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Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI blessing a crowd in Rome.
popes and antipopes
Since the early days of Christianity, more than 260 popes have served as the leader of what would become the Roman Catholic Church. Indeed, Roman Catholic tradition holds that the role was first held by St. Peter the Apostle, one of the original disciples of Jesus. Popes are elected by an assembly of cardinals known as a papal conclave. After a pope dies (or resigns, as was the case with Benedict XVI in 2013), the cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Palace in Vatican City, to vote for the next pontiff to lead the largest branch of Christianity. The vast majority of popes have been Roman or Italian, but the 20th and 21st centuries saw the first popes from Poland (John Paul II) and Latin America (Francis I, from Argentina). All popes have been male, despite enduring stories that originated in the 13th century about a Pope Joan, and more than 80 popes have been pronounced saints.
In the early church, there were occasional rival claimants to the papal throne, known as antipopes. They were appointed or elected in opposition to the legitimately elected pope. There have been about 40 antipopes throughout the history of the Roman Catholic Church, the last of whom was Felix V in 1439–49.
A list of popes and antipopes of the Roman Catholic Church is provided in the table.
| Popes and antipopes1 | |
|---|---|
| 1Antipopes are in italics. Until the 4th century the popes were usually known only as bishops of Rome. | |
| 2The higher number is used if Felix (II), who reigned from 355 to 358 and is ordinarily classed as an antipope, is counted as a pope. | |
| 3Though elected on March 23, 752, Stephen (II) died two days later, before he could be consecrated, and thus is ordinarily not counted. The issue has made the numbering of subsequent Stephens somewhat irregular. | |
| 4Either Leo VIII or Benedict V may be considered an antipope. | |
| 5A confusion in the numbering of popes named John after John XIV (reigned 983–984) resulted because some 11th-century historians mistakenly believed that there had been a pope named John between antipope Boniface VII and the true John XV (reigned 985–996). Therefore they mistakenly numbered the real popes John XV to XIX as John XVI to XX. These popes have since customarily been renumbered XV to XIX, but John XXI and John XXII continue to bear numbers that they themselves formally adopted on the assumption that there had indeed been 20 Johns before them. In current numbering there thus exists no pope by the name of John XX. | |
| 6Sylvester III is considered an antipope by those who believe that Benedict IX's forcible removal in 1044 was illegitimate. | |
| 7In the 13th century the papal chancery misread the names of the two popes Marinus as Martin, and, as a result of this error, Simon de Brie in 1281 assumed the name of Pope Martin IV instead of Martin II. The enumeration has not been corrected, and thus there exist no Martin II and Martin III. | |
| Peter | ?-c. 64 |
| Linus | c. 67–76/79 |
| Anacletus | 76–88 or 79–91 |
| Clement I | 88–97 or 92–101 |
| Evaristus | c. 97–c. 107 |
| Alexander I | 105–115 or 109–119 |
| Sixtus I | c. 115–c. 125 |
| Telesphorus | c. 125–c. 136 |
| Hyginus | c. 136–c. 140 |
| Pius I | c. 142–c. 155 |
| Anicetus | c. 155–c. 166 |
| Soter | c. 166–c. 175 |
| Eleutherius | c. 175–189 |
| Victor I | c. 189–198/199 |
| Zephyrinus | c. 199–217 |
| Calixtus I (Callistus) | 217?–222 |
| Hippolytus | 217/218–235 |
| Urban I | 222–230 |
| Pontian | 230–235 |
| Anterus | 235–236 |
| Fabian | 236–250 |
| Cornelius | 251–253 |
| Novatian | 251 |
