Famous Popes

Pope Benedict XVI (April 16, 1927 – December 31, 2022) was a retired prelate of the Catholic Church who served as head of the Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. Benedict's election as pope occurred in the 2005 papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II. Benedict chose to be known by the title "pope emeritus" upon his resignation. He was described as "the main intellectual force in the Church" since the mid-1980s. In 2013, Benedict unexpectedly announced his resignation in a speech in Latin before the cardinals, citing a "lac

Pope John Paul II (Latin: Ioannes Paulus II; Italian: Giovanni Paolo II; Polish: Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła [ˈkarɔl ˈjuzɛv vɔjˈtɨwa]; 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) was the Pope of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 to 2005. He was elected pope by the second Papal conclave of 1978, which was called after Pope John Paul I, who had been elected in August to succeed Pope Paul VI, died after 33 days. Cardinal Wojtyła was elected on the third day of the conclave and adopted the name of his predecessor in tribute to him. John Paul II is recognised as helpi

Pope Urban II (Latin: Urbanus II; c. 1035 – 29 July 1099), born Odo of Châtillon or Otho de Lagery, was Pope from 12 March 1088 to his death in 1099. Urban II was a native of France. He was a descendant of a noble family in Châtillon-sur-Marne. Reims was the nearby cathedral school that Urban, at that time Eudes, began his studies at 1050.Before his papacy he was the abbot of Cluny and Bishop of Ostia under the name Eudes. As the Pope he would have to deal with many issues including the antipope Clement III, infighting of various christian nations, and the Muslim incursions into Europe. He is

Pope Pius XII, born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (pronunciation: [euˈdʒɛːnjo maˈriːa dʒuˈzɛppe dʒoˈvanni paˈtʃɛlli]; March 2, 1876 – October 9, 1958), headed the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from March 2, 1939, until his death. Before becoming pope, he served as secretary of the Department of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, papal nuncio to Germany, and Cardinal Secretary of State. In this role, he worked to conclude treaties with European and Latin American nations, including the Reichskonkordat with Nazi.

Pope Innocent III (Latin: Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni) reigned from 8 January 1198 to his death in 1216. Pope Innocent was one of the most powerful and influential of the medieval popes. He exerted a wide influence over the Christian states of Europe, claiming supremacy over all of Europe's kings. He was central in supporting the Catholic Church's reforms of ecclesiastical affairs through his decretals and the Fourth Lateran Council. This resulted in a considerable refinement of Western canon law. He is furthermo

Saint Peter (Syriac: ܫܸܡܥܘܿܢ ܟܹ݁ܐܦ݂ܵܐ, Šemʿōn Kēp̄ā; Hebrew: שמעון בר יונה‎ Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; Greek: Πέτρος, translit. Petros; Coptic: ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, romanized: Petros; Latin: Petrus; r. AD 30; died between AD 64 and 68), also known as Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon (, pronunciation ), Sham'un al-Safa, Cephas, or Peter the Apostle, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, and the first leader of the early Church. According to Christian tradition, Peter was crucified in Rome under Emperor Nero. He is traditionally counted as the first Bishop of Rome‍—‌or pope‍—‌and also by Eastern Christian traditi

Pope Gregory IX (Latin: Gregorius IX; born Ugolino di Conti; c. 1145 or before 1170 – 22 August 1241) was Pope from 19 March 1227 to his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the Decretales and instituting the Papal Inquisition in response to the failures of the episcopal inquisitions established during the time of Pope Lucius III through his papal bull Ad abolendam issued in 1184. The successor of Pope Honorius III, he fully inherited the traditions of Pope Gregory VII and of his own cousin Pope Innocent III and zealously continued their policy of Papal supremacy.

