list of popes

 

It has been suggested that List of popes (graphical) be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

For a graphical representation of this list, see list of popes (graphical).

This article comprises lists of Popes of the Catholic Church.

While the term "Pope" (Latin: papa "father'") is used in several Churches to denote their high spiritual leaders (e.g.: Coptic Pope), this title in English usage can by itself refer to the head of the Catholic Church. The title itself has been used officially by the head of the Catholic Church since the tenure of Pope Siricius, although it has been first used by the Copts centuries earlier.

Hermannus Contractus may have been the first historian to number the popes continuously. His list ends in 1049 with Pope Leo IX as the number 154. On that basis, the current Pope Benedict XVI would be the 267th pope of Rome.

There is no official list of popes, but the Annuario Pontificio, published every year by the Vatican, contains a list that is generally considered to be the most authoritative. Its list is the one given here. The Annuario Pontificio's list gives Benedict XVI as the 265th pope of Rome.

Several changes have been made in the list during the 20th century. Antipope Christopher was considered legitimate for a long time. Pope-elect Stephen was considered legitimate under the name Stephen II until the 1961 edition and erased then. Although these changes are no longer controversial, a number of modern lists still include this "first Pope Stephen II". It is probable that this is because they are based on the 1913 edition of the Catholic Encyclopaedia, which is in the public domain.

Episcopus Romanus means Bishop of Rome.

Chronological list of popes

1st-5th Centuries

1st Century

Pontificate	Common English name	Regnal (Latin) name	Personal name	Place of birth	Notes
30 to 67	Peter Saint Peter	Petrus, Head of the Church	Simon Peter שמעון בן יונה (Shimon ben Yona) Shimon Kipha CΙΜΗΟΝ ΚΗΦΑC (Simeon Kephas - Simon the Rock)	Bethsaida, Galilea	Disciple of Jesus from whom he received the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, according to Matthew 16:18-19.
post42/ante57 to 64/67(?)		Petrus, Episcopus Romanus			Executed by crucifixion upside-down; feast day (Feast of Saints Peter and Paul) 29 June, (Chair of Peter) 22 February. Recognised as the first pope by the Roman Catholic Church.
64/67(?) to 76/79(?)	Linus Saint Linus	Linus, Episcopus Romanus	Linus	Tuscia (Northern Latium)	Traditionally martyred (no evidence); Feast day 23 September
76/79(?) to 88	Anacletus (Cletus) Saint Anacletus	Anacletus, Episcopus Romanus	Anacletus	Probably Greece	Martyred; feast day 26 April
88/92 to 97/101	Clement I Saint Clement	Clemens, Episcopus Romanus		Rome	Martyred; feast day 23 November

2nd Century

Pontificate	Common English name	Regnal (Latin) name	Personal name	Place of birth	Notes
97/99 to 105/107	Evaristus (Aristus) Saint Evaristus	Evaristus, Episcopus Romanus	Aristus		Traditionally martyred (no evidence); feast day 26 October
105/107 to 115/116	Alexander I Saint Alexander	Alexander, Episcopus Romanus	Alexander	Rome
115/116 to 125	Sixtus I Saint Sixtus	Xystus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome or Greece
125 to 136/138	Telesphorus Saint Telesphorus	Telesphorus, Episcopus Romanus		Greece
136/138 to 140/142	Hyginus Saint Hyginus	Hyginus, Episcopus Romanus		Greece	Traditionally martyred (no evidence); feast day 11 January
140/142 to 155	Pius I Saint Pius	Pius, Episcopus Romanus		Aquileia, Friuli, Italy	Martyred by sword; feast day 11 July
155 to 166	Anicetus Saint Anicetus	Anicetus, Episcopus Romanus		Emesa, Syria	Traditionally martyred (no evidence); feast day 17 April
c.166 to 174/175	Soter Saint Soter	Soterius, Episcopus Romanus		Fondi, Latium, Italy	Traditionally martyred; feast day 22 April
174/175 to 189	Eleuterus Saint Eleutherus	Eleutherius, Episcopus Romanus		Nicopoli, Epyrus	Traditionally martyred; feast day 6 May
189 to 198/199	Victor I Saint Victor	Victor, Episcopus Romanus		Northern Africa

