List of popes

This chronological list of the popes of the Catholic Church corresponds to that given in the under the heading "" (The Roman Supreme Pontiffs), excluding those that are explicitly indicated as antipopes. Published every year by the Roman Curia, the no longer identifies popes by regnal number, stating that it is impossible to decide which pope represented the legitimate succession at various times.Annuario Pontificio (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2012 ), p. 12 The 2001 edition of the introduced "almost 200 corrections to its existing biographies of the popes, from St Peter to John Paul II". The corrections concerned dates, especially in the first two centuries, birthplaces and the family name of one pope.

The term pope () is used in several churches to denote their high spiritual leaders (for example Coptic pope). This title is usually used in English to refer to the head of the Catholic Church. The Catholic pope uses various titles by tradition, including , , and . Each title has been added by unique historical events, and unlike other papal prerogatives, may be modified.

Hermannus Contractus may have been the first historian to number the popes continuously. His list ends in 1049 with Leo IX as number 152. Several changes were made to the list during the 20th century. Christopher was considered a legitimate pope for a long time but was removed due to how he obtained the papacy. Pope-elect Stephen was listed as Stephen II until the 1961 edition, when his name was removed. The decisions of the Council of Pisa (1409) were reversed in 1963 in a reinterpretation of the Western Schism, extending Gregory XII's pontificate to 1415 and classifying rival claimants Alexander V and John XXIII as antipopes.

A significant number of these popes have been recognized as saints, including 48 out of the first 50 consecutive popes, and others are in the sainthood process. Of the first 31 popes, 28 died as martyrs.

Chronological list of popes 1st millennium 1st century The chronology of the early popes is heavily disputed. The first ancient lists of popes were not written until the late 2nd century, after the monarchical episcopate had already developed in Rome. These first lists combined contradictory traditions, and even the succession of the first popes is disputed. The first certain dates are AD 222 and 235, the elections of Urban I and Anterus. The years given for the first 30 popes follow the work of Richard Adelbert Lipsius, which often show a 3-year difference with the traditional dates given by Eusebius of Caesarea. These are also the dates used by the Catholic Encyclopedia.The List of Popes . The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1911. The exception is Saint Peter, who is given the traditional death date of AD 67.

2nd century

3rd century

4th century

5th century

|-style="vertical-align:top; background:#ccc;" | style="text-align:center;"| — | 22 November 498 –Aug 506/8 | Laurentius | style="font-size:85%"| Rome, Italy, Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy | style="font-size:85%"| | style="font-size:85%"| Roman citizen, later a subject of the (Ostrogothic) Kingdom of Italy. In opposition to Symmachus. Elected on the same day as Symachus, King Theodoric settled in favour of his adversary. Took control of Rome in 501 and remained pope in fact until he died in 506/08.

6th century

7th century

8th century

|-style="vertical-align:top; background:#ccc;" | style="text-align:center;"| — | 23 March 752 –26 March 752 | | Stephen (II) | Stephanus | style="font-size:85%"| Rome, Exarchate of Ravenna, Eastern Roman Empire | style="font-size:85%"| | style="font-size:85%"| (Eastern) Roman citizen. Was of Roman ethnicity. Previously known as Stephen II. Died three days after his election, having never received episcopal consecration. Some lists still include him. The Vatican sanctioned his addition in the 16th century; removed in 1961. He is no longer considered a pope by the Catholic Church.

9th century

10th century

2nd millennium 11th century

12th century

List of popes

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