How many popes have taken their predecessor's name?

Answer 1

There have been 21 Pope Johns.

The short answer is John XVI was an antipope not a pope. John XX never existed.

This long answer is as follows. This discrepency came about is largely due to a series of antipopes by that same name. These antipopes were John (a local who was briefly antipope in 844 AD because a mob effectively put him there. He ended up stepping down without ever being given a papal number. ), John XVI ( who came to power in a palace revoution in 997 AD. He was ousted the following year) , and John XXIII (who became antipope during the closing years of the Great Schism in what was meant to be an attempt to replace two rival Popes currently sitting in Rome and Avignon. The attept failed and only resulted in three Popes sitting. The antipope John XXIII should not be confused with the 20th century Pope John XXIII ).

After John XVI was ousted from power and his chief backer Crescentius II of Rome executed, John XVII was elected Pope in 1003. Instead of calling himself John XVI, to in effect override the antipope John XVI, he called himself John XVII instead , probably to avoid confusion with antipope John XVI. Whatever the reason, he died just a few months after becoming Pope, thus creating a discrepency. The next two Pope Johns, John XVIII and John XIX continued the numbering discrepency.

Then in 1276, a new Pope rose to power who wanted to be called John. He wanted to know what number he should call himself with. Some poor medieval research uncovered not only John XVI but also the antipope John of 844 AD, and apparently accepted them both as popes! The new Pope thus became John XXI. He died the following year, having only obscured the papal numbering of Pope Johns further.

Pope John XXII came and went after a long papacy between 1316 and 1334.

The came the Great Schism of the late 14th/early 15th century. It's a long story that will be glossed over here. Briefly , the Roman Catholic church split up into two camps , one based in Rome, the other in Avignon, France. Each camp had its own Popes - the ones based in France are now regarded as antipopes.

In 1408, an attempt was made to set up a third papacy , independently of Rome and Avignon, to effectively replace both these camps. This camp was based in Pisa. These Pisan Popes are likewise regarded today as antipopes. One of these antipopes was John XXIII, elected by the Pisan authorities in 1410. The whole attempt fell through, and John XXIII fell from power in 1415, having being charged with numerous crimes in the bargain, including murder, debauchery and incest.

That was the last time anyone aspiring to be pope would call himself John, until 1958, when Angelo Roncalli was elected Pope and called himself John XXIII, thus 'overriding' the 15th century Pisan antipope John XXIII.

The end result of all this: there were 21 popes called John, even though the numbering system states 23. This discrepency will always remain, unless two future Popes call themselves John XVI and John XX.

Answer 2

Many popes have taken the same name as their predecessor. Go to the link below an you will find a number of examples.