3rd Century

Pontificate	Common English name	Regnal (Latin) name	Personal name	Place of birth	Notes
199 to 217	Zephyrinus Saint Zephyrin	Zephyrinus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
c.217 to 222/223	Callixtus I Saint Callixtus	Callistus, Episcopus Romanus			Martyred; feast day 14 October
222/223 to 230	Urban I Saint Urban	Urbanus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
21 July 230 to 28 September 235	Pontian Saint Pontian	Pontianus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
235 to 3 January 236	Anterus Saint Anterus	Anterus, Episcopus Romanus		Greece
10 January 236 to 20 January 250	Fabian Saint Fabian	Fabianus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
March/April 251 to June 253	Cornelius Saint Cornelius	Cornelius, Episcopus Romanus			Died a martyr, through extreme hardship; feast day 16 September
25 June 253 to 5 March 254	Lucius I Saint Lucius	Lucius, Episcopus Romanus		Rome	Feast day 4 March
12 May 254 to 2 August 257	Stephen I Saint Stephen	Stephanus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome	Martyred by beheading; feast day 2 August
30/31 August 257 to 6 August 258	Sixtus II Saint Sixtus II	Xystus Secundus, Episcopus Romanus		Greece	Martyred by beheading
22 July 259 to 26 December 268	Dionysius Saint Dionysius	Dionysius, Episcopus Romanus		Greece	Feast day 26 December
5 January 269 to 30 December 274	Felix I Saint Felix	Felix, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
4 January 275 to December 283	Eutychian Saint Eutychian	Eutychianus, Episcopus Romanus
17 December 283 to 22 April 296	Caius Saint Caius	Caius, Episcopus Romanus
296 to 304	Marcellinus Saint Marcellinus	Marcellinus, Episcopus Romanus

4th Century

Pontificate	Common English name	Regnal (Latin) name	Personal name	Place of birth	Notes
308 to 309	Marcellus I Saint Marcellus	Marcellus, Episcopus Romanus
c.309 to c.310	Eusebius Saint Eusebius	Eusebius, Episcopus Romanus
2 July 311 to 11 January 314	Miltiades Melchiades Saint Miltiades	Miltiades, Episcopus Romanus		Africa	First pope after the end of the persecution of Christians through the Edict of Milan (313 AD) issued by Constantine the Great
31 January 314 to 31 December 335	Sylvester I Saint Sylvester	Silvester, Episcopus Romanus
18 January 336 to 7 October 336	Mark Saint Mark	Marcus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome	Feast day 7 October
6 February 337 to 12 April 352	Julius I Saint Julius	Iulius, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
17 May 352 to 24 September 366	Liberius	Liberius, Episcopus Romanus			Earliest Pope not yet canonized
1 October 366 to 11 December 384	Damasus I Saint Damasus	Damasus, Episcopus Romanus		Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal	First Portuguese Pope
11 December 384 to 26 November 399	Siricius Saint Siricius	Papa Siricius, Episcopus Romanus			First to employ the title "Papa" ("Pope")
27 November 399 to 19 December 401	Anastasius I Saint Anastasius	Papa Anastasius, Episcopus Romanus

5th Century

Pontificate	Common English name	Regnal (Latin) name	Personal name	Place of birth	Notes
22 December 401 to 12 March 417	Innocent I Saint Innocent	Papa Innocentius, Episcopus Romanus
18 March 417 to 26 December 418	Zosimus Saint Zosimus	Papa Zosimus, Episcopus Romanus
28/29 December 418 to 4 September 422	Boniface I Saint Boniface	Papa Bonifacius, Episcopus Romanus
10 September 422 to 27 July 432	Celestine I Saint Celestine	Papa Coelestinus, Episcopus Romanus
31 July 432 to March/August 440	Sixtus III Saint Sixtus	Papa Xystus Tertius, Episcopus Romanus
29 September 440 to 10 November 461	Leo I Saint Leo Leo the Great	Papa Leo Magnus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome	Convinced Attila the Hun to turn back his invasion of Italy
19 November 461 to 29 February 468	Hilarius Saint Hilarius	Papa Hilarius, Episcopus Romanus
3 March 468 to 10 March 483	Simplicius Saint Simplicius	Papa Simplicius, Episcopus Romanus		Tivoli, Italy
13 March 483 to 1 March 492	Felix III Saint Felix	Papa Felix Tertius, Episcopus Romanus		Rome	Sometimes called Felix II
1 March 492 to 21 November 496	Gelasius I Saint Gelasius	Papa Gelasius, Episcopus Romanus		Africa
24 November 496 to 19 November 498	Anastasius II	Papa Anastasius Secundus, Episcopus Romanus
22 November 498 to 19 July 514	Symmachus Saint Symmachus	Papa Symmachus, Episcopus Romanus		Sardinia

