-867
Adrian II 867-872
John VIII 872-882
Marinus I 10 882-884
St. Adrian III 884-885
St. Stephen V (VI) 6 885-891
Formosus 891-896
Boniface VI 896
Stephen VI (VII) 6 896-897
Romanus 897
Theodore II 897
John IX 898-900
Benedict IV 900-903
Leo V 903
Christopher 1 903-904
Sergius III 904-911
Anastasius III 911-913
Lando 913-914
John X 914-928
Leo VI 928
Stephen VII (VIII) 6 928-931
John XI 931-935
Leo VII 936-939
Stephen VIII (IX) 6 939-942
Marinus II 10 942-946
Agapitus II 946-955
John XII 955-964
Leo VIII 8 963-965
Benedict V 8 964-966
John XIII 8 965-972
Benedict VI 973-974
Boniface VII 1 974; 984-985
Benedict VII 974-983
John XIV 983-984
John XV 985-996
Gregory V 996-999
John XVI 1, 4 997-998
Silvester II 999-1003
John XVII 4 1003
John XVIII 1004-1009
Sergius IV 1009-1012
Benedict VIII 1012-1024
Gregory VI 1 1012
John XIX 7 1024-1032
Benedict IX 9 1032-1044
Silvester III 1045
Benedict IX (2nd time) 9 1045
Gregory VI 1045-1046
Clement II 1046-1047
Benedict IX (3rd time) 9 1047-1048
Damasus II 1048
St. Leo IX 1049-1054
Victor II 1055-1057
Stephen IX (X) 6 1057-1058
Benedict X 1 1058-1059
Nicholas II 1059-1061
Alexander II 1061-1073
Honorius II 1 1061-1072
St. Gregory VII 1073-1085
Clement III 1 1080-1100
Bl. Victor III 1086-1087
Bl. Urban II 1088-1099
Paschal II 1099-1118
Theodoric 1 1100
Albert 1 1102
Silvester IV 1 1105-1111
Gelasius II 1118-1119
Gregory VIII 1 1118-1121
Callistus II 1119-1124
Honorius II 1124-1130
Celestine II 1 1124
Innocent II 1130-1143
Anacletus II 1 1130-1138
Victor IV 1, 4 1138
Celestine II 1143-1144
Lucius II 1144-1145
Bl. Eugene III 1145-1153
Anastasius IV 1153-1154
Adrian IV 1154-1159
Alexander III 1159-1181
Victor IV 4 1159-1164
Paschal III 1 1164-1168
Callistus III 1 1168-1178
Innocent III 1 1179-1180
Lucius III 1181-1185
Urban III 1185-1187
Gregory VIII 1187
Clement III 1187-1191
Celestine III 1191-1198
Innocent III 1198-1216
Honorius III 1216-1227
Gregory IX 1227-1241
Celestine IV 1241
Innocent IV 1243-1254
Alexander IV 1254-1261
Urban IV 1261-1264
Clement IV 1265-1268
Bl. Gregory X 1271-1276
Bl. Innocent V 1276
Adrian V 1276
John XXI 1276-1277
Nicholas III 1277-1280
Martin IV 10 1281-1285
Honorius IV 1285-1287
Nicholas IV 1288-1292
St. Celestine V 1294
Boniface VIII 1294-1303
Bl. Benedict XI 1303-1304
Clement V 1305-1314
John XXII 1316-1334
Nicholas V 1 1328-1330
Benedict XII 1334-1342
Clement VI 1342-1352
Innocent VI 1352-1362
Bl. Urban V 1362-1370
Gregory XI 1370-1378
Urban VI 1378-1389
Boniface IX 1389-1404
Innocent VII 1404-1406
Gregory XII 1406-1415
Clement VII 1 1378-1394
Benedict XIII 1 1394-1423
Alexander V 1 1409-1410
John XXIII 1, 4 1410-1415
Martin V 1417-1431
Eugene IV 1431-1447
Felix V 1, 4 1440-1449
Nicholas V 1447-1455
Callistus III 1455-1458
Pius II 1458-1464
Paul II 1464-1471
Sixtus IV 1471-1484
Innocent VIII 1484-1492
Alexander VI 1492-1503
Pius III 1503
Julius II 1503-1513
Leo X 1513-1521
Adrian VI 1522-1523
Clement VII 1523-1534
Paul III 1534-1549
Julius III 1550-1555
Marcellus II 1555
Paul IV 1555-1559
Pius IV 1559-1565
St. Pius V 1566-1572
Gregory XIII 1572-1585
Sixtus V 1585-1590
Urban VII 1590
Gregory XIV 1590-1591
Innocent IX 1591
Clement VIII 1592-1605
Leo XI 1605
Paul V 1605-1621
Gregory XV 1621-1623
Urban VIII 1623-1644
Innocent X 1644-1655
Alexander VII 1655-1667
Clement IX 1667-1669
Clement X 1670-1676
Bl. Innocent XI 1676-1689
Alexander VIII 1689-1691
Innocent XII 1691-1700
Clement XI 1700-1721
Innocent XIII 1721-1724
Benedict XIII 1724-1730
Clement XII 1730-1740
Benedict XIV 1740-1758
Clement XIII 1758-1769
Clement XIV 1769-1774
Pius VI 1775-1799
Pius VII 1800-1823
Leo XII 1823-1829
Pius VIII 1829-1830
Gregory XVI 1831-1846
Pius IX 1846-1878
Leo XIII 1878-1903
St. Pius X 1903-1914
Benedict XV 1914-1922
Pius XI 1922-1939
Pius XII 1939-1958
John XXIII 4 1958-1963
Paul VI 1963-1978
John Paul I 1978
John Paul II 1978-2005
Benedict XVI 2005-
1) Antipope (a pontiff elected in opposition to one who already holds the title and who was canonically chosen).

