Popes & Antipopes, ADE-EUG
Meet the popes whose devotion, leadership, writings, and influence left a lasting mark on Christian history and religious life.
Popes & Antipopes Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Adeodatus II
Adeodatus II was a pope (672–676) who was the first pontiff to date events in terms of his reign, which began with......
Adrian I
Adrian I was the pope from 772 to 795 whose close relationship with the emperor Charlemagne symbolized the medieval......
Adrian II
Adrian II was the pope from 867 to 872. A relative of two previous popes, Stephen V and Sergius II, he had been......
Adrian III, Saint
Saint Adrian III ; canonized June 2, 1891; feast day July 8) was the pope from 884 to 885. Adrian’s brief pontificate......
Adrian IV
Adrian IV was the only Englishman to occupy the papal throne (1154–59). He became a canon regular of St. Ruf near......
Adrian V
Adrian V was the pope for about five weeks in 1276. His uncle Pope Innocent IV appointed him cardinal. He was legate......
Adrian VI
Adrian VI was the only Dutch pope, elected in 1522. He was the last non-Italian pope until the election of John......
Agapetus I, Saint
Saint Agapetus I ; feast days April 22, September 20) was the pope from 535 to 536. Of noble birth, he was an archdeacon......
Agapitus II
Agapitus II was the pope from 946 to 955. Elected on May 10, 946, with the support of Alberic II, he was a wise......
Agatho, Saint
Saint Agatho ; feast day January 10) was the pope from 678 to 681. A cleric well-versed in Latin and Greek, he......
Albert
Albert was an antipope in 1101. He was cardinal bishop of Silva Candida when elected early in 1101 as successor......
Alexander
Alexander (V) was an antipope from 1409 to 1410. Alexander became a Franciscan theologian and then archbishop of......
Alexander I, St.
St. Alexander I ; feast day May 3) was the sixth pope and successor to St. Evaristus. Little is known about Alexander’s......
Alexander II
Alexander II was the pope from 1061 to 1073. At Bec in Normandy he studied under the Benedictine scholar Lanfranc,......
Alexander III
Alexander III was the pope from 1159 to 1181, a vigorous exponent of papal authority, which he defended against......
Alexander IV
Alexander IV was the pope from 1254 to 1261. Alexander was appointed cardinal deacon (1227) and cardinal bishop......
Alexander VI
Alexander VI was a corrupt, worldly, and ambitious pope (1492–1503), whose neglect of the spiritual inheritance......
Alexander VII
Alexander VII was the pope from 1655 to 1667. Grandnephew of Pope Paul V, Chigi served the church as vice legate......
Alexander VIII
Alexander VIII was the pope from 1689 to 1691, best known for his condemnation of Gallicanism, a French clerical......
Amadeus VIII
Amadeus VIII was the count (1391–1416) and duke (1416–40) of Savoy, and the first member of the house of Savoy......
Anacletus
Anacletus (II) was an antipope from 1130 to 1138 whose claims to the papacy against Pope Innocent II are still......
Anacletus, St.
St. Anacletus ; feast day April 26) was the third pope (76–88 or 79–91), following St. Peter the Apostle and St.......
Anastasius I, Saint
Saint Anastasius I ; feast day December 19) was the pope from Nov. 27, 399, to 401, succeeding Pope Siricius. Anastasius......
Anastasius II
Anastasius II was the pope from Nov. 24, 496, to 498. In notifying the Byzantine emperor Anastasius I of his accession,......
Anastasius III
Anastasius III was the pope from April or June 911 to 913. Because his pontificate came during a period when Rome......
Anastasius IV
Anastasius IV was the pope from July 1153 to December 1154. As cardinal bishop of Sabina, he had staunchly supported......
Anastasius the Librarian
Anastasius the Librarian was a language scholar, Roman cardinal, and influential political counselor to 9th-century......
Anicetus, St.
St. Anicetus ; feast day April 17) was the pope from approximately 155 to approximately 166. Possibly a Syrian,......
Anterus, St.
St. Anterus ; feast day January 3) was the pope for several weeks at the end of 235 and the beginning of 236. He......
Benedict
Benedict (XIV) was a counter-antipope from 1425 to c. 1430. In 1417 the Council of Constance deposed the antipope......
Benedict
Benedict (XIII) was an antipope from 1394 to 1417. He reigned in Avignon, Provence, in opposition to the reigning......
Benedict
Benedict (X) was an antipope from April 1058 to January 1059. His expulsion from the papal throne, on which he......
Benedict I
Benedict I was the pope from 575 to 579. Little is known about his life. He was elected to succeed John III, probably......
Benedict II, Saint
Saint Benedict II ; feast day May 8) was the pope from 684 to 685. He was engaged in church government under popes......
Benedict III
Benedict III was the pope from 855 to 858, who was chosen as successor to Leo IV in July 855. The election was......
Benedict IV
Benedict IV was the pope from 900 to 903. Benedict reigned during one of the darkest periods of papal history,......
Benedict IX
Benedict IX was the pope three times, from 1032 to 1044, from April to May 1045, and from 1047 to 1048. The last......
Benedict V
Benedict V was a pope, or antipope, from May 22, 964, to June 23, 964, when he was deposed. His election by the......
Benedict VI
Benedict VI was the pope from Jan. 19, 973, to July 974. He was a cardinal deacon when elected to succeed John......
Benedict VII
Benedict VII was the pope from 974 to 983. He furthered the cause of monasticism and acted against simony, specifically......
Benedict VIII
Benedict VIII was the pope from 1012 to 1024, the first of several pontiffs from the powerful Tusculani family.......