6th-10th Centuries

6th Century

Pontificate	Common English name	Regnal name	Personal name	Place of birth	Notes
20 July 514 to 19 July 523	Hormisdas Saint Hormisdas	Papa Hormisdus, Episcopus Romanus		Frosinone, Southern Latium, Italy	Father of Pope Silverius
13 August 523 to 18 May 526	John I Saint John	Papa Ioannes, Episcopus Romanus		Tuscany
13 July 526 to 22 September 530	Felix IV Saint Felix	Papa Felix Quartus, Episcopus Romanus		Samnium	Sometimes called Felix III
22 September 530 to 17 October 532	Boniface II	Papa Bonifacius Secundus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome to Ostrogoth parents
2 January 533 to 8 May 535	John II	Papa Ioannes Secundus, Episcopus Romanus	Mercurius	Rome	First pope to not use personal name. This was due to Mercury being a Roman god.
13 May 535 to 22 April 536	Agapetus I Agapitus Saint Agapetus	Papa Agapetus, Episcopus Romanus			Feast days 22 April, 20 September
1 June 536 to 11 November 537	Silverius Saint Silverius	Papa Silverius, Episcopus Romanus			Exiled; feast day 20 June, son of Pope Hormisdas
29 March 537 to 7 June 555	Vigilius	Papa Vigilius, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
16 April 556 to 4 March 561	Pelagius I	Papa Pelagius, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
17 July 561 to 13 July 574	John III	Papa Ioannes Tertius, Episcopus Romanus	Catelinus
2 June 575 to 30 July 579	Benedict I	Papa Benedictus, Episcopus Romanus
26 November 579 to 7 February 590	Pelagius II	Papa Pelagius Secundus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
3 September 590 to 12 March 604	Gregory I, O.S.B. Saint Gregory Gregory the Great	Papa Gregorius Magnus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome	First to formally employ the titles "Servus servorum Dei" and "Pontifex Maximus"

7th Century

Pontificate	Common English name	Regnal (Latin) name	Personal name	Place of birth	Notes
13 September 604 to 22 February 606	Sabinian Saint Sabinian	Papa Sabinianus, Episcopus Romanus		Blera
19 February 607 to 12 November 607	Boniface III	Papa Bonifacius Tertius, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
25 August 608 to 8 May 615	Boniface IV, O.S.B. Saint Boniface	Papa Bonifacius Quartus, Episcopus Romanus		Marsi	First Pope to bear the same name as his predecessor
19 October 615 to 8 November 618	Adeodatus I	Papa Adeodatus, or Papa Deusdedit Episcopus Romanus		Rome	Sometimes called Deusdedit, and then Pope Adeodatus II is called Pope Adeodatus without a number
23 December 619 to 25 October 625	Boniface V	Papa Bonifacius Quintus, Episcopus Romanus		Naples
27 October 625 to 12 October 638	Honorius I	Papa Honorius, Episcopus Romanus
October 638 to 2 August 640	Severinus	Papa Severinus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
24 December 640 to 12 October 642	John IV	Papa Ioannes Quartus, Episcopus Romanus		Zadar, Dalmatia, now Croatia
24 November 642 to 14 May 649	Theodore I	Papa Theodorus, Episcopus Romanus		Palestine
July 649 to 16 September 655	Martin I Saint Martin	Papa Martinus, Episcopus Romanus			Feast Day 12 November
10 August 654 to 2 June 657	Eugene I Saint Eugene	Papa Eugenius, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
30 July 657 to 27 January 672	Vitalian Saint Vitalian	Papa Vitalianus, Episcopus Romanus
11 April 672 to 17 June 676	Adeodatus II, O.S.B.	Papa Adeodatus Secundus, Episcopus Romanus			Sometimes called Pope Adeodatus (without a number) when Pope Adeodatus I is called Pope Deusdedit
2 November 676 to 11 April 678	Donus	Papa Donus, Episcopus Romanus
27 June 678 to 10 January 681	Agatho Saint Agatho	Papa Agatho, Episcopus Romanus		Sicily
December 681 to 3 July 683	Leo II Saint Leo	Papa Leo Secundus, Episcopus Romanus		Sicily	Feast day 3 July
683/26 June 684 to 8 May 685	Benedict II Saint Benedict	Papa Benedictus Secundus, Episcopus Romanus			Feast day 7 May
12 July 685 to 2 August 686	John V	Papa Ioannes Quintus, Episcopus Romanus		Syria
21 October 686 to 22 September 687	Conon	Papa Conon, Episcopus Romanus
15 December 687 to 8 September 701	Sergius I Saint Sergius	Papa Sergius, Episcopus Romanus		Sicily