Pope John XXIII (Latin: Ioannes; Italian: Giovanni; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, Italian pronunciation: [ˈandʒelo dʒuˈzɛppe roŋˈkalli]; 25 November 1881 – 3 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 to his death in 1963; he was canonized on 27 April 2014. Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was one of thirteen children born to a family of sharecroppers who lived in a village in Lombardy. He was ordained to the priesthood on 10 August 1904 and served in a number of posts, as nuncio in France and a delegate to Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. In a

Pope Pius XI, (Italian: Pio XI) born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (Italian: [amˈbrɔ:dʒo daˈmja:no aˈkille ˈratti]; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929. He took as his papal motto, "Pax Christi in Regno Christi," translated "The Peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ." Pius XI issued numerous encyclicals, including Quadragesimo anno on the 40th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's groundbreaking social encyclical Rerum nov

Pope Leo XIII (Italian: Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci [vinˈtʃɛntso dʒoakˈkiːno raffaˈɛːle luˈiːdʒi ˈpettʃi]; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death. He was the oldest pope (reigning until the age of 93), and had the third-longest confirmed pontificate, behind that of Pius IX (his immediate predecessor) and John Paul II. He is well known for his intellectualism and his attempts to define the position of the Catholic Church with regard to modern thinking. In his famous 1891 encyclical Rerum novarum, Pope Leo out

Pope John XIV (Latin: Ioannes XIV; died 20 August 984) served as Pope from December 983 until his death in 984. He succeeded Pope Benedict VII. John XIV was born in Pavia. Before becoming pope, he served as imperial Archchancellor for Italy under Emperor Otto II. His earliest document in this role dates to 28 December 980, and the latest is from 27 August 983. Queen Adelheid of Burgundy and Queen Theophanu, widows of Otto I and Otto II respectively, acted for Otto III as his regents. They sought to make Majolus of Cluny pope in 983; he refused. Pietro Canepanova, Bishop o

Pope John XXII (Latin: Ioannes XXII; 1244 – 4 December 1334) was born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse). He served as Pope from 7 August 1316 until his death in 1334. John XXII was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Pope. Cardinals elected him at a Conclave assembled in Lyon, facilitated by Philip, Count of Poitiers, who later became King Philip V of France. Like his predecessor Clement V, John centralized power and income within the Papacy and lived a princely life in Avignon. He opposed Louis IV of Bavaria's political policies as Holy Roman Emperor, prompting Louis to invade.

Pope Gregory I (Latin: Gregorius I; c. 540 – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was Pope from 3 September 590 to 12 March 604 AD. He is famous for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregorian Mission, to convert the then-pagan Anglo-Saxons in England to Christianity. Gregory is also well known for his writings, which were more prolific than those of any of his predecessors as Pope. The epithet Saint Gregory the Dialogist has been attached to him in Eastern Christianity because of his Dialogues. English translations of Eastern texts sometime

Pope Paul VI (Latin: Paulus VI; Italian: Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini (Italian pronunciation: [dʒoˈvanːi baˈtːista enˈriːko anˈtɔːnjo maˈriːa monˈtiːni]); 26 September 1897 – 6 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in 1978. Succeeding John XXIII, he continued the Second Vatican Council which he closed in 1965, implementing its numerous reforms, and fostered improved ecumenical relations with Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches, which resulted in many historic meetings and agreeme

Pope Clement VII (Italian: Papa Clemente VII; Latin: Clemens VII) (26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534), born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. “The most unfortunate of the Popes,” Clement VII’s reign was marked by a rapid succession of political, military, and religious struggles — many long in the making — which had far-reaching consequences for Christianity and world politics.Elected in 1523 at the end of the Italian Renaissance, Clement VII came to the papacy with a high reputati

Pope Alexander VI, born Rodrigo de Borja (Valencian: Roderic Llançol i de Borja [roðeˈɾiɡ ʎanˈsɔl i ðe ˈbɔɾdʒa], Spanish: Rodrigo Lanzol y de Borja [roˈðɾiɣo lanˈθol i ðe ˈβoɾxa]; 1 January 1431 – 18 August 1503), was Pope from 11 August 1492 until his death. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, partly because he acknowledged fathering several children by his mistresses. Therefore his Italianized Valencian surname, Borgia, became a byword for libertinism and nepotism, which are traditionally considered as characterizing his pontificate. A year after the election of his

Pope Pius X (Italian: Pio X), born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto (Italian: [dʒuˈzɛppe melˈkjɔrre ˈsarto]; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914), was head of the Catholic Church from August 1903 to his death in 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting liturgical reforms and orthodox theology. He directed the production of the 1917 Code of Canon Law, the first comprehensive and systemic work of its kind. Pius X was devoted to the Marian title of Our Lady of Confidence; while his papal encyclical Ad diem illum took on a sense of renewal that was

Pope Benedict VI (Latin: Benedictus VI; died June 974) was Pope from 19 January 973 to his death in 974. His brief pontificate occurred in the political context of the establishment of the Holy Roman Empire, during the transition between the reigns of German emperors Otto I and Otto II, incorporating the struggle for power of Roman aristocratic families such as the Crescentii and Tusculani.

