Quick Facts

There have been 33 popes who've suffered violent deaths.

Adrian IV (Nicolas Brakespeare) is still the only Englishman ever to hold the office of Pope.

Stephen II (shortest reign of any Pope) served for just one day in 752AD.

Pope Jean Paul II became the first pope to visit Britain in 1982.

John, Gregory and Benedict are the 3 most common names of Popes.

The Bishop of Rome Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church
The Holy Father The Prince of Apostles
The Vicar of Christ Patriarch of the West
The Successor of St.Peter Primate of Italy
Sovereign of the Vatican Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province

The Office of Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church and head of state of the Vatican City.

Popes have historically played an important role including the crowning of Roman Emperors and the regulating of disputes between secular leaders.

 

White smoke emanating from the Sistine chapel indicates that the cardinals have successfully balloted the election of a new pope.

Peter was allegedly the first pope, at least according to Catholic tradition, as well as the one who brought Christianity to Rome. All the evidence indicates, however, that Christianity came to Rome well before he would have and even once there he didn't serve as bishop or any sort of leader.

St. Sixtus I (Xystus) (115 - 125)
First known pope to have also been the son of a priest. During this time period there was no requirement that priests be celibate.

St. Pius I (140 - 155)
First real bishop of Rome. Prior to this the Christian community was governed by a council of elders or deacons.

