| The historical lists of the popes, from those drawn up in the second century to |
| those of the present day, form in themselves a considerable body of literature. It |
| would be beyond the scope of the article to enter upon a discussion of these |
| catalogues. For an account of the most famous of them all, the article LIBER |
| PONTIFICALIS may be consulted. It appears, however, desirable to indicate very |
| briefly what are our authorities for the names and the durations in office of the |
| popes for the first two centuries of the Church's existence. |
| St. Irenaeus, writing between 175 and 190, not many years after his Roman |
| sojourn, enumerates the series from Peter to Eleutherius (Adv. Haer. 3:3:3; |
| Eusebius, "Hist. eccl." 5:6) . His object, as we have already seen, was to |
| establish the orthodoxy of the traditional doctrine, as opposed to heretical |
| novelties, by showing that the bishop was the natural inheritor of the Apostolic |
| teaching. He gives us the names alone, not the length of the various |
| episcopates. This need is supplied by other witnesses. Most important evidence |
| is furnished by the document entitled the " Liberian Catalogue " -- so called from |
| the Pope whose name ends the list. The collection of tracts of which this forms a |
| part was edited (apparently by one Furius Dionysius Philocalus) in 354. The |
| catalogue consists of a list of the Roman bishops from Peter to Liberius, with the |
| length of their respective episcopates, the consular dates, the name of the |
| reigning emperor, and in many cases other details. There is the strongest ground |
| for believing that the earlier part of the catalogue, as far as Pontian (230-35), is |
| the work of Hippolytus of Portus. It is manifest that up to this point the fourth |
| century compiler was making use of a different authority from that which he |
| employs for the subsequent popes: and there is evidence rendering it almost |
| certain that Hippolytus's work "Chronica" contained such a list. The reign of |
| Pontian, moreover, would be the point at which that list would have stopped: for |
| Hippolytus and he were condemned to servitude in the Sardinian mines -- a fact |
| which the chronographer makes mention when speaking of Pontian's episcopate. |
| Lightfoot has argued that this list originally contained nothing but the names of |
| the bishops and the duration of their episcopates, the remaining notes being |
| additions by a later hand. The list of popes is identical with that of Irenaeus, save |
| that Anacletus is doubled into Cletus and Anacletus, while Clement appears |
| before, instead of after, these two names. The order of Popes Pius and Anicetus |
| has also been interchanged. There is every reason to regard; these differences |
| as due to the errors of copyists. Another witness is Eusebius. The names and |
| episcopal years of the bishops can be gathered alike from his "History" and his |
| "Chronicle". The notices in the two works; can be shown to be m agreement, |
| notwithstanding certain corruptions in many texts of the "Chronicle". This |
| Eastern list in the hands of Eusebius is seen to have been identical with the |
| Western list of Hippolytus, except that in the East the name of Linus's |
| successor seems to have been given as Anencletus, in the original Western list |
| as Cletus. The two authorities presuppose the following list: (1) Peter, xxv; (2) |
| Linus, xii; (3) Anencletus [Cletus], xii; (4) Clement, ix; (5) Evarestus, viii; (6) |
| Alexander, x; (7) Sixtus, x; (8) Telesophorus, xi; (9) Hyginus, iv; (10) Pius, xv; |
| (11) Anicetus, xi;, (12) Soter, viii; (13) Eleutherius, xv; (14) Victor, x; (15) |
| Zephyrinus, xviii; (16) Callistus, v; (17) Urban, viii; (18) Pontian, v (Harnack, |
| "Chronologie", I, 152). |
| We learn from Eusebius (Hist. eccl. 4:22) that in the middle of the second |
