The Popes of Rome — Faiths of the World

The Early Church 1st – 5th century

1St Peterc. 30 – c. 64/68

The apostle Simon Peter, whom tradition holds as the first Bishop of Rome; martyred under Nero.

2St Linusc. 64 – c. 76

First Roman-born pope.

3St Cletus (Anacletus)c. 76 – c. 88

First Greek pope.

4St Clement Ic. 88 – c. 97

Author of the Epistle to the Corinthians, among the earliest Christian documents outside the New Testament.

5St Evaristusc. 97 – c. 105

6St Alexander Ic. 105 – c. 115

7St Sixtus Ic. 115 – c. 125

8St Telesphorusc. 125 – c. 136

9St Hyginusc. 136 – c. 140

10St Pius Ic. 140 – c. 155

11St Anicetusc. 155 – c. 166

Met with Polycarp of Smyrna over the dating of Easter.

12St Soter166 – 174

13St Eleutherius174 – 189

14St Victor I189 – 198

First pope born in Africa.

15St Zephyrinus198 – 217

16St Callixtus I218 – 222

17St Urban I222 – 230

18St Pontian230 – 235

First pope to abdicate, upon his exile to Sardinia.

19St Anterus235 – 236

20St Fabian236 – 250

Divided Rome into seven diaconates; martyred under Decius.

21St Cornelius251 – 253

22St Lucius I253 – 254

23St Stephen I254 – 257

24St Sixtus II257 – 258

Martyred under Valerian.

25St Dionysius259 – 268

26St Felix I269 – 274

27St Eutychian275 – 283

28St Caius283 – 296

29St Marcellinus296 – 304

Reigned at the outset of the Diocletianic persecution.

30St Marcellus I308 – 309

31St Eusebius309 – 310

32St Miltiades311 – 314

First pope after the Edict of Milan legalized Christianity.

33St Sylvester I314 – 335

Pope during the First Council of Nicaea (325).

34St Mark336

35St Julius I337 – 352

Defender of Athanasius during the Arian controversy.

36Liberius352 – 366

First pope not venerated as a saint in the West.

37St Damasus I366 – 384

Commissioned Jerome's Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible.

38St Siricius384 – 399

His letters are the earliest surviving papal decretals.

39St Anastasius I399 – 401

40St Innocent I401 – 417

Pope when Rome was sacked by the Visigoths (410).

41St Zosimus417 – 418

42St Boniface I418 – 422

43St Celestine I422 – 432

Sent Palladius to Ireland; pope during the Council of Ephesus (431).

44St Sixtus III432 – 440

45St Leo I “the Great”440 – 461

Persuaded Attila the Hun to spare Rome; his Tome shaped the Council of Chalcedon (451). Doctor of the Church.

46St Hilarius461 – 468

47St Simplicius468 – 483

Pope when the Western Roman Empire fell (476).

48St Felix III483 – 492

The Acacian Schism with the East began under his pontificate.

49St Gelasius I492 – 496

Articulated the doctrine of the “two powers,” spiritual and temporal.

50Anastasius II496 – 498

Late Antiquity & the Byzantine Papacy 6th – 8th century

51St Symmachus498 – 514

52St Hormisdas514 – 523

His Formula ended the Acacian Schism (519).

53St John I523 – 526

54St Felix IV526 – 530

55Boniface II530 – 532

First Germanic pope.

56John II533 – 535

First pope to adopt a new regnal name.

57St Agapetus I535 – 536

58St Silverius536 – 537

59Vigilius537 – 555

60Pelagius I556 – 561

61John III561 – 574

62Benedict I575 – 579

63Pelagius II579 – 590

64St Gregory I “the Great”590 – 604

Father of the medieval papacy; sent Augustine to evangelize England; namesake of Gregorian chant. Doctor of the Church.

65Sabinian604 – 606

66Boniface III607

67St Boniface IV608 – 615

Converted the Pantheon into a church.

68St Adeodatus I615 – 618

69Boniface V619 – 625

70Honorius I625 – 638

Posthumously anathematized in the Monothelite controversy.

71Severinus640

72John IV640 – 642

73Theodore I642 – 649

74St Martin I649 – 654

Last pope venerated as a martyr; died in exile.

75St Eugene I654 – 657

76St Vitalian657 – 672

77Adeodatus II672 – 676

78Donus676 – 678

79St Agatho678 – 681

Pope during the Third Council of Constantinople.

80St Leo II682 – 683

81St Benedict II684 – 685

82John V685 – 686

83Conon686 – 687

84St Sergius I687 – 701

Introduced the Agnus Dei into the Mass.

85John VI701 – 705

The only pope born in Asia Minor.

86John VII705 – 707

87Sisinnius708

Reigned 20 days.