2) Saint Hippolytus was antipope under Callistus I, Urban I, and Pontian. He was exiled to Sardinia with Pontian. He was later reconciled with that pope and died a martyr.

3) There is a four year gap between Marcellinus and Marcellinus I. Some historians believe that these two popes were the same person, but others disagree and maintain that Macellinus I governed the church from 304 to 309.

4) Antipope Felix II was anciently considered a legitimate pope. The Roman numerals in the name of Felix III (II), who reigned from 483 to 492, and Felix IV (III), who reigned from 526 to 530, vary depending on the acceptance (first numeral used) or nonacceptance (second number used) of the legitimacy of Felix II. Given that Felix V, himself an antipope, did not style himself Felix IV indicates he considered Felix II legitimate. The listing of popes is not consistent in this matter. Thus, John XVI was an antipope, and yet the next pope to take the name styled himself John XVII. The opposite also happens. John XXIII was an antipope; the modern John XXIII ignored him altogether and took the same name and numeral. An identical case is that of Antipope Victor IV and Pope Victor IV.

5) Antipope Lawrence was antipope twice: in 488 and again in 501-505.

6) Stephen (II) was legitimately elected pope in 752, but he died before his episcopal consecration. Because of this circumstance, he was considered as not having been pope at all. A more recent theology of the papacy has reversed that opinion, however, and the Annuario Pontificio has listed him as pope since its 1961 edition; hence the two sets of numerals for the later Stephens, those in parentheses reflecting the newer opinion.

7) John XIX; because of medieval errors in listing, there is no John XX. It may be that Antipope John (?-844) has confused the list.

8) The regnal dates of Benedict V (964-966) overlap those of his predecessor, Leo VIII (963-965), and of his successor, John XIII (965-972). Benedict is nevertheless considered a legitimate pope.

9) Benedict IX (1032-1044, 1045, 1047-1048) was legitimately elected three times and deposed twice.

10) Martin IV; there is neither Martin II nor Martin III. Marinus I and Marinus II were listed erroneously as Martin II and Martin III, respectively, and so in 1281 pope-elect Martin chose to be called Martin IV.

Source: Encarta Research.
Appears in these articles:
Roman Catholic Church; Celestine I, Saint; Celestine V, Saint; Gregory II, Saint; Pius V, Saint; Peter, Saint; Nicholas I, Saint; Leo III, Saint; Gregory VII, Saint; Zosimus, Saint; Symmachus, Saint; Hormisdas, Saint; Julius I, Saint; Siricius, Saint; John I, Saint; Stephen I, Saint (pope); Linus, Saint; Cornelius, Saint; Clement I, Saint; Papacy; Gelasius I, Saint; Victor I, Saint; Pius X, Saint; Benedict XIII; Leo IX, Saint; Martin I, Saint; John XII; Damasus I, Saint; Paschal II; Zachary, Saint; Innocent IV; Innocent I, Saint; Leo I, Saint; Gregory I, Saint; Middle Ages; Pope
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