Pope John XXI (Latin: Ioannes XXI; c. 1215 – 20 May 1277), born Peter Juliani (Latin: Petrus Iulianus; Portuguese: Pedro Julião), was Pope from 8 September 1276 to his death in 1277. Apart from Damasus I (from Roman Lusitania), he has been the only Portuguese pope. He is sometimes identified with the logician and herbalist Peter of Spain (Latin: Petrus Hispanus; Portuguese: Pedro Hispano), which would make him the only pope to have been a physician."Pope John XXI" was actually the 20th pope named John, but decided to skip the number XX.

Pope John XII can also refer to Pope John XII of Alexandria.Pope John XII (Latin: Ioannes XII; c. 930/937 – 14 May 964) was head of the Catholic Church from 16 December 955 to his death in 964. He was related to the Counts of Tusculum and a member of the powerful Roman family of Theophylact which had dominated papal politics for over half a century. His pontificate became infamous for the alleged depravity and worldliness with which he conducted his office.

Pope Gregory V, born Bruno of Carinthia (Latin: Gregorius V; c. 972 – 18 February 999) was Pope from 3 May 996 to his death in 999.

Pope Gregory III (Latin: Gregorius III; died 28 November 741) served as Bishop of Rome from 11 February 731 until his death in 741. His pontificate faced challenges from Byzantine iconoclasm and the advance of the Lombards. He invoked Charles Martel's intervention, though this effort failed. Gregory III was the fifth Syrian pope. He was the last pope born outside of Europe for 1,272 years, until Pope Francis was elected in 2013.

Pope Stephen VII (Latin: Stephanus VII; died 15 March 931) was Pope from February 929 to his death in 931. He was a candidate for the infamous Marozia. His pontificate occurred during the Saeculum obscurum.

Pope Pius IX (Pio IX; May 13, 1792 – February 7, 1878) was the head of the Catholic Church from June 16, 1846, until his death. Born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti, he reigned for over 31 years. Pius IX called the First Vatican Council (1869–70), which established papal infallibility. The council ended early because the Papal States were lost. Europe and the Italian peninsula faced considerable political issues.

Pope John Paul I (Latin: Ioannes Paulus I; Italian: Giovanni Paolo I; born Albino Luciani; 17 October 1912 – 28 September 1978) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City from 26 August 1978 to his death 33 days later. He was the first pope born in the 20th century. His reign was among the shortest in papal history, resulting in the most recent year of three popes since 1605. John Paul I remains the most recent Italian-born pope, following a succession that began with Clement VII in 1523.

Pope Innocent VIII (Innocentius VIII; 1432 – July 25, 1492) was elected Pope on August 29, 1484, and died in 1492. Born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), he came from a prominent Genoese family. He became a bishop in 1467 before Pope Sixtus IV made him cardinal. Innocent VIII was elected as a compromise candidate after a difficult conclave. His father, the viceroy of Naples, spent his early life at the Neapolitan court. He served in the retinue of Cardinal Calandrini, who was the half-brother of Pope Nicholas V (1447–55).

Pope Gregory VII (Gregorius VII; c. 1015 – May 25, 1085) became pope on April 22, 1073, and died in 1085. He was a great reformer known for the Investiture Controversy. Gregory VII disputed with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, over papal authority. This dispute established the primacy of the papacy and new canon law governing elections by the College of Cardinals. Gregory VII also led developments in the relationship between the emperor and the papacy.

Pope Boniface VIII (Bonifatius VIII; born Benedetto Caetani, c. 1230 – October 11, 1303) was pope from December 24, 1294, until his death in 1303. Caetani had baronial origins and family ties to the papacy. Boniface VIII spent his early career abroad in diplomatic roles. He succeeded Pope Celestine V, a Benedictine who had resigned the throne. Inside the College of Cardinals, Boniface VIII discriminated against Benedictines and members of the Colonna family. Some members of the Colonna family contested the validity of the 1294 conclave that elected him following the unusual resignation.