| century Hegesippus, the Hebrew Christian, visited Rome and that he drew up a |
| list of bishops as far as Anicetus, the then pope. Eusebius does not quote his |
| catalogue, but Lightfoot sees ground for holding that we possess it in a passage |
| of Epiphanius (Haer. 27:6), in which the bishops as far as Anicetus are |
| enumerated. This list of Hegesippus, drawn up less than a century after the |
| martyrdom of St. Peter, was he believes, the foundation alike of the Eusebian |
| and Hippolytan catalogues (Clement of Rome I, 325 so.). His view has been |
| accepted by many scholars. Even those who, like Harnack (Chronologie, I, 184 |
| sq.), do not admit that this list is really that of Hegesippus, recognize it as a |
| catalogue of Roman origin and of very early date, furnishing testimony |
| independent alike of the Eusebian and Liberian lists. |
| The "Liber Pontificalis", long accepted as an authority of the highest value, is |
| now acknowledged to have been originally composed at the beginning of the fifth |
| century, and, as regards the early popes, to be dependent on the "Liberian |
| Catalogue". |
| In the numbering of the successors of St. Peter, certain differences appear in |
| various lists. The two forms Anacletus and Cletus, as we hare seen, very early |
| occasioned the third pope to be reckoned twice. There are some few cases, |
| also, in which it is still doubted whether particular individuals should be |
| accounted genuine popes or intruders, and, according to the view taken by the |
| compiler of the list, they will be included or excluded. In the accompanying list |
| the Stephen immediately following Zacharias (752) is not numbered, since, |
| though duly elected, he died before his consecration. At that period the papal |
| dignity was held to be conferred at consecration, and hence he is excluded from |
| all the early lists. Leo VIII (963) is included, as the resignation of Benedict V, |
| though enforced, may have been genuine. Boniface VII is also ranked as a pope, |
| since, in 984 at least, he would seem to have been accepted as such by the |
| Roman Church. The claim of Benedict X (1058) is likewise recognized. It cannot |
| be affirmed that his title was certainly invalid, and his name, though now |
| sometimes excluded, appears in the older catalogues. It should be observed that |
| there is no John XX in the catalogue. This is due to the fact that, in the " Liber |
| Pontificalis ", two dates are given in connexion with the life of John XIV (983). |
| This introduced confusion into some of the papal catalogues, and a separate |
| pope was assigned to each of these dates. Thus three popes named John were |
| made to appear between Benedict VII and Gregory V. The error led the pope of |
| the thirteenth century who should have been called John XX to style himself John |
| XXI (Duchesne, "Lib. Pont." 2:17). Some only of the antipopes find mention in the |
| list. No useful purpose would be served by giving the name of every such |
| claimant. Many of them possess no historical importance whatever. From |
| Gregory VII onward not merely the years but the precise days are assigned on |
| which the respective reigns commenced and closed. Ancient authorities furnish |
| these details in the case of most of the foregoing popes also: but, previously to |
| the middle of the eleventh century, the information is of uncertain value. With |
| Gregory VII a new method of reckoning came in. The papal dignity was held to be |
| conferred by the election, and not as previously by the coronation, and the |
| commencement of the reign was computed from the day of election. This point |
| seems therefore a convenient one at which to introduce the more detailed |
| indications. |
| For the full list of men who have held this office, see LIST OF POPES. |