88Constantine708 – 715

Last pope to visit Constantinople until Paul VI (1967).

89St Gregory II715 – 731

Sent Boniface to evangelize Germany.

90St Gregory III731 – 741

Last pope born in Syria.

91St Zachary741 – 752

Last pope of the Byzantine Papacy era.

92Stephen II752 – 757

Allied with Pepin the Short; the Donation of Pepin founded the Papal States.

93St Paul I757 – 767

94Stephen III768 – 772

95Adrian I772 – 795

96St Leo III795 – 816

Crowned Charlemagne emperor on Christmas Day, 800.

The Early Middle Ages 9th – 10th century

97Stephen IV816 – 817

98St Paschal I817 – 824

99Eugene II824 – 827

100Valentine827

101Gregory IV827 – 844

102Sergius II844 – 847

103St Leo IV847 – 855

Built the Leonine Wall around Vatican Hill after the Saracen sack.

104Benedict III855 – 858

105St Nicholas I “the Great”858 – 867

Asserted papal authority over kings and councils.

106Adrian II867 – 872

107John VIII872 – 882

First pope to be assassinated.

108Marinus I882 – 884

109St Adrian III884 – 885

110Stephen V885 – 891

111Formosus891 – 896

Posthumously tried at the macabre “Cadaver Synod” (897).

112Boniface VI896

Reigned 15 days.

113Stephen VI896 – 897

Conducted the Cadaver Synod against Formosus.

114Romanus897

115Theodore II897

Reigned about 20 days; rehabilitated Formosus.

116John IX898 – 900

117Benedict IV900 – 903

118Leo V903

Deposed and murdered.

119Sergius III904 – 911

His reign opened the period historians call the saeculum obscurum.

120Anastasius III911 – 913

121Lando913 – 914

Last pope to use a previously unused name until John Paul I (1978).

122John X914 – 928

123Leo VI928 – 929

124Stephen VII929 – 931

125John XI931 – 935

126Leo VII936 – 939

127Stephen VIII939 – 942

128Marinus II942 – 946

129Agapetus II946 – 955

130John XII955 – 964

Elected at about age 18; crowned Otto I, founding the Holy Roman Empire (962).

131Benedict V964

132Leo VIII964 – 965

133John XIII965 – 972

134Benedict VI973 – 974

Imprisoned and strangled.

135Benedict VII974 – 983

136John XIV983 – 984

137John XV985 – 996

First pope to formally canonize a saint.

138Gregory V996 – 999

First German pope.

139Sylvester II999 – 1003

First French pope; renowned scholar who promoted Arabic numerals in Europe.

Reform, Crusades & the High Middle Ages 11th – 13th century

140John XVII1003

141John XVIII1003 – 1009

142Sergius IV1009 – 1012

143Benedict VIII1012 – 1024

144John XIX1024 – 1032

145Benedict IX1032 – 1044

Youngest pope; the only man to hold the papacy three separate times (also #147, #150).

146Sylvester III1045

147Benedict IX1045

Second term.

148Gregory VI1045 – 1046

Deposed at the Council of Sutri.

149Clement II1046 – 1047

150Benedict IX1047 – 1048

Third term.

151Damasus II1048

Reigned 23 days.

152St Leo IX1049 – 1054

Pope at the East–West Schism of 1054, which divided Catholic and Orthodox Christianity.

153Victor II1055 – 1057

154Stephen IX1057 – 1058

155Nicholas II1058 – 1061

Gave papal elections to the College of Cardinals (1059).

156Alexander II1061 – 1073

Authorized the Norman Conquest of England.

157St Gregory VII1073 – 1085

Launched the Gregorian Reform; humbled Emperor Henry IV at Canossa in the Investiture Controversy.

158Bl. Victor III1086 – 1087

159Bl. Urban II1088 – 1099

Preached the First Crusade at Clermont (1095).

160Paschal II1099 – 1118

161Gelasius II1118 – 1119

162Callixtus II1119 – 1124

The Concordat of Worms (1122) ended the Investiture Controversy.

163Honorius II1124 – 1130

164Innocent II1130 – 1143

165Celestine II1143 – 1144

166Lucius II1144 – 1145

167Bl. Eugene III1145 – 1153

Announced the Second Crusade.

168Anastasius IV1153 – 1154

169Adrian IV1154 – 1159

The only English pope.

170Alexander III1159 – 1181

Convened the Third Lateran Council; clashed with Frederick Barbarossa.

171Lucius III1181 – 1185

172Urban III1185 – 1187

173Gregory VIII1187

Called the Third Crusade after the fall of Jerusalem.

174Clement III1187 – 1191

175Celestine III1191 – 1198

176Innocent III1198 – 1216

Apex of medieval papal power; convened the Fourth Lateran Council (1215); approved the Franciscans.