| Lucius I | 253–254 |
| Stephen I | 254–257 |
| Sixtus II | 257–258 |
| Dionysius | 259/260–268 |
| Felix I | 269–274 |
| Eutychian | 275–283 |
| Gaius | 283–296 |
| Marcellinus | 291/296–304 |
| Marcellus I | 306–308 or 308–309 |
| Eusebius | 309/310 |
| Miltiades (Melchiades) | 311–314 |
| Sylvester I | 314–335 |
| Mark | 336 |
| Julius I | 337–352 |
| Liberius | 352–366 |
| Felix (II) | 355–365 |
| Damasus I | 366–384 |
| Ursinus | 366–367 |
| Siricius | 384–399 |
| Anastasius I | 399–401 |
| Innocent I | 401–417 |
| Zosimus | 417–418 |
| Boniface I | 418–422 |
| Eulalius | 418–419 |
| Celestine I | 422–432 |
| Sixtus III | 432–440 |
| Leo I | 440–461 |
| Hilary | 461–468 |
| Simplicius | 468–483 |
| Felix III (or II)2 | 483–492 |
| Gelasius I | 492–496 |
| Anastasius II | 496–498 |
| Symmachus | 498–514 |
| Laurentius | 498, 501– c. 505/507 |
| Hormisdas | 514–523 |
| John I | 523–526 |
| Felix IV (or III)2 | 526–530 |
| Dioscorus | 530 |
| Boniface II | 530–532 |
| John II | 533–535 |
| Agapetus I | 535–536 |
| Silverius | 536–537 |
| Vigilius | 537–555 |
| Pelagius I | 556–561 |
| John III | 561–574 |
| Benedict I | 575–579 |
| Pelagius II | 579–590 |
| Gregory I | 590–604 |
| Sabinian | 604–606 |
| Boniface III | 607 |
| Boniface IV | 608–615 |
| Deusdedit (also called Adeodatus I) | 615–618 |
| Boniface V | 619–625 |
| Honorius I | 625–638 |
| Severinus | 640 |
| John IV | 640–642 |
| Theodore I | 642–649 |
| Martin I | 649–653 |
| Eugenius I | 654–657 |
| Vitalian | 657–672 |
| Adeodatus II | 672–676 |
| Donus | 676–678 |
| Agatho | 678–681 |
| Leo II | 682–683 |
| Benedict II | 684–685 |
| John V | 685–686 |
| Conon | 686–687 |
| Sergius I | 687–701 |
| Theodore | 687 |
| Paschal | 687 |
| John VI | 701–705 |
| John VII | 705–707 |
| Sisinnius | 708 |
| Constantine | 708–715 |
| Gregory II | 715–731 |
| Gregory III | 731–741 |
| Zacharias (Zachary) | 741–752 |
| Stephen (II)3 | 752 |
| Stephen II (or III)3 | 752–757 |
| Paul I | 757–767 |
| Constantine(II) | 767–768 |
| Philip | 768 |
| Stephen III (or IV)3 | 768–772 |
| Adrian I | 772–795 |
| Leo III | 795–816 |
| Stephen IV (or V)3 | 816–817 |
| Paschal I | 817–824 |
| Eugenius II | 824–827 |
| Valentine | 827 |
| Gregory IV | 827–844 |
| John | 844 |
| Sergius II | 844–847 |
| Leo IV | 847–855 |
| Benedict III | 855–858 |
| Anastasius (Anastasius the Librarian) | 855 |
| Nicholas I | 858–867 |
| Adrian II | 867–872 |
| John VIII | 872–882 |
| Marinus I | 882–884 |
| Adrian III | 884–885 |
| Stephen V (or VI)3 | 885–891 |
| Formosus | 891–896 |
| Boniface VI | 896 |
| Stephen VI (or VII)3 | 896–897 |
| Romanus | 897 |
| Theodore II | 897 |
| John IX | 898–900 |
| Benedict IV | 900–903 |
| Leo V | 903 |
| Christopher | 903–904 |
| Sergius III | 904–911 |
| Anastasius III | 911–913 |
| Lando | 913–914 |
| John X | 914–928 |
| Leo VI | 928 |
| Stephen VII (or VIII)3 | 928–931 |
| John XI | 931–935 |
| Leo VII | 936–939 |
| Stephen VIII (or IX)3 | 939–942 |
| Marinus II | 942–946 |
| Agapetus II | 946–955 |
| John XII | 955–964 |
| Leo VIII4 | 963–965 |
| Benedict V4 | 964 |
| John XIII | 965–972 |
| Benedict VI | 973–974 |
| Boniface VII (1st time) | 974 |
| Benedict VII | 974–983 |
| John XIV | 983–984 |
| Boniface VII (2nd time) | 984–985 |
| John XV (or XVI)5 | 985–996 |
| Gregory V | 996–999 |
| John XVI (or XVII)5 | 997–998 |
| Sylvester II | 999–1003 |
| John XVII (or XVIII)5 | 1003 |
| John XVIII (or XIX)5 | 1003–09 |
| Sergius IV | 1009–12 |
| Gregory (VI) | 1012 |
| Benedict VIII | 1012–24 |
| John XIX (or XX)5 | 1024–32 |
| Benedict IX (1st time) | 1032–44 |
| Sylvester III6 | 1045 |
| Benedict IX (2nd time) | 1045 |
| Gregory VI | 1045–46 |
| Clement II | 1046–47 |
| Benedict IX (3rd time) | 1047–48 |