Pope Marinus II (; or Martin III; died May 946) was Pope from 30 October 942 to his death in 946.

Pope Adrian II (Latin: Adrianus PP. II, Italian: Adriano II; 792 – 14 December 872) was Pope from 14 December 867 to his death in 872. He was a member of a noble Roman family who became pope at an advanced age, despite his objections.

Pope Leo IV (790 – 17 July 855) was pope from 10 April 847 to his death in 855. He is remembered for repairing Roman churches that had been damaged during Arab raids on Rome, and for building the Leonine Wall around Vatican Hill. Pope Leo organized a league of Italian cities who fought the sea Battle of Ostia against the Saracens.

Pope Adrian I (Latin: Hadrianus I; died 25 December 795) was Bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 1 February 772 to his death in 795. He was the son of Theodore, a Roman nobleman. Adrian and his predecessors had to contend with periodic attempts by the Lombards to expand their holdings in Italy at the expense of the papacy. Not receiving any support from Constantinople, the popes looked for help to the Franks. Adrian's tenure saw the culmination of on-going territorial disputes between Charlemagne and his brother Carloman. The Lombard king Desiderius supported the claims of Carlom

Pope Leo VI (880 – 12 February 929) was Pope for just over seven months, from June 928 to his death in February 929. His pontificate occurred during the period known as the Saeculum obscurum.

Pope Constantine (Latin: Constantinus; 664 – 9 April 715) was Bishop of Rome from 25 March 708 to his death in 715. With the exception of Antipope Constantine, he was the only pope to bear such a "quintessentially" Eastern name of an emperor. During this period, the regnal name was also used by emperors and patriarchs. Selected as one of the last popes of the Byzantine Papacy, the defining moment of Constantine's pontificate was his 710/711 visit to Constantinople where he compromised with Justinian II on the Trullan canons of the Quinisext Council. Constantine was the last pope to visit Const

Pope Sergius III (c. 860–14 April 911) was Pope from 29 January 904 until his death in 911. During his time as pope, central Italy experienced feudal violence and disorder. Warring aristocratic factions sought to seize the Papacy's material and military resources. Sergius III allegedly ordered the murder of his predecessors, Leo V and Christopher. He also fathered an illegitimate son who later became pope (John XI). His pontificate was described as "dismal and disgraceful" and "efficient and ruthless".

Pope Nicholas III (Latin: Nicolaus III; c. 1225 – 22 August 1280), born Giovanni Gaetano Orsini, was Pope from 25 November 1277 to his death in 1280. He was a Roman nobleman who had served under eight popes, been made Cardinal-Deacon of St. Nicola in Carcere Tulliano by Pope Innocent IV (1243–54), protector of the Franciscans by Pope Alexander IV (1254–61), inquisitor-general by Pope Urban IV (1261–64), and succeeded Pope John XXI (1276–77) after a six-month vacancy in the Holy See resolved in the papal election of 1277, largely through family influence.

Pope Stephen III (Latin: Stephanus III; died 1 February 772) was Bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 7 August 768 to his death in 772. Stephen was a Benedictine monk who worked in the Lateran Palace during the tenure of Pope Zachary. In the midst of a tumultuous contest by rival factions to name a successor to Pope Paul I, Stephen was elected with the support of the Roman officials. He summoned the Lateran Council of 769, which sought to limit the influence of the nobles in papal elections. The Council also opposed iconoclasm.

Pope John VIII can also refer to Pope John VIII of Alexandria.Pope John VIII (Latin: Ioannes VIII; died 16 December 882) was Pope from 14 December 872 to his death in 882. He is often considered one of the ablest pontiffs of the 9th century.He devoted much of his papacy attempting to halt and reverse the Muslim gains in southern Italy and their march northwards, which was "destroying the economy of papal patrimony." When his efforts to obtain assistance from either the Franks or the Byzantines was unavailing, John was forced to focus on strengthening the defenses of the city of Rome. To this e

Pope Stephen IV (Latin: Stephanus IV; c. 770 – 24 January 817) was Bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from June 816 to his death in 817.Stephen belonged to a noble Roman family. He was consecrated pope on or about 22 June 816. The following October, he crowned Louis the Pious, Holy Roman Emperor at Rheims, and persuaded the emperor to release some Roman political prisoners he held in custody. He returned to Rome, by way of Ravenna, sometime in November and died the following January.