177Honorius III1216 – 1227

Approved the Dominican, Franciscan, and Carmelite orders.

178Gregory IX1227 – 1241

Established the papal Inquisition; canonized Francis of Assisi.

179Celestine IV1241

Died before coronation.

180Innocent IV1243 – 1254

181Alexander IV1254 – 1261

182Urban IV1261 – 1264

Instituted the feast of Corpus Christi.

183Clement IV1265 – 1268

184Bl. Gregory X1271 – 1276

Elected after a near three-year interregnum; created the conclave system.

185Bl. Innocent V1276

186Adrian V1276

187John XXI1276 – 1277

The only Portuguese pope; a physician and philosopher.

188Nicholas III1277 – 1280

189Martin IV1281 – 1285

190Honorius IV1285 – 1287

191Nicholas IV1288 – 1292

First Franciscan pope.

192St Celestine V1294

Hermit-pope who resigned after five months — the most famous papal abdication before Benedict XVI.

193Boniface VIII1294 – 1303

Issued Unam Sanctam, the high-water mark of papal supremacy claims; clashed with Philip IV of France.

Avignon, Schism & Renaissance 14th – 15th century

194Bl. Benedict XI1303 – 1304

195Clement V1305 – 1314

Moved the papacy to Avignon (1309); suppressed the Knights Templar.

196John XXII1316 – 1334

Second Avignon pope.

197Benedict XII1334 – 1342

198Clement VI1342 – 1352

Pope during the Black Death; defended Jews against persecution.

199Innocent VI1352 – 1362

200Bl. Urban V1362 – 1370

201Gregory XI1370 – 1378

Returned the papacy from Avignon to Rome (1377), urged on by Catherine of Siena.

202Urban VI1378 – 1389

His disputed election triggered the Western Schism.

203Boniface IX1389 – 1404

204Innocent VII1404 – 1406

205Gregory XII1406 – 1415

Resigned at the Council of Constance to help end the Western Schism — the last papal resignation until 2013.

206Martin V1417 – 1431

His election ended the Western Schism.

207Eugene IV1431 – 1447

208Nicholas V1447 – 1455

Founded the Vatican Library.

209Callixtus III1455 – 1458

First Borgia pope; ordered the retrial that cleared Joan of Arc.

210Pius II1458 – 1464

Renaissance humanist and author.

211Paul II1464 – 1471

212Sixtus IV1471 – 1484

Built the Sistine Chapel.

213Innocent VIII1484 – 1492

214Alexander VI1492 – 1503

Rodrigo Borgia; divided the New World between Spain and Portugal; notorious for nepotism.

Reformation to Revolution 16th – 18th century

215Pius III1503

Reigned 26 days.

216Julius II1503 – 1513

The “Warrior Pope”; commissioned Michelangelo's Sistine ceiling and the new St. Peter's Basilica.

217Leo X1513 – 1521

Medici pope who excommunicated Martin Luther as the Reformation began.

218Adrian VI1522 – 1523

Last non-Italian pope until John Paul II.

219Clement VII1523 – 1534

Pope during the Sack of Rome (1527) and Henry VIII's break with Rome.

220Paul III1534 – 1549

Convened the Council of Trent; recognized the Jesuits.

221Julius III1550 – 1555

222Marcellus II1555

Last pope to keep his baptismal name.

223Paul IV1555 – 1559

Established the Index of Forbidden Books.

224Pius IV1559 – 1565

Concluded the Council of Trent.

225St Pius V1566 – 1572

Implemented the Tridentine reforms; standardized the Roman Missal; pope at Lepanto (1571).

226Gregory XIII1572 – 1585

Introduced the Gregorian calendar (1582).

227Sixtus V1585 – 1590

Re-planned the city of Rome; capped the College of Cardinals at 70.

228Urban VII1590

Shortest-reigning pope — 12 days; declared the world's first known smoking ban.

229Gregory XIV1590 – 1591

230Innocent IX1591

231Clement VIII1592 – 1605

232Leo XI1605

Reigned 26 days.

233Paul V1605 – 1621

Completed the facade of St. Peter's; first investigation of Galileo.

234Gregory XV1621 – 1623

Founded the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith.

235Urban VIII1623 – 1644

Pope during Galileo's trial; patron of Bernini.

236Innocent X1644 – 1655

Condemned Jansenism; subject of Velázquez's famous portrait.

237Alexander VII1655 – 1667

Commissioned Bernini's colonnade for St. Peter's Square.

238Clement IX1667 – 1669

239Clement X1670 – 1676

240Bl. Innocent XI1676 – 1689

241Alexander VIII1689 – 1691

242Innocent XII1691 – 1700

Outlawed papal nepotism.

