The pope, also known as the supreme pontiff (pontifex maximus), is the bishop of Rome, leader of the worldwide Catholic Church, and head of state representing the Holy See. While his office is called the papacy, the jurisdiction of the episcopal see is called the Holy See. The primacy of the bishop of Rome is largely derived from his role as the apostolic successor to Saint Peter, to whom primacy was conferred by Jesus, giving him the Keys of Heaven and the powers of “binding and loosing”, naming him as the “rock” upon which the church would be built.
The Pope is considered one of the world’s most powerful people because of his extensive diplomatic, cultural, and spiritual influence on 1.3 billion Catholics and beyond, and because he heads the world’s largest non-government provider of education and health care, with a vast network of charities. There have been 266 popes in the history of the Catholic Church.
Here all the popes of the Catholic Church in chronological order.
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Popes of the age of persecution​
No. | Pontiff | Pontificate |
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 | 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 | 217-222 |
17. | St. Urban I | 222-230 |
18. | St. Pontain | 230-235 |
19. | St. Anterus | 235-236 |
20. | St. Fabian | 236-250 |
21. | St. Cornelius | 251-253 |
22. | St. Lucius I | 253-254 |
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 | 283-296 |
29. | St. Marcellinus | 296-304 |
30. | St. Marcellus I | 308-309 |
31. | St. Eusebius | 309-310 |
32. | St. Miltiades | 311-314 |
Popes of the age of empire
No. | Pontiff | Pontificate |
33. | St. Sylvester I | 314-335 |
34. | St. Mark | 336-336 |
35. | St. Julius I | 337-352 |
36. | Liberius | 352-366 |
37. | St. Damasus I | 366-383 |
38. | St. Siricius | 384-399 |
39. | St. Anastasius I | 399-401 |
40. | St. Innocent I | 401-417 |
41. | St. Zosimus | 417-418 |
42. | St. Boniface I | 418-422 |
43. | St. Celestine I | 422-432 |
44. | St. Sixtus III | 432-440 |
45. | St. Leo I (Leo the Great) | 440-461 |
46. | St. Hilarius | 461-468 |
47. | St. Simplicius | 468-483 |
48. | St. Felix III (II) | 483-492 |
49. | St. Gelasius I | 492-496 |
50. | Anastasius II | 496-498 |
51. | St. Symmachus | 498-514 |
52. | St. Hormisdas | 514-523 |
53. | St. John I | 523-526 |
54. | St. Felix IV (III) | 526-530 |
55. | Boniface II | 530-532 |
56. | John II | 533-535 |
57. | St. Agapetus I | 535-536 |
58. | St. Silverius | 536-537 |
59. | Vigilius | 537-555 |
60. | Pelagius I | 556-561 |
61. | John III | 561-574 |
62. | Benedict I | 575-579 |
63. | Pelagius II | 579-590 |
Popes of the early middle ages
No. | Pontiff | Pontificate |
64. | St. Gregory I (Gregory the Great) | 590-604 |
65. | Sabinian | 604-606 |
66. | Boniface III | 607-607 |
67. | St. Boniface IV | 608-615 |
68. | St. Adeodatus I (Deusdedit) | 615-618 |
69. | Boniface V | 619-625 |
70. | Honorius I | 625-638 |
71. | Severinus | 640-640 |
72. | John IV | 640-642 |
73. | Theodore I | 642-649 |
74. | St. Martin I | 649-655 |
75. | St. Eugene I | 655-657 |
76. | St. Vitalian | 657-672 |
77. | Adeodatus II | 672-676 |
78. | Donus | 676-678 |
79. | St. Agatho | 678-681 |
80. | St. Leo II | 682-683 |
