POPES, LIST OF

This list of popes is taken from Annuario Pontificio for 2001, and it reflects the results of the most recent historical research. For the first two centuries of the Christian era the dates of the pontificates are not secure, and until the middle of the eleventh century there often remain doubts as to the precise day and month. The Annuario has formatted this list so that "two or three dates at the beginning of the pontificate indicate the election, ordination and coronation from which pontiffs were accustomed to calculate their pontificates." The last date reflects the pope's death, deposition, or resignation. When dates of consecutive pontiffs overlap, it is often because the validity of a papal election was disputed, and it is difficult to determine the party that has the legitimate claim, "which, existing de facto, assures the legitimate and unbroken continuation of the successors of St. Peter (A.P., p. 12*)." The names in square brackets are those of antipopes.

The liturgical books and hagiography of the Church consider as martyrs all popes before Sylvester I (314–335) and as saints those from Sylvester I to Felix IV (526–530) inclusive. There are two exceptions, Liberius (352–366) and Anastasius II (496–498).

Throughout the almost 2,000 year history of the papacy, anomalies have arisen in regard to the sequential numbers given to popes who have had or chose certain names. Antipope Felix (355–366) was erroneously confused with St Felix, a Roman martyr and was given a place in the list of Roman pontiffs as Felix II. Thus the next two legitimate popes who were named "Felix" have been called Felix III (483–492) and Felix IV (526–530), instead of Felix II and Felix III. An antipope of the fifteenth century took the name Felix V (1439–1449).

A Roman priest named Stephen was chosen pope after the death of Zacharias (741–752), but he lived for only four days after his election and died before his consecration, which according to the canon law of the time was the true the beginning of a pontificate. A pope is now considered to be pope from the time of his election, so Stephen should today be counted as a legitimate pope, and this unusual circumstance has added to confusion to the numbering system. To make the matter more complex, the man who followed him to throne of St. Peter was also called Stephen. He now is given the name and number Stephen II (III) by the Annuario Pontificio. The same accommodation is made for all other popes named Stephen.

The most dramatic skewering of papal numbers concerns the name "John." The pontificate of John XIV (983–984) was erroneously attributed to two men with the same name. In addition, Antipope John XVI (997–998) has had his pontificate counted in the numbering system of legitimate popes. When Romanus of Tusculum, was elected pope in 1024, he took the number XVIII, his rightful number, but he was designated in documents recorded a little later as John XX. Since by the thirteenth century this corrupted numbering had been everywhere accepted, the next Pope John, Peter of Spain, took the name John XXI on his accession in 1276. Subsequently, Romanus of Tusculum's number was changed to John XIX (1024–1032), but since Peter of Spain remained John XXI (1276–1277), there is no Pope John XX listed in the Annuario Pontificio. All this explains what the Annuario calls the "the strange nomenclature" that can be found in the Basilica of St. Paul's Outside the Walls in Rome, where portraits of all the popes line the walls. Captions read "John XVI or XVII," "John XVII or XVIII," "John XVIII or XIX or XX," etc.

Simon of Brie became Martin IV (1281–1285) upon his election by placing Marinus I (882–884) and Marinus II (942–446) as well as Martin I (649–655) among the Martins. Oddo of Colonna took the name Martin V in 1417. An antipope, Ottaviano of Monticello called himself Victor IV (1159–1164) instead of Victor V. He did so, the Annuario speculates, because a previous antipope Victor IV (1138) reigned only two months before spontaneously submitting to Innocent II. Thus he was not counted when Ottaviano of Monticello assumed the name of Victor. Both are listed in Annuario Pontificio as Antipope Victor IV. Antipope Benedict X seems to have been included in the numbering of the legitimate popes named Benedict. Finally Alexander VI (1492–1503) should have become Alexander V, a name that had been assumed in 1409 by an antipope created by the Council of Pisa during the Great Schism.

In this edition of New Catholic Encyclopedia there is a separate article on every pope and antipope, which contains the important biographical and historical material relating to each individual.