8th Century

Pontificate	Common English name	Regnal (Latin) name	Personal name	Place of birth	Notes
30 October 701 to 11 January 705	John VI	Papa Ioannes Sextus, Episcopus Romanus		Greece
1 March 705 to 18 October 707	John VII	Papa Ioannes Septumus, Episcopus Romanus		Greece	Second Pope to bear the same name as his predecessor
15 January 708 to 4 February 708	Sisinnius	Papa Sisinnius, Episcopus Romanus		Syria
25 March 708 to 9 April 715	Constantine	Papa Constantinus, Episcopus Romanus		Syria	Last Pope to visit Greece until John Paul II in 2001
19 May 715 to 11 February 731	Gregory II Saint Gregory	Papa Gregorius Secundus, Episcopus Romanus			Feast day 11 February
18 March 731 to 28 November 741	Gregory III	Papa Gregorius Tertius, Episcopus Romanus		Syria	Third Pope to bear the same name as his predecessor
3 December 741 to 14 March/22 March 752	Zachary Saint Zachary	Papa Zacharias, Episcopus Romanus		Greece	Feast day 15 March
23 March 752 to 25 March 752 Never took office as Pope.	(Pope-Elect Stephen)	Stephanus			Sometimes known as Stephen II. Died three days after his election and was never consecrated into the office of Pope as such debate remains over if he was Pope or not. The Vatican sanctioned his addition to the list of Popes in the sixteenth century, however he was removed in 1961. As such he is not considered a Pope by the Catholic Church.
26 March 752 to 26 April 757	Stephen II	Papa Stephanus Secundus, Episcopus Romanus			Sometimes called Stephen III
29 May 757 to 28 June 767	Paul I Saint Paul	Papa Paulus, Episcopus Romanus
1 August 767 to 24 January 772	Stephen III	Papa Stephanus Tertius, Episcopus Romanus			Sometimes called Stephen IV
1 February 772 to 26 December 795	Adrian I	Papa Hadrianus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
26 December 795 to 12 June 816	Leo III	Papa Leo Tertius, Episcopus Romanus