243Clement XI1700 – 1721

Pope during the Chinese Rites controversy.

244Innocent XIII1721 – 1724

245Benedict XIII1724 – 1730

246Clement XII1730 – 1740

Issued the first papal condemnation of Freemasonry; commissioned the Trevi Fountain.

247Benedict XIV1740 – 1758

Scholar-pope admired across Enlightenment Europe.

248Clement XIII1758 – 1769

249Clement XIV1769 – 1774

Suppressed the Jesuits (1773).

250Pius VI1775 – 1799

Taken prisoner by French Revolutionary forces; died in captivity.

The Nineteenth Century 1800 – 1878

251Pius VII1800 – 1823

Imprisoned by Napoleon; restored the Jesuits (1814).

252Leo XII1823 – 1829

253Pius VIII1829 – 1830

254Gregory XVI1831 – 1846

Last non-bishop elected pope; condemned the slave trade (1839).

255Bl. Pius IX1846 – 1878

Longest verified reign (31 years); defined the Immaculate Conception; convened Vatican I, which defined papal infallibility; last sovereign of the Papal States.

The Modern Papacy 1878 – present

Pope № 256 · Gioacchino Pecci

Leo XIII

1878 – 1903

Father of modern Catholic social teaching. His 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the rights of workers in the industrial age and founded the tradition of papal social encyclicals. Reigned 25 years, dying at 93.

Pope № 257 · Giuseppe Sarto

St Pius X

1903 – 1914

Pastoral reformer who lowered the age of First Communion, encouraged frequent reception of the Eucharist, reformed church music, and campaigned against theological modernism. Canonized in 1954 — the first pope-saint since Pius V.

Pope № 258 · Giacomo della Chiesa

Benedict XV

1914 – 1922

The First World War dominated his pontificate. He maintained strict Vatican neutrality, organized humanitarian relief on a vast scale, and proposed a peace plan in 1917 that anticipated several of Wilson's Fourteen Points.

Pope № 259 · Achille Ratti

Pius XI

1922 – 1939

Signed the Lateran Treaty with Italy (1929), creating the sovereign Vatican City State. Issued condemnations of both Nazi racial ideology (Mit brennender Sorge, 1937) and atheistic communism. Founded Vatican Radio.

Pope № 260 · Eugenio Pacelli

Ven. Pius XII

1939 – 1958

Led the Church through the Second World War and the early Cold War. Defined the dogma of the Assumption of Mary (1950) — the only exercise of papal infallibility since its formal definition. His wartime record remains the subject of intense historical debate.

Pope № 261 · Angelo Roncalli

St John XXIII

1958 – 1963

“Good Pope John.” Elected at 76 as a caretaker, he stunned the Church by convening the Second Vatican Council (1962), the most consequential Catholic event of the 20th century. His encyclical Pacem in Terris addressed all people of good will. Canonized 2014.

Pope № 262 · Giovanni Battista Montini

St Paul VI

1963 – 1978

Steered Vatican II to completion and implemented its sweeping reforms, including Mass in vernacular languages. First pope to travel by air, visiting six continents. His 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae reaffirmed the prohibition of artificial contraception. Canonized 2018.

Pope № 263 · Albino Luciani

Bl. John Paul I

1978

“The Smiling Pope.” The first pope to take a double name, honoring both predecessors. Died of a heart attack just 33 days into his pontificate — one of the shortest reigns in papal history. Beatified 2022.

Pope № 264 · Karol Wojtyła

St John Paul II

1978 – 2005

First Polish pope and first non-Italian in 455 years. His 26-year pontificate — the second-longest verified reign — helped catalyze the fall of communism in Eastern Europe. Survived a 1981 assassination attempt, visited 129 countries, and canonized more saints than all predecessors combined. Canonized 2014.

Pope № 265 · Joseph Ratzinger

Benedict XVI

2005 – 2013

Theologian-pope who had led the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for 24 years. In 2013 he became the first pope in nearly 600 years to resign, citing advanced age, and lived another decade as pope emeritus.

Pope № 266 · Jorge Mario Bergoglio

Francis

2013 – 2025

First pope from the Americas, first Jesuit pope, and first to take the name Francis. Emphasized mercy, care for the poor and for creation (Laudato si', 2015), and synodality. Reformed the Curia and appointed cardinals from the global peripheries. Died April 21, 2025.

Pope № 267 · Robert Francis Prevost

Leo XIV

2025 – present

First pope born in the United States, and the first from the Order of Saint Augustine. A Chicago native who spent two decades as a missionary and bishop in Peru, he holds dual U.S.–Peruvian citizenship. Elected May 8, 2025, on the second day of the conclave, taking a name that recalls Leo XIII's social teaching.