St. Peter, … 64 or 67

St. Linus, 68–79

St. Anacletus (Cletus), 80–92

St. Clement I, 92–99 (or 68–76

St. Evaristus, 99 or 96–108

St. Alexander I, 108 or 109–116 or 119

St. Sixtus I, 117 or 119–126 or 128

St. Telesphorus, 127 or 128–137 or 138

St. Hyginus, 138–142 or 149

St. Pius I, 142 or 146–157 or 161

St. Anicetus, 150 or 157–153 or 168

St. Soter, 162 or 168–170 or 177

St. Eleutherius, 171 or 177–185 or 193

St. Victor I, 186 or 189–197 or 201

St. Zephyrinus, 198–217 or 218

St. Callistus I, 218–222

St. Hippolytus, 217–235]

St. Urban I, 222–230

St. Pontianus, July 21, 230–September 28, 235

St. Anterus, November 21, 235–January 3, 236

St. Fabian, 236–January 20, 250

St. Cornelius, March 6 or 13, 251–June 253 [Novatian, 251]

St. Lucius I, June or July, 253–March 5, 254

St. Stephen I, March 12, 254–August 2, 257

St. Sixtus II, August 30, 257–August 6, 258

St. Dionysius, July 22, 259–December 26, 268

St. Felix I, January 5, 269–December 30, 274

St. Eutychian, January 4, 275–December 7, 283

St. Gaius (Caius), December 17, 283–April 22, 296

St. Marcellinus, June 30, 296–October 25, 304

St. Marcellus I, 306–January 16, 309 (His pontificate could have started in 307 or 308 and ended in 308 or 310)

St. Eusebius, April 18, 309–August 17, 309 (His pontificate could have ended in 308 or 310)

St. Miltiades, July 2, 311–January 10, 314

St. Silvester I, January 31, 314–December 31, 335

St. Mark, January 18, 336–October 7, 336

St. Julius I, February 6, 337–April 12, 352 Liberius, May 17, 352–September 24, 366 [Felix II, 355–November 22, 365]

St. Damasus I, October 1, 366–December 11, 384 [Ursinus, September 24, 366–367]

St. Siricius, December 15, 22, or 29, 384–November 26, 399

St. Anastasius I, November 27, 399–December 19, 401

St. Innocent I, December 22, 401–March 12, 417

St. Zosimus, March 18, 417–December 26, 418

St. Boniface I, December 28, December 29, 418–September 4, 422 [Eulalius, December 27, December 29, 418–April 3, 419]

St. Celestine I, September 10, 422–July 27, 432

St. Sixtus III, July 31, 432–August 19, 440

St. Leo I (The Great), September 29, 440–November 10, 461

St. Hilary, November 19, 461–February 29, 468

St. Simplicius, March 3, 468–March 10, 483

St. Felix III (II), March 13, 483–February 25 or March 1, 492

St. Gelasius I, March 1, 492–November 21, 496 Anastasius II, November 24, 496–November 19, 498

St. Symmachus, November 22, 498–July 19, 514 [Lawrence, November 22, 498–499, 502–506]

St. Hormisdas, July 20, 514–August 6, 523

St. John I, August 13, 523–May 18, 526

St. Felix IV (III), July 12, 526–September 20 or 22, 530

Boniface II, September 20 or 22, 530–October 17, 532

[Dioscorus, September 20 or 22, 530–October 14, 530 (Possibly a legitimate pope. See his biography.)] John II, December 31, 532, January 2, 533–May 8, 535

St. Agapitus I, May 13, 535–April 22, 536

St. Silverius, June 8, 536–537 Vigilius, March 29, 537–June 7, 555 Pelagius I, April 16, 556–March 4, 561 John III, July 17, 561–July 13, 574 Benedict I, June 2, 575–July 30, 579 Pelagius II, November 26, 579–February 7, 590

St. Gregory I (The Great), September 3, 590–March 12, 604 Sabinian, March, September 13, 604–February 22, 606

Boniface III, February 19, 607–November 10, 607

St. Boniface IV, August 25, 608–May 8, 615

St. Deusdedit I (Adeodatus I), October 19, 615–November 8, 618 Boniface V, December 23, 619–October 23, 625 Honorius I, October 27, 625–October 12, 638 Severinus, October 638, May 28, 640–August 2, 640

John IV, August, December 24, 640–October 12, 642

Theodore I, October 12, November 24, 642–May 14, 649

St. Martin I, July 5, 649–September 16, 655

St. Eugene I, August 10, 654–June 2, 657

St. Vitalian, July 30, 657–January 27, 672 Adeodatus II (Deusdedit II), April 11, 672–June 16, 676

Donus, November 2, 676–April 11, 678

St. Agatho, June 27, 678–January 10, 681

St. Leo II, January 681, August 17, 682–July 3, 683

St. Benedict II, June 26, 684–May 8, 685 John V, July 23, 685–August 2, 686 Conon, October 23, 686–September 21, 687 [Theodore, 687][Paschal, 687]