9th Century

Pontificate	Common English name	Regnal (Latin) name	Personal name	Place of birth	Notes
12 June 816 to 24 January 817	Stephen IV	Papa Stephanus Quartus, Episcopus Romanus			Sometimes called Stephen V
25 January 817 to 11 February 824	Paschal I Saint Paschal	Papa Paschalis, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
8 May 824 to August 827	Eugene II	Papa Eugenius Secundus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
August 827 to September 827	Valentine	Papa Valentinus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
827 to January 844	Gregory IV	Papa Gregorius Quartus, Episcopus Romanus
January 844 to 7 January 847	Sergius II	Papa Sergius Secundus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
January 847 to 17 July 855	Leo IV, O.S.B. Saint Leo	Papa Leo Quartus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
855 to 7 April 858	Benedict III	Papa Benedictus Tertius, Episcopus Romanus
24 April 858 to 13 November 867	Nicholas I Saint Nicholas Nicholas the Great	Papa Nicolaus Magnus Episcopus Romanus
14 December 867 to 14 December 872	Adrian II	Papa Hadrianus Secundus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
14 December 872 to 16 December 882	John VIII	Papa Ioannes Octavus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
16 December 882 to 15 May 884	Marinus I	Papa Marinus, Episcopus Romanus
17 May 884 to c.September 885	Adrian III Saint Adrian	Papa Hadrianus Tertius, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
885 to 14 September 891	Stephen V	Papa Stephanus Quintus, Episcopus Romanus			Sometimes called Stephen VI
19 September 891 to 4 April 896	Formosus	Papa Formosus, Episcopus Romanus		Ostia	Posthumously ritually executed following the Cadaver Synod
4 April 896 to 19 April 896	Boniface VI	Papa Bonifacius Sextus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
22 May 896 to August 897	Stephen VI	Papa Stephanus Sextus, Episcopus Romanus			Sometimes called Stephen VII
August 897 to November 897	Romanus	Papa Romanus, Episcopus Romanus
December 897	Theodore II	Papa Theodorus Secundus, Episcopus Romanus
January 898 to January 900	John IX, O.S.B.	Papa Ioannes Nonus, Episcopus Romanus

10th Century

Pontificate	Common English name	Regnal (Latin) name	Personal name	Place of birth	Notes
900 to 903	Benedict IV	Papa Benedictus Quartus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
July 903 to September 903	Leo V	Papa Leo Quintus, Episcopus Romanus		Ardea
29 January 904 to 14 April 911	Sergius III	Papa Sergius Tertius, Episcopus Romanus		Rome	"Pornocracy" begins
April 911 to June 913	Anastasius III	Papa Anastasius Tertius, Episcopus Romanus		Rome
July/August 913 to February/March 914	Lando	Papa Lando, Episcopus Romanus		Sabina, Italy
March 914 to May 928	John X	Papa Ioannes Decimus, Episcopus Romanus
May 928 to December 928	Leo VI	Papa Leo Sextus, Episcopus Romanus
December 928 to February 931	Stephen VII	Papa Stephanus Septimus, Episcopus Romanus			Sometimes called Stephen VIII
February/March 931 to December 935	John XI	Papa Ioannes Undecimus, Episcopus Romanus
3 January 936 to 13 July 939	Leo VII, O.S.B.	Papa Leo Septimus, Episcopus Romanus
14 July 939 to October 942	Stephen VIII	Papa Stephanus Octavus, Episcopus Romanus			Sometimes called Stephen IX
30 October 942 to May 946	Marinus II	Papa Marinus Secundus, Episcopus Romanus
10 May 946 to December 955	Agapetus II	Papa Agapetus Secundus, Episcopus Romanus
16 December 955 to 14 May 964	John XII	Papa Ioannes Duodecimus, Episcopus Romanus	Octavian		Deposed in 963 by Emperor Otto invalidly; end of the "Pornocracy"
22 May 964 to 23 June 964	Benedict V	Papa Benedictus Quintus, Episcopus Romanus			Elected after John XII's death by the people of Rome, in opposition to the Antipope Leo VIII who was appointed by Emperor Otto; Benedict accepted his deposition in 964 leaving Leo as sole pope.
July 964 to 1 March 965	Leo VIII	Papa Leo Octavus, Episcopus Romanus		Rome	Appointed antipope by Emperor Otto in 963 in opposition to John XII and Benedict V. He became the true Pope after Benedict V was deposed
1 October 965 to 6 September 972	John XIII	Papa Ioannes Tertius Decimus, Episcopus Romanus
19 January 973 to June 974	Benedict VI	Papa Benedictus Sextus, Episcopus Romanus			Deposed and murdered
October 974 to 10 July 983	Benedict VII	Papa Benedictus Septimus, Episcopus Romanus
December 983 to 20 August 984