| Damasus II | 1048 |
| Leo IX | 1049–54 |
| Victor II | 1055–57 |
| Stephen IX (or X)3 | 1057–58 |
| Benedict X | 1058–59 |
| Nicholas II | 1059–61 |
| Alexander II | 1061–73 |
| Honorius (II) | 1061–64 |
| Gregory VII | 1073–85 |
| Clement (III) | 1080–1100 |
| Victor III | 1086–87 |
| Urban II | 1088–99 |
| Paschal II | 1099–1118 |
| Theodoric | 1100–01 |
| Albert (also called Aleric) | 1101 |
| Sylvester (IV) | 1105–11 |
| Gelasius II | 1118–19 |
| Gregory (VIII) | 1118–21 |
| Calixtus II (Callistus) | 1119–24 |
| Honorius II | 1124–30 |
| Celestine (II) | 1124 |
| Innocent II | 1130–43 |
| Anacletus (II) | 1130–38 |
| Victor (IV) | 1138 |
| Celestine II | 1143–44 |
| Lucius II | 1144–45 |
| Eugenius III | 1145–53 |
| Anastasius IV | 1153–54 |
| Adrian IV | 1154–59 |
| Alexander III | 1159–81 |
| Victor (IV) | 1159–64 |
| Paschal (III) | 1164–68 |
| Calixtus (III) | 1168–78 |
| Innocent (III) | 1179–80 |
| Lucius III | 1181–85 |
| Urban III | 1185–87 |
| Gregory VIII | 1187 |
| Clement III | 1187–91 |
| Celestine III | 1191–98 |
| Innocent III | 1198–1216 |
| Honorius III | 1216–27 |
| Gregory IX | 1227–41 |
| Celestine IV | 1241 |
| Innocent IV | 1243–54 |
| Alexander IV | 1254–61 |
| Urban IV | 1261–64 |
| Clement IV | 1265–68 |
| Gregory X | 1271–76 |
| Innocent V | 1276 |
| Adrian V | 1276 |
| John XXI5 | 1276–77 |
| Nicholas III | 1277–80 |
| Martin IV7 | 1281–85 |
| Honorius IV | 1285–87 |
| Nicholas IV | 1288–92 |
| Celestine V | 1294 |
| Boniface VIII | 1294–1303 |
| Benedict XI | 1303–04 |
| Clement V (at Avignon from 1309) | 1305–14 |
| John XXII5 (at Avignon) | 1316–34 |
| Nicholas (V) at Rome) | 1328–30 |
| Benedict XII (at Avignon) | 1334–42 |
| Clement VI (at Avignon) | 1342–52 |
| Innocent VI (at Avignon) | 1352–62 |
| Urban V (at Avignon) | 1362–70 |
| Gregory XI (at Avignon, then Rome from 1377) | 1370–78 |
| Urban VI | 1378–89 |
| Clement (VII) (at Avignon) | 1378–94 |
| Boniface IX | 1389–1404 |
| Benedict (XIII) (at Avignon) | 1394–1423 |
| Innocent VII | 1404–06 |
| Gregory XII | 1406–15 |
| Alexander (V) (at Bologna) | 1409–10 |
| John (XXIII) (at Bologna) | 1410–15 |
| Martin V7 | 1417–31 |
| Clement (VIII) | 1423–29 |
| Eugenius IV | 1431–47 |
| Felix (V) (also called Amadeus VIII of Savoy) | 1439–49 |
| Nicholas V | 1447–55 |
| Calixtus III (Callistus) | 1455–58 |
| Pius II | 1458–64 |
| Paul II | 1464–71 |
| Sixtus IV | 1471–84 |
| Innocent VIII | 1484–92 |
| Alexander VI | 1492–1503 |
| Pius III | 1503 |
| Julius II | 1503–13 |
| Leo X | 1513–21 |
| Adrian VI | 1522–23 |
| Clement VII | 1523–34 |
| Paul III | 1534–49 |
| Julius III | 1550–55 |
| Marcellus II | 1555 |
| Paul IV | 1555–59 |
| Pius IV | 1559–65 |
| Pius V | 1566–72 |
| Gregory XIII | 1572–85 |
| Sixtus V | 1585–90 |
| Urban VII | 1590 |
| Gregory XIV | 1590–91 |
| Innocent IX | 1591 |
| Clement VIII | 1592–1605 |
| Leo XI | 1605 |
| Paul V | 1605–21 |
| Gregory XV | 1621–23 |
| Urban VIII | 1623–44 |
| Innocent X | 1644–55 |
| Alexander VII | 1655–67 |
| Clement IX | 1667–69 |
| Clement X | 1670–76 |
| Innocent XI | 1676–89 |
| Alexander VIII | 1689–91 |
| Innocent XII | 1691–1700 |
| Clement XI | 1700–21 |
| Innocent XIII | 1721–24 |
| Benedict XIII | 1724–30 |
| Clement XII | 1730–40 |
| Benedict XIV | 1740–58 |
| Clement XIII | 1758–69 |
| Clement XIV | 1769–74 |
| Pius VI | 1775–99 |
| Pius VII | 1800–23 |
| Leo XII | 1823–29 |
| Pius VIII | 1829–30 |
| Gregory XVI | 1831–46 |
| Pius IX | 1846–78 |
| Leo XIII | 1878–1903 |
| Pius X | 1903–14 |
| Benedict XV | 1914–22 |
| Pius XI | 1922–39 |
| Pius XII | 1939–58 |
| John XXIII | 1958–63 |
| Paul VI | 1963–78 |
| John Paul I | 1978 |
| John Paul II | 1978–2005 |
| Benedict XVI | 2005–13 |
| Francis I | 2013– |