St. Sergius I, December 15, 687–September 7, 701 John VI, October 30, 701–January 11, 705 John VII, March 1, 705–October 18, 707 Sisinnius, January 15, 708–February 4, 708 Constantine, March 25, 708–April 9, 715

St. Gregory II, May 19, 715–February 11, 731

St. Gregory III, March 18, 731–November 28 741

St. Zachary, December 3, 741–March 15, 752 Stephen II (III), March 26, 752–April 26, 757

St. Paul I, April, May 29, 757–June 28, 767 [Constantine, June 28, July 5, 767–July 30 768] [Philip, July 31, 768] Stephen III (IV), August 1, August 7, 768–January 24, 772 Adrian I, February 1, February 9, 772–December 25, 795

St. Leo III, December 26, December 27, 795–June 12, 816

Stephen IV (V), June 22, 816–January 24, 817 St. Paschal I, January 25, 817–February–May 824 Eugene II, February-May 824–August 827 Valentine, August 827–September 827 Gregory IV, September 827, March 29, 828–January 25, 844[John, January 25, 844] Sergius II, January 25, 844–January 27, 847 St. Leo IV, January, April 10, 847–July 17, 855 Benedict III, July, September 29, 855–April 17, 858

[Anastasius (The Librarian), September 21–24855]

St. Nicholas I (The Great), April 24, 858–November 13, 867 Adrian II, December 14, 867–November or December 872 John VIII, December 14, 872–December 16, 882 Marinus I, December 882–May 15, 884

St. Adrian III, May 17, 884–August or September 885

Stephen V (VI), September 885–September 14, 891 Formosus, October 6, 891–April 4, 896 Boniface VI, April 11, 896–April 26, 896 Stephen VI (VII), May or June 896–July or August 897 Romanus, July or August 897–November 897 Theodore II, December 897–December 897 or January 898 John IX, December 897 or January 898–January–May 900 Benedict IV, January–May 900–July 903 Leo V, July 903–September 903 [Christopher, September 903–January 904] Sergius III, January 29, 904–April 14, 911 Anastasius III, June or September 911–June or August or October 913 Lando, July or November 913–March 914 John X, March or April 914–May or June 928 Leo VI, May or June 928–December 928 or January 929 Stephen VII (VIII), January 929–February 931 John XI, March 931–January 936 Leo VII, January 936–July 13, 939 Stephen VIII (IX), July 14, 939–October 942 Marinus II, October 30, November, 942–May 946 Agapetus II, May 10, 946–December 955 John XII, December 16, 955–May 14, 964 Leo VIII, December 4, December 6, 963–March 965

Benedict V, May 964–July 4, 964 or 965 John XIII, October 1, 965–November 6, 972 Benedict VI, December 972, January 19, 973–July 974

[Boniface VII, June–July 974; then August 984–July 20, 985] Benedict VII, October 974–July 10, 983 John XIV, November or December 983–August 20, 984

John XV, August 985–March 996 Gregory V, May 3, 996–February or March 999 [John XVI, February or March 997–May 998] Silvester II, April 2, 999–May 12, 1003 John XVII, May 16, 1003–November 6, 1003 John XVIII, December 25, 1003–June or July 1009

Sergius IV, July 31, 1009–May 12, 1012 Benedict VIII, May 18, 1012–April 9, 1024 [Gregory, May–December 1012] John XIX, April 19, 1024–1032 Benedict IX, August or September 1032–September 1044 Silvester III, January 13 or 20, 1045–March 1045 Benedict IX (for second time), March 10, 1045–May 1, 1045 Gregory VI, May 1, 1045–December 20, 1046 Clement II, December 24, 1046–October 9, 1047 Benedict IX (for the third time), October 1047–July 1048 Damasus II, July 17, 1048–August 9, 1048

St. Leo IX, February 2, February 12, 1049–April 19, 1054

Victor II, April 13, 1055–July 28, 1057 Stephen IX (X), August 2, August 3, 1057–March 29, 1058

[Benedict X, April 5, 1058–January 1059] Nicholas II, December 1058, January 24, 1059–July 27, 1061 Alexander II, September 30, October 1, 1061–April 21, 1073 [Honorius II, October 28, 1061–May 31, 1064]

St. Gregory VII, April 22, June 30, 1073–May 25, 1085

[Clement III, June 25, 1080, March 24, 1084–September 8, 1100] Bl. Victor III, May 24, 1086, May 9 1087–September 16, 1087 Bl. Urban II, March 12, 1088–July 29, 1099 Paschal II, August 13, August 14, 1099–January 21, 1118

[Theodoric, 1100] [Albert, 1101] [Silvester IV, November 18, 1105–April 12 or 13, 1111]