81. | St. Benedict II | 684-685 |
82. | John V | 685-686 |
83. | Conon | 686-687 |
84. | St. Sergius I | 687-701 |
85. | John VI | 701-705 |
86. | John VII | 705-707 |
87. | Sisinnius | 708-708 |
88. | Constantine | 708-715 |
89. | St. Gregory II | 715-731 |
90. | St. Gregory III | 731-741 |
91. | St. Zachary | 741-752 |
| Â | Stephen II* | 752-752 |
92. | Stephen III | 752-757 |
93. | St. Paul I | 757-767 |
94. | Stephen IV | 767-772 |
95. | Adrian I | 772-795 |
96. | St. Leo III | 795-816 |
97. | Stephen V | 816-817 |
98. | St. Paschal I | 817-824 |
99. | Eugene II | 824-827 |
100. | Valentine | 827-827 |
101. | Gregory IV | 827-844 |
102. | Sergius II | 844-847 |
103. | St. Leo IV | 847-855 |
104. | Benedict III | 855-858 |
105. | St. Nicholas I (Nicholas the Great) | 858-867 |
106. | Adrian II | 867-872 |
107. | John VIII | 872-882 |
108. | Marinus I | 882-884 |
109. | St. Adrian III | 884-885 |
110. | Stephen VI | 885-891 |
111. | Formosus | 891-896 |
112. | Boniface VI | 896-896 |
113. | Stephen VII | 896-897 |
114. | Romanus | 897-897 |
115. | Theodore II | 897-897 |
116. | John IX | 898-900 |
117. | Benedict IV | 900-903 |
118. | Leo V | 903-909 |
119. | Sergius III | 904-911 |
120. | Anastasius III | 911-913 |
121. | Lando | 913-914 |
122. | John X | 914-928 |
123. | Leo VI | 928-928 |
124. | Stephen VIII | 929-931 |
125. | John XI | 931-935 |
126. | Leo VII | 936-939 |
127. | Stephen IX | 939-942 |
128. | Marinus II | 942-946 |
129. | Agapetus II | 946-955 |
130. | John XII | 955-963 |
131. | Leo VIII | 963-964 |
132. | Benedict V | 964-964 |
133. | John XIII | 965-972 |
134. | Benedict VI | 973-974 |
135. | Benedict VII | 974-983 |
136. | John XIV | 983-984 |
137. | John XV | 985-996 |
138. | Gregory V | 996-999 |
139 | Sylvester II | 999-1003 |
140. | John XVII | 1003-1003 |
141. | John XVIII | 1003-1009 |
142. | Sergius IV | 1009-1012 |
143. | Benedict VIII | 1012-1024 |
144. | John XIX | 1024-1032 |
145. | Benedict IX | 1032-1045 |
146. | Sylvester III | 1045-1045 |
147. | Benedict IX | 1045-1045 |
148. | Gregory VI | 1045-1046 |
149. | Clement II | 1046-1047 |
150. | Benedict IX | 1047-1048 |
151. | Damasus II | 1048-1048 |
152. | St. Leo IX | 1049-1054 |
153. | Victor II | 1055-1057 |
154. | Stephen X | 1057-1058 |
155. | Nicholas II | 1058-1061 |
156. | Alexander II | 1061-1073 |
Popes of the age of crusades and councils
No. | Pontiff | Pontificate |
157. | St. Gregory VII | 1073-1085 |
158. | Blessed Victor III | 1086-1087 |
159. | Blessed Urban II | 1088-1099 |
160. | Paschal II | 1099-1118 |
161. | Gelasius II | 1118-1119 |
162. | Callistus II | 1119-1124 |
163. | Honorius II | 1124-1130 |
164. | Innocent II | 1130-1143 |
165. | Celestine II | 1143-1144 |
166. | Lucius II | 1144-1145 |
167. | Blessed Eugene III | 1145-1153 |
168. | Anastasius IV | 1153-1154 |
169. | Adrian IV | 1154-1159 |
170. | Alexander III | 1159-1181 |
171. | Lucius III | 1181-1185 |
172. | Urban III | 1185-1187 |
173. | Gregory VIII | 1187-1187 |
174. | Clement III | 1187-1191 |
175. | Celestine III | 1191-1198 |
176. | Innocent III | 1198-1216 |
177. | Honorius III | 1216-1227 |
178. | Gregory IX | 1227-1241 |
179. | Celestine IV | 1241-1241 |
180. | Innocent IV | 1243-1254 |
181. | Alexander IV | 1254-1261 |