| G.H. JOYCE |
| Transcribed by Gerard Haffner |
| The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XII |
| Copyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton Company |
| Online Edition Copyright © 1999 by Kevin Knight |
| Nihil Obstat, June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor |
| Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York |
| The List of Popes |
| 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) -- also called Xystus I |
| 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 (217-22) |
| 17.St. Urban I (222-30) |
| 18.St. Pontain (230-35) |
| 19.St. Anterus (235-36) |
| 20.St. Fabian (236-50) |
| 21.St. Cornelius (251-53) |
| 22.St. Lucius I (253-54) |
| 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) -- also called Gaius |
| 29.St. Marcellinus (296-304) |
| 30.St. Marcellus I (308-309) |
| 31.St. Eusebius (309 or 310) |
| 32.St. Miltiades (311-14) |
| 33.St. Sylvester I (314-35) |
| 34.St. Marcus (336) |
| 35.St. Julius I (337-52) |
| 36.Liberius (352-66) |
| 37.St. Damasus I (366-83) |
| 38.St. Siricius (384-99) |
| 39.St. Anastasius I (399-401) |
| 40.St. Innocent I (401-17) |
| 41.St. Zosimus (417-18) |
| 42.St. Boniface I (418-22) |
| 43.St. Celestine I (422-32) |
| 44.St. Sixtus III (432-40) |
| 45.St. Leo I (the Great) (440-61) |
| 46.St. Hilarius (461-68) |
| 47.St. Simplicius (468-83) |
| 48.St. Felix III (II) (483-92) |
| 49.St. Gelasius I (492-96) |
| 50.Anastasius II (496-98) |
| 51.St. Symmachus (498-514) |
| 52.St. Hormisdas (514-23) |
| 53.St. John I (523-26) |
| 54.St. Felix IV (III) (526-30) |
| 55.Boniface II (530-32) |
| 56.John II (533-35) |
| 57.St. Agapetus I (535-36) -- also called Agapitus I |
| 58.St. Silverius (536-37) |
| 59.Vigilius (537-55) |
| 60.Pelagius I (556-61) |
| 61.John III (561-74) |
| 62.Benedict I (575-79) |
| 63.Pelagius II (579-90) |
| 64.St. Gregory I (the Great) (590-604) |
| 65.Sabinian (604-606) |
| 66.Boniface III (607) |
| 67.St. Boniface IV (608-15) |
| 68.St. Deusdedit (Adeodatus I) (615-18) |
| 69.Boniface V (619-25) |
| 70.Honorius I (625-38) |
| 71.Severinus (640) |
| 72.John IV (640-42) |
| 73.Theodore I (642-49) |
| 74.St. Martin I (649-55) |
| 75.St. Eugene I (655-57) |
| 76.St. Vitalian (657-72) |
| 77.Adeodatus (II) (672-76) |
| 78.Donus (676-78) |
| 79.St. Agatho (678-81) |
| 80.St. Leo II (682-83) |
| 81.St. Benedict II (684-85) |
| 82.John V (685-86) |
| 83.Conon (686-87) |
| 84.St. Sergius I (687-701) |
| 85.John VI (701-05) |
| 86.John VII (705-07) |
| 87.Sisinnius (708) |
| 88.Constantine (708-15) |
| 89.St. Gregory II (715-31) |
| 90.St. Gregory III (731-41) |
| 91.St. Zachary (741-52) |
| 92.Stephen II (752) |
| 93.Stephen III (752-57) |
| 94.St. Paul I (757-67) |
| 95.Stephen IV (767-72) |
| 96.Adrian I (772-95) |
| 97.St. Leo III (795-816) |
| 98.Stephen V (816-17) |
| 99.St. Paschal I (817-24) |
| 100.Eugene II (824-27) |
| 101.Valentine (827) |
| 102.Gregory IV (827-44) |
| 103.Sergius II (844-47) |
| 104.St. Leo IV (847-55) |
| 105.Benedict III (855-58) |
| 106.St. Nicholas I (the Great) (858-67) |
| 107.Adrian II (867-72) |
| 108.John VIII (872-82) |
| 109.Marinus I (882-84) |
| 110.St. Adrian III (884-85) |
| 111.Stephen VI (885-91) |
| 112.Formosus (891-96) |
| 113.Boniface VI (896) |
| 114.Stephen VII (896-97) |
| 115.Romanus (897) |
| 116.Theodore II (897) |
| 117.John IX (898-900) |
| 118.Benedict IV (900-03) |
| 119.Leo V (903) |
| 120.Sergius III (904-11) |
| 121.Anastasius III (911-13) |
| 122.Lando (913-14) |
| 123.John X (914-28) |
| 124.Leo VI (928) |
| 125.Stephen VIII (929-31) |
| 126.John XI (931-35) |
| 127.Leo VII (936-39) |
| 128.Stephen IX (939-42) |
| 129.Marinus II (942-46) |
| 130.Agapetus II (946-55) |
| 131.John XII (955-63) |
| 132.Leo VIII (963-64) |
| 133.Benedict V (964) |
| 134.John XIII (965-72) |
| 135.Benedict VI (973-74) |