Gelasius II, January 24, March 10, 1118–January 28, 1119

[Gregory VIII, March 10, 1118–April 22, 1121 Callistus II, February 2, February 9, 1119–December 13 or 14, 1124 Honorius II, December 15, December 21, 1124–February 13 or 14, 1130 [Celestine II, December 1124] Innocent II, February 14, February 23, 1130–September 24, 1143 [Anacletus II, February 14, February 23, 1130–January 25, 1138] [Victor IV, March 1138–May 29, 1138] Celestine II, September 26, October 3, 1143–March 8, 1144 Lucius II, March 12, 1144–February 15, 1145 Bl. Eugene III, February 15, February 18, 1145–July 8, 1153 Anastasius IV, July 12, 1153–December 3, 1154 Adrian IV, December 4, December 5, 1154–September 1, 1159 Alexander III, September 7, September 20, 1159–August 30, 1181 [Victor IV, September 7, October 4 1159–April 20, 1164]

[Paschal III, April 22, April 26, 1164–September 20, 1168]

[Callistus III, September 1168–August 29, 1178] [Innocent III, September 29, 1179–January 1180] Lucius III, September 1, September 6, 1181–November 25, 1185 Urban III, November 25, December 1, 1185–October 20, 1187 Gregory VIII, October 21, October 25, 1187–December 17, 1187 Clement III, December 19, December 20, 1187–March 1191 Celestine III, April 10, April 14, 1191–January 8, 1198

Innocent III, January 8, February 22, 1198–July 16, 1216

Honorius III, July 18, July 24, 1216–March 18, 1227

Gregory IX, March 19, March 21, 1227–August 22, 1241

Celestine IV, October 25, October 28, 1241–November 10, 1241 Innocent IV, June 25, June 28, 1243–December 7, 1254

Alexander IV, December 12, December 20, 1254–May 25, 1261 Urban IV, August 29, September 4, 1261–October 2, 1264

Clement IV, February 5, February 22, 1265–November 29, 1268 Bl. Gregory X, September 1, 1271, March 27, 1272–January 10, 1276 Bl. Innocent V, January 21, February 22, 1276,–June 22, 1276 Adrian V, July 11, 1276–August 18, 1276 John XXI, September 16, September 20, 1276–May 20, 1277 Nicholas III, November 25, December 26, 1277–August 22, 1280 Martin IV, February 22, March 23, 1281–March 29, 1285

Honorius IV, April 2, May 20, 1285–April 3, 1287 Nicholas IV, February 22, 1288–April 4, 1292

St. Celestine V, July 5, August 29, 1294–December 13, 1294 Boniface VIII, December 24, 1294, January 23, 1295–October 11, 1303 Bl. Benedict XI, October 22, October 27, 1303–July 7, 1304 Clement V, June 5, November 14, 1305–April 20, 1314

John XXII, August 7, September 5, 1316–December 4, 1334 [Nicholas V, May 12, May 22, 1328–August 25, 1330

Benedict XII, December 20, 1334, January 8, 1335–April 25, 1342 Clement VI, May 7, May 19, 1342–December 6, 1352

Innocent VI, December 18, December 30, 1352–September 12, 1362 Bl. Urban V, September 28, November 6, 1362–December 19, 1370 Gregory XI, December 30, 1370, January 3, 1371–March 26, 1378 Urban VI, April 8, April 18, 1378–October 15, 1389

Boniface IX, November 2, November 9, 1389–October 1, 1404 Innocent VII, October 17, November 11, 1404–November 6, 1406 Gregory XII, November 30, December 19, 1406–July 4, 1415 [Clement VII, September 20, October 31, 1378–September 16, 1394] [Benedict XIII, September 28, October 11, 1394–November 29, 1422 or May 23, 1423] [Alexander V, June 26, July 7, 1409–May 3,1410]

[John XXIII, May 17, May 25, 1410–May 29, 1415]

Martin V, November 11, November 21, 1417–February 20, 1431 Eugene IV, March 3, March 11, 1431–February 23, 1447

[Felix V, November 5, 1439, July 24, 1440–April 7, 1449]

Nicholas V, March 6, March 19, 1447–March 24, 1455

Callistus III, April 8, April 20, 1455–August 6, 1458

Pius II, August 19, September 3, 1458–August 14, 1464

Paul II, August 30, September 16, 1464–July 26, 1471

Sixtus IV, August 1, August 9, August 25, 1471–August 12, 1484 Innocent VIII, August 29, September 12, 1484–July 25, 1492 Alexander VI, August 11, August 26, 1492–August 18, 1503 Pius III, September 22, October 1 (consecrated), October 8, 1503–October 18, 1503 Julius II, November 1, November 26, 1503–February 21, 1513 Leo X, March 11, March 19, 1513–December 1, 1521