Pope No: Name Term Of Office
1 St. Peter 32-67
2 St. Linus 67-76
3 St. Anacletus (Cletus) 76-88
4 St. Clement I 88-97
5 St. Evaristus 97-105
6 St. Alexander I 105-115
7 St. Sixtus I (Xystus I) 115-125
8 St. Telesphorus 125-136
9 St. Hyginus 136-140
10 St. Pius I 140-155
11 St. Anicetus 155-166
12 St. Soter 166-175
13 St. Eleutherius 175-189
14 St. Victor I 189-199
15 St. Zephyrinus 199-217
16 St. Callistus I 217-22
17 St. Urban I 222-30
18 St. Pontain 230-35
19 St. Anterus 235-36
20 St. Fabian 236-50
21 St. Cornelius 251-53
22 St. Lucius I 253-54
23 St. Stephen I 254-257
24 St. Sixtus II 257-258
25 St. Dionysius 260-268
26 St. Felix I 269-274
27 St. Eutychian 275-283
28 St. Caius (Gaius) 283-296
29 St. Marcellinus 296-304
30 St. Marcellus I 308-309
31 St. Eusebius 309 or 310
32 St. Miltiades 311-14
33 St. Sylvester I 314-35
34 St. Marcus 336
35 St. Julius I 337-52
36 Liberius 352-66
37 St. Damasus I 366-83
38 St. Siricius 384-99
39 St. Anastasius I 399-401
40 St. Innocent I 401-17
41 St. Zosimus 417-18
42 St. Boniface I 418-22
43 St. Celestine I 422-32
44 St. Sixtus III 432-40
45 St. Leo I (The Great) 440-61
46 St. Hilarius 461-68
47 St. Simplicius 468-83
48 St. Felix III 483-92
49 St. Gelasius I 492-96
50 Anastasius II 496-98
51 St. Symmachus 498-514
52 St. Hormisdas 514-23
53 St. John I 523-26
54 St. Felix IV 526-30
55 Boniface II 530-32
56 John II 533-35
57 St. Agapetus I 535-36
58 St. Silverius 536-37
59 Vigilius 537-55
60 Pelagius I 556-61
61 John III 561-74
62 Benedict I 575-79
63 Pelagius II 579-90
64 St. Gregory I (The Great) 590-604
65 Sabinian 604-606
66 Boniface III 607
67 St. Boniface IV 608-15
68 St. Deusdedit (Adeodatus I) 615-18
69 Boniface V 619-25
70 Honorius I 625-38
71 Severinus 640
72 John IV 640-42
73 Theodore I 642-49
74 St. Martin I 649-55
75 St. Eugene I 655-57
76 St. Vitalian 657-72
77 Adeodatus II 672-76
78 Donus 676-78
79 St. Agatho 678-81
80 St. Leo II 682-83
81 St. Benedict II 684-85
82 John V 685-86
83 Conon 686-87
84 St. Sergius I 687-701
85 John VI 701-05
86 John VII 705-07
87 Sisinnius 708
88 Constantine 708-15
89 St. Gregory II 715-31
90 St. Gregory III 731-41
91 St. Zachary 741-52
* Stephen II 752
92 Stephen III 752-57
93 St. Paul I 757-67
94 Stephen IV 767-72
95 Adrian I 772-95
96 St. Leo III 795-816
97 Stephen V 816-17
98 St. Paschal I 817-24
99 Eugene II 824-27
100 Valentine 827
101 Gregory IV 827-44
102 Sergius II 844-47
103 St. Leo IV 847-55
104 Benedict III 855-58
105 St. Nicholas I (The Great) 858-67
106 Adrian II 867-72
107 John VIII 872-82
108 Marinus I 882-84
109 St. Adrian III 884-85
110 Stephen VI 885-91
111 Formosus 891-96
112 Boniface VI 896
113 Stephen VII 896-97
114 Romanus 897
115 Theodore II 897
116 John IX 898-900
117 Benedict IV 900-03
118 Leo V 903
119 Sergius III 904-11
120 Anastasius III 911-13
121 Lando 913-14
122 John X 914-28
123 Leo VI 928
124 Stephen VIII 929-31
125 John XI 931-35
126 Leo VII 936-39
127 Stephen IX 939-42
128 Marinus II 942-46
129 Agapetus II 946-55
130 John XII 955-63
131 Leo VIII 963-64
132 Benedict V 964
133 John XIII 965-72
Pope No. Name Term Of Office
134 Benedict VI 973-74
135 Benedict VII 974-83
136 John XIV 983-84
137 John XV 985-96
138 Gregory V 996-99
139 Sylvester II 999-1003
140 John XVII 1003
141 John XVIII 1003-09
142 Sergius IV 1009-12
143 Benedict VIII 1012-24
144 John XIX 1024-32
145 Benedict IX 1032-45
146 Sylvester III 1045
147 Benedict IX 1045
148 Gregory VI 1045-46
149 Clement II 1046-47
150 Benedict IX 1047-48
151 Damasus II 1048
152 St. Leo IX 1049-54
153 Victor II 1055-57
154 Stephen X 1057-58
155 Nicholas II 1058-61
156 Alexander II 1061-73
157 St. Gregory VII 1073-85
158 Blessed Victor III 1086-87
159 Blessed Urban II 1088-99
160 Paschal II 1099-1118
161 Gelasius II 1118-19
162 Callistus II 1119-24
163 Honorius II 1124-30
164 Innocent II 1130-43
165 Celestine II 1143-44
166 Lucius II 1144-45
167 Blessed Eugene III 1145-53
168 Anastasius IV 1153-54
169 Adrian IV 1154-59
170 Alexander III 1159-81
171 Lucius III 1181-85
172 Urban III 1185-87
173 Gregory VIII 1187
174 Clement III 1187-91
175 Celestine III 1191-98
176 Innocent III 1198-1216
177 Honorius III 1216-27
178 Gregory IX 1227-41
179 Celestine IV 1241
180 Innocent IV 1243-54
181 Alexander IV 1254-61
182 Urban IV 1261-64
183 Clement IV 1265-68
184 Blessed Gregory X 1271-76
185 Blessed Innocent V 1276
186 Adrian V 1276
187 John XXI 1276-77
188 Nicholas III 1277-80
189 Martin IV 1281-85
190 Honorius IV 1285-87
191 Nicholas IV 1288-92
192 St. Celestine V 1294
193 Boniface VIII 1294-1303
194 Blessed Benedict XI 1303-04
195 Clement V 1305-14
196 John XXII 1316-34
197 Benedict XII 1334-42
198 Clement VI 1342-52
199 Innocent VI 1352-62
200 Blessed Urban V 1362-70
201 Gregory XI 1370-78
202 Urban VI 1378-89
203 Boniface IX 1389-1404
204 Innocent VII 1404-06
205 Gregory XII 1406-15
206 Martin V 1417-31
207 Eugene IV 1431-47
208 Nicholas V 1447-55
209 Callistus III 1455-58
210 Pius II 1458-64
211 Paul II 1464-71
212 Sixtus IV 1471-84
213 Innocent VIII 1484-92
214 Alexander VI 1492-1503
215 Pius III 1503
216 Julius II 1503-13
217 Leo X 1513-21
218 Adrian VI 1522-23
219 Clement VII 1523-34
220 Paul III 1534-49
221 Julius III 1550-55
222 Marcellus II 1555
223 Paul IV 1555-59
224 Pius IV 1559-65
225 St. Pius V 1566-72
226 Gregory XIII 1572-85
227 Sixtus V 1585-90
228 Urban VII 1590
229 Gregory XIV 1590-91
230 Innocent IX 1591
231 Clement VIII 1592-1605
232 Leo XI 1605
233 Paul V 1605-21
234 Gregory XV 1621-23
235 Urban VIII 1623-44
236 Innocent X 1644-55
237 Alexander VII 1655-67
238 Clement IX 1667-69
239 Clement X 1670-76
240 Blessed Innocent XI 1676-89
241 Alexander VIII 1689-91
242 Innocent XII 1691-1700
243 Clement XI 1700-21
244 Innocent XIII 1721-24
245 Benedict XIII 1724-30
246 Clement XII 1730-40
247 Benedict XIV 1740-58
248 Clement XIII 1758-69
249 Clement XIV 1769-74
250 Pius VI 1775-99
251 Pius VII 1800-23
252 Leo XII 1823-29
253 Pius VIII 1829-30
254 Gregory XVI 1831-46
255 Blessed Pius IX 1846-78
256 Leo XIII 1878-1903
257 St. Pius X 1903-14
258 Benedict XV 1914-22
259 Pius XI 1922-39
260 Pius XII 1939-58
261 Blessed John XXIII 1958-63
262 Paul VI 1963-78
263 John Paul I 1978
264 John Paul II 1978-2005
265 Benedict XVI 2005-present