| 136.Benedict VII (974-83) |
| 137.John XIV (983-84) |
| 138.John XV (985-96) |
| 139.Gregory V (996-99) |
| 140.Sylvester II (999-1003) |
| 141.John XVII (1003) |
| 142.John XVIII (1003-09) |
| 143.Sergius IV (1009-12) |
| 144.Benedict VIII (1012-24) |
| 145.John XIX (1024-32) |
| 146.Benedict IX (1032-45) |
| 147.Sylvester III (1045) |
| 148.Benedict IX (1045) |
| 149.Gregory VI (1045-46) |
| 150.Clement II (1046-47) |
| 151.Benedict IX (1047-48) |
| 152.Damasus II (1048) |
| 153.St. Leo IX (1049-54) |
| 154.Victor II (1055-57) |
| 155.Stephen X (1057-58) |
| 156.Nicholas II (1058-61) |
| 157.Alexander II (1061-73) |
| 158.St. Gregory VII (1073-85) |
| 159.Blessed Victor III (1086-87) |
| 160.Blessed Urban II (1088-99) |
| 161.Paschal II (1099-1118) |
| 162.Gelasius II (1118-19) |
| 163.Callistus II (1119-24) |
| 164.Honorius II (1124-30) |
| 165.Innocent II (1130-43) |
| 166.Celestine II (1143-44) |
| 167.Lucius II (1144-45) |
| 168.Blessed Eugene III (1145-53) |
| 169.Anastasius IV (1153-54) |
| 170.Adrian IV (1154-59) |
| 171.Alexander III (1159-81) |
| 172.Lucius III (1181-85) |
| 173.Urban III (1185-87) |
| 174.Gregory VIII (1187) |
| 175.Clement III (1187-91) |
| 176.Celestine III (1191-98) |
| 177.Innocent III (1198-1216) |
| 178.Honorius III (1216-27) |
| 179.Gregory IX (1227-41) |
| 180.Celestine IV (1241) |
| 181.Innocent IV (1243-54) |
| 182.Alexander IV (1254-61) |
| 183.Urban IV (1261-64) |
| 184.Clement IV (1265-68) |
| 185.Blessed Gregory X (1271-76) |
| 186.Blessed Innocent V (1276) |
| 187.Adrian V (1276) |
| 188.John XXI (1276-77) |
| 189.Nicholas III (1277-80) |
| 190.Martin IV (1281-85) |
| 191.Honorius IV (1285-87) |
| 192.Nicholas IV (1288-92) |
| 193.St. Celestine V (1294) |
| 194.Boniface VIII (1294-1303) |
| 195.Blessed Benedict XI (1303-04) |
| 196.Clement V (1305-14) |
| 197.John XXII (1316-34) |
| 198.Benedict XII (1334-42) |
| 199.Clement VI (1342-52) |
| 200.Innocent VI (1352-62) |
| 201.Blessed Urban V (1362-70) |
| 202.Gregory XI (1370-78) |
| 203.Urban VI (1378-89) |
| 204.Boniface IX (1389-1404) |
| 205.Innocent VII (1406-06) |
| 206.Gregory XII (1406-15) |
| 207.Martin V (1417-31) |
| 208.Eugene IV (1431-47) |
| 209.Nicholas V (1447-55) |
| 210.Callistus III (1455-58) |
| 211.Pius II (1458-64) |
| 212.Paul II (1464-71) |
| 213.Sixtus IV (1471-84) |
| 214.Innocent VIII (1484-92) |
| 215.Alexander VI (1492-1503) |
| 216.Pius III (1503) |
| 217.Julius II (1503-13) |
| 218.Leo X (1513-21) |
| 219.Adrian VI (1522-23) |
| 220.Clement VII (1523-34) |
| 221.Paul III (1534-49) |
| 222.Julius III (1550-55) |
| 223.Marcellus II (1555) |
| 224.Paul IV (1555-59) |
| 225.Pius IV (1559-65) |
| 226.St. Pius V (1566-72) |
| 227.Gregory XIII (1572-85) |
| 228.Sixtus V (1585-90) |
| 229.Urban VII (1590) |
| 230.Gregory XIV (1590-91) |
| 231.Innocent IX (1591) |
| 232.Clement VIII (1592-1605) |
| 233.Leo XI (1605) |
| 234.Paul V (1605-21) |
| 235.Gregory XV (1621-23) |
| 236.Urban VIII (1623-44) |
| 237.Innocent X (1644-55) |
| 238.Alexander VII (1655-67) |
| 239.Clement IX (1667-69) |
| 240.Clement X (1670-76) |
| 241.Blessed Innocent XI (1676-89) |
| 242.Alexander VIII (1689-91) |
| 243.Innocent XII (1691-1700) |
| 244.Clement XI (1700-21) |
| 245.Innocent XIII (1721-24) |
| 246.Benedict XIII (1724-30) |
| 247.Clement XII (1730-40) |
| 248.Benedict XIV (1740-58) |
| 249.Clement XIII (1758-69) |
| 250.Clement XIV (1769-74) |
| 251.Pius VI (1775-99) |
| 252.Pius VII (1800-23) |
| 253.Leo XII (1823-29) |
| 254.Pius VIII (1829-30) |
| 255.Gregory XVI (1831-46) |
| 256.Blessed Pius IX (1846-78) |
| 257.Leo XIII (1878-1903) |
| 258.St. Pius X (1903-14) |
| 259.Benedict XV (1914-22) |
| 260.Pius XI (1922-39) |
| 261.Pius XII (1939-58) |
| 262.Blessed John XXIII (1958-63) |
| 263.Paul VI (1963-78) |
| 264.John Paul I (1978) |
| 265.John Paul II (1978—) |
| Copyright © 1999 by Kevin Knight |