182. | Urban IV | 1261-1264 |
183. | Clement IV | 1265-1268 |
184. | Blessed Gregory X | 1271-1276 |
185. | Blessed Innocent V | 1276-1276 |
186. | Adrian V | 1276-1276 |
187. | John XXI | 1276-1277 |
188. | Nicholas III | 1277-1280 |
189. | Martin IV | 1281-1285 |
190. | Honorius IV | 1285-1287 |
191. | Nicholas IV | 1288-1292 |
192. | St. Celestine V | 1294-1294 |
193. | Boniface VIII | 1294-1303 |
194. | Blessed Benedict XI | 1303-1304 |
Popes of the avignon papacy
No. | Pontiff | Pontificate |
195. | Clement V | 1305-1314 |
196. | John XXII | 1316-1334 |
197. | Benedict XII | 1334-1342 |
198. | Clement VI | 1342-1352 |
199. | Innocent VI | 1352-1362 |
200. | Blessed Urban V | 1362-1370 |
201. | Gregory XI | 1370-1378 |
Popes of the great schism
No. | Pontiff | Pontificate |
202. | Urban VI | 1378-1389 |
203. | Boniface IX | 1389-1404 |
204. | Innocent VII | 1404-1406 |
205. | Gregory XII | 1406-1415 |
Popes of the renaissance and reformation
No. | Pontiff | Pontificate |
206. | Martin V | 1417-1431 |
207. | Eugene IV | 1431-1447 |
208. | Nicholas V | 1447-1455 |
209. | Callistus III | 1455-1458 |
210. | Pius II | 1458-1464 |
211. | Paul II | 1464-1471 |
212. | Sixtus IV | 1471-1484 |
213. | Innocent VIII | 1484-1492 |
214. | Alexander VI | 1492-1503 |
215. | Pius III | 1503-1503 |
216. | Julius II | 1503-1513 |
217. | Leo X | 1513-1521 |
218. | Adrian VI | 1522-1523 |
219. | Clement VII | 1523-1534 |
220. | Paul III | 1534-1549 |
221. | Julius III | 1550-1555 |
222. | Marcellus II | 1555-1555 |
223. | Paul IV | 1555-1559 |
224. | Pius IV | 1559-1565 |
Popes of the age of revolution
No. | Pontiff | Pontificate |
225. | St. Pius V | 1566-1572 |
226. | Gregory XIII | 1572-1585 |
227. | Sixtus V | 1585-1590 |
228. | Urban VII | 1590-1590 |
229. | Gregory XIV | 1590-1591 |
230. | Innocent IX | 1591-1591 |
231. | Clement VIII | 1592-1605 |
232. | Leo XI | 1605-1605 |
233. | Paul V | 1605-1621 |
234. | Gregory XV | 1621-1623 |
235. | Urban VIII | 1623-1644 |
236. | Innocent X | 1644-1655 |
237. | Alexander VII | 1655-1667 |
238. | Clement IX | 1667-1669 |
239. | Clement X | 1670-1676 |
240. | Blessed Innocent XI | 1676-1689 |
241. | Alexander VIII | 1689-1691 |
242. | Innocent XII | 1691-1700 |
243. | Clement XI | 1700-1721 |
244. | Innocent XIII | 1721-1724 |
245. | Benedict XIII | 1724-1730 |
246. | Clement XII | 1730-1740 |
247. | Benedict XIV | 1740-1758 |
248. | Clement XIII | 1758-1769 |
249. | Clement XIV | 1769-1774 |
250. | Pius VI | 1775-1799 |
251. | Pius VII | 1800-1823 |
Popes of the modern age
No. | Pontiff | Pontificate |
252. | Leo XII | 1823-1829 |
253. | Pius VIII | 1829-1830 |
254 | Gregory XVI | 1831-1846 |
255. | Blessed Pius IX | 1846-1878 |
256. | Leo XIII | 1878-1903 |
257. | St. Pius X | 1903-1914 |
258. | Benedict XV | 1914-1922 |
259. | Pius XI | 1922-1939 |
260. | Pius XII | 1939-1958 |
261. | St. John XXIII | 1958-1963 |
262. | Blessed Paul VI | 1963-1978 |
263 | John Paul I | 1978-1978 |
264. | St. John Paul II | 1978-2005 |
265. | Benedict XVI | 2005-2013 |
266. | Francis | 2013- |
Notes:
- *Stephen II was elected but died before he was consecrated pope, so he is not found on the Vatican’s official list or included in the count
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