Adrian VI, January 9, August 31, 1522–September 14, 1523 Clement VII, November 19, November 26, 1523–September 25, 1534 Paul III, October 13, November 3, 1534–November 10, 1549 Julius III, February 7, February 22, 1550–March 23, 1555

Marcellus II, April 9, April 10, 1555–May 1, 1555 Paul IV, May 23, May 26, 1555–August 18, 1559 Pius IV, December 26, 1559, January 6, 1560–December 9, 1565

St. Pius V, January 7, January 17, 1566–May 1, 1572

Gregory XIII, May 13, May 25, 1572–April 10, 1585

Sixtus V, April 24, May 1, 1585–August 27, 1590 Urban VII, September 15, 1590–September 27, 1590

Gregory XIV, December 5, December 8, 1590–October 16, 1591 Innocent IX, October 29, November 3, 1591–December 30, 1591 Clement VIII, January 30, February 9, 1592–March 3, 1605 Leo XI, April 1, April 10, 1605–April 27, 1605 Paul V, May 16, May 29, 1605–January 28, 1621 Gregory XV, February 9, February 14, 1621–July 8, 1623

Urban VIII, August 6, September 29, 1623–July 29, 1644

Innocent X, September 15, October 4, 1644–January 7, 1655 Alexander VII, April 7, April 18, 1655–May 22, 1667

Clement IX, June 20, June 26, 1667–December 9, 1669

Clement X, April 29, May 11, 1670–July 22, 1676 Bl. Innocent XI, September 21, October 4, 1676–August 12, 1689 Alexander VIII, October 6, October 16, 1689–February 1, 1691 Innocent XII, July 12, July 15, 1691–September 27, 1700

Clement XI, November 23, November 30, December 8, 1700–March 19, 1721 Innocent XIII, May 8, May 18, 1721–March 7, 1724

Benedict XIII, May 29, June 4, 1724–February 21, 1730

Clement XII, July 12, July 16, 1730–February 6, 1740

Benedict XIV, August 17, August 22, 1740–May 3, 1758

Clement XIII, July 6, July 16, 1758–February 2, 1769

Clement XIV, May 19, May 28, June 4, 1769–September 22, 1774 Pius VI, February 15, February 22, 1775–August 29, 1799

Pius VII, March 14, March 21, 1800–August 20, 1823

Leo XII, September 28, October 5, 1823–February 10, 1829 Pius VIII, March 31, April 5, 1829–November 30, 1830

Gregory XVI, February 2, February 6, 1831–June 1, 1846

Pius IX, June 16, June 21, 1846–February 7, 1878 Leo XIII, February 20, March 3, 1878–July 20, 1903

St. Pius X, August 4, August 9, 1903–August 20, 1914

Benedict XV, September 3, September 6, 1914–January 22, 1922 Pius XI, February 6, February 12, 1922–February 10, 1939

Pius XII, March 2, March 12, 1939–October 9, 1958

John XXIII, October 28, November 4, 1958–June 3, 1963

Paul VI, June 21, June 30, 1963–August 6, 1978 John Paul I, August 26, September 3, 1978–September 28, 1978 John Paul II, October 16, October 22, 1978–

See Also: antipope; papacy; pope; popes, election of; popes, names of.

Bibliography: a. mercati, "The New List of the Popes," Mediaeval Studies 9 (1947) 71–80. h. leclercq, Dictionnaire d'archéologie chrétienne et de liturgie, ed. f. cabrol, h. leclercq, and h. i. marrou (Paris 1907–53) 13.1:1111–1345. Liber pontificalis, ed. l. duchesne (Paris 1886–92). g. b. ladner, Die Papstbildnisse des Altertums und des Mittelalters 1 (Vatican City 1941). f. x. seppelt, Geschichte der Päpste von den Anfängen bis zur Mitte des 20. Jh. (Munich 1954–59). e. caspar, Geschichte de Papsttums von den Anfängen bis zur Höhe der Weltherrschaft, 2v. (Tübingen 1930–33). l. pastor, The History of the Popes from the Close of the Middle Ages, 40 v. (London-St. Louis 1938–61). Much of the information in this article is taken from the notes that accompany the list of popes in the Annuario Pontificio (2001) 7*–20*.

[t. e. carson]