John X redirects here. It can also refer to John X of Antioch. Pope John X can also refer to Pope John X of Alexandria.Pope John X (Latin: Ioannes X; died 28 May 928) was Pope from March 914 to his death in 928. A candidate of the Counts of Tusculum, he attempted to unify Italy under the leadership of Berengar of Friuli, and was instrumental in the defeat of the Saracens at the Battle of Garigliano. He eventually fell out with Marozia, who had him deposed, imprisoned, and finally murdered. John’s pontificate occurred during the period known as the Saeculum obscurum.

Pope John XI (Latin: Ioannes XI; died December 935) was Pope from March 931 (at the age of 20) to his death in December 935.

Pope Paschal I (Latin: Paschalis I; born Pascale Massimi; died 824) served as pope from January 25, 817, until his death in 824. Paschal belonged to an aristocratic Roman family. Before becoming pope, he was the abbot of St. Stephen's monastery, which served pilgrims. Paschal was elected pope in January 817. His pontificate established the practice of crowning the Emperor in Rome. In 823, Paschal crowned Lothair I as King of Italy. He rebuilt several churches in Rome, including three basilicas.

Pope John XIII can also refer to Pope John XIII of Alexandria.Pope John XIII (Latin: Ioannes XIII; died 6 September 972) was Pope from 1 October 965 to his death in 972. His pontificate was caught up in the continuing conflict between the Emperor, Otto I, and the Roman nobility.

Pope Gregory IV (Latin: Gregorius IV; died 25 January 844) was Bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from October 827 to his death in 844. His pontificate was notable for the papacy’s attempts to intervene in the quarrels between the emperor Louis the Pious and his sons. It also saw the breakup of the Carolingian Empire in 843.

Pope Honorius III (1150 – 18 March 1227), born as Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death in 1227.

Pope Anastasius III (died June 913) was Pope from April 911 to his death in 913. He was a Roman by birth. A Roman nobleman, Lucian, is sometimes recognized as his father, although other sources assert that he was the illegitimate son of his predecessor Pope Sergius III (904–911). Almost nothing is recorded of Pope Anastasius III, his pontificate falling in the period when Rome and the Papacy were in the power of Theophylact, Count of Tusculum, and his wife Theodora, who approved Anastasius III's candidacy. Under his reign the Normans of Rollo were evangelized. His papacy faced renewed threats

Pope Agapetus II (died 8 November 955) was Pope from 10 May 946 to his death in 955. A nominee of the Princeps of Rome, Alberic II, his pontificate occurred during the period known as the Saeculum obscurum.

Pope Benedict III (Latin: Benedictus III; died 17 April 858) was pope from 29 September 855 to his death in 858.Little is known of Benedict's life before his papacy. His father was named Peter. Benedict was educated, and lived in Rome and was appointed by Pope Leo IV as cardinal-priest of the church of San Callisto. Benedict had a reputation for learning and piety. He was elected upon the refusal of Hadrian, the initial choice of the clergy and people. Arsenius, bishop of Horta, intercepted the legates sent to advise the emperor of the election and persuaded them to betray Benedict and convinc

Lando (also known as Landus) was Pope from c. September 913 to his death c. March 914. His short pontificate fell during an obscure period in papal and Roman history, the so-called Saeculum obscurum (904–64). He was the last pope to use a papal name (in his case, his birth name) that had not been used previously until the election of Pope Francis in 2013.According to the Liber pontificalis, Lando was born in the Sabina, and his father was a wealthy Lombard count named Taino from Fornovo. The Liber also claims that his pontificate lasted only four months and twenty-two days. A different list of

Pope Benedict IV (Latin: Benedictus IV; died 30 July 903) was Pope from 1 February 900 to his death in 903. The tenth-century historian Flodoard, who nicknamed him "the Great", commended his noble birth and public generosity. He succeeded Pope John IX (898–900) and was followed by Pope Leo V (903).