Benedict XI, Blessed
Blessed Benedict XI ; beatified April 24, 1736; feast day July 7) was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic......
Benedict XII
Benedict XII was the pope from 1334 to 1342; he was the third pontiff to reign at Avignon, where he devoted himself......
Benedict XIII
Benedict XIII was the pope from 1724 to 1730. Entering the Dominican order in 1667, Orsini taught philosophy at......
Benedict XIV
Benedict XIV was the pope from 1740 to 1758. His intelligence and moderation won praise even among deprecators......
Benedict XV
Benedict XV was the pope from 1914 to 1922. After graduating from the University of Genoa, he studied for the priesthood......
Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI was the bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013. Prior to his election......
Blessed John Paul I
Blessed John Paul I ; beatified September 4, 2022) was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, in 1978.......
Boniface I, Saint
Saint Boniface I ; feast day September 4) was the pope from 418 to 422, whose reign was markedly disrupted by the......
Boniface II
Boniface II was the pope from 530 to 532. Of Gothic descent, he was the first Germanic pontiff. He was an archdeacon......
Boniface III
Boniface III was a pope from Feb. 19 to Nov. 12, 607. He was a deacon of the Roman Church when Pope St. Gregory......
Boniface IV, Saint
Saint Boniface IV ; feast day May 8) was the pope from 608 to 615. Possibly a student of Pope St. Gregory I the......
Boniface IX
Boniface IX was the pope from 1389 to 1404; he was the second pontiff to rule in Rome during the Western Schism......
Boniface V
Boniface V was the pope from 619 to 625. He succeeded St. Deusdedit after the papacy had been vacant for more than......
Boniface VI
Boniface VI was a pope in April 896. He was a subdeacon when he was elected to succeed Formosus. Boniface either......
Boniface VII
Boniface VII was a pope, or antipope, from June to July 974 and from August 984 to July 985; he owed his rule to......
Boniface VIII
Boniface VIII was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from 1294 to 1303. The extent of his authority......
Callixtus
Callixtus (III) was an antipope from 1168 to 1178, who reigned with the support of the Holy Roman emperor Frederick......
Callixtus I, St
St. Callixtus I ; feast day October 14) was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from about 217 to......
Callixtus II
Callixtus II was the pope from 1119 to 1124. A son of Count William I of Burgundy, he was appointed archbishop......
Callixtus III
Callixtus III was the pope from 1455 to 1458. As a member of the Aragonese court, he reconciled King Alfonso V......
Celestine
Celestine (II) was a pope who was elected in December 1124 but resigned a few days later and is not counted in......
Celestine I, Saint
Saint Celestine I ; feast day July 27, Irish feast day April 6) was the pope from 422 to 432. He was a Roman deacon......
Celestine II
Celestine II was the pope from 1143 to 1144. A scholar of noble birth, he studied under Peter Abélard, with whom......
Celestine III
Celestine III was the pope from 1191 to 1198. He was Peter Abélard’s student and friend, and he carried out many......
Celestine IV
Celestine IV was the pope from October 25 to Nov. 10, 1241. The nephew of Pope Urban III, Celestine had been made......
Celestine V, St
St. Celestine V ; canonized May 5, 1313; feast day May 19) was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church,......
Christopher
Christopher was an antipope from 903 to 904. Once a cardinal, he appears in many lists of the popes (including......
Clement
Clement (VIII) was an antipope from 1423 to 1429. Sánchez was chosen to succeed Antipope Benedict XIII. Refusing......
Clement
Clement (VII) was the first antipope (1378–94) of the Western (Great) Schism that troubled the Roman Catholic church......
Clement
Clement (III) was an antipope from 1080 to 1100. Of noble birth, Guibert served at the German court (c. 1054–55)......
Clement I, St
St. Clement I ; feast day November 23) was the fourth pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from 88 to......
Clement II
Clement II was the pope from 1046 to 1047. Of noble birth, he was bishop of Bamberg, in Germany, when in 1046 he......
Clement III
Clement III was the pope from 1187 to 1191. He was cardinal bishop of Palestrina when elected pope on Dec. 19,......
Clement IV
Clement IV was the pope from 1265 to 1268. An eminent jurist serving King St. Louis IX of France, Guido was ordained......
Clement IX
Clement IX was the pope from 1667 to 1669. Rospigliosi served as papal ambassador to Spain from 1644 to 1653 and......
Clement V
Clement V was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from 1305 to 1314. He was the first pontiff to......
Clement VI
Clement VI was the pope from 1342 to 1352. Abbot of the Benedictine monasteries at Fécamp and La Chaise-Dieu, France,......
Clement VII
Clement VII was the pope from 1523 to 1534. An illegitimate son of Giuliano de’ Medici (not to be confused with......
Clement VIII
Clement VIII was the pope from 1592 to 1605, the last pontiff to serve during the Counter-Reformation. The holder......
Clement X
Clement X was the pope from 1670 to 1676. Of noble birth, Altieri was in the service of the papal embassy in Poland......
Clement XI
Clement XI was the pope from 1700 to 1721. Of noble birth, Albani received an impressive education in the classics,......
Clement XII
Clement XII was the pope from 1730 to 1740. A member of the influential Florentine princely family of Corsini,......
Clement XIII
Clement XIII was the pope from 1758 to 1769. In 1716 Rezzonico, who had studied under the Jesuits in Bologna, was......
Clement XIV
Clement XIV was the pope from 1769 to 1774. Educated by the Jesuits at Rimini, he joined the Conventual Franciscans......
Conon
Conon was the pope from 686 to 687. Probably the son of a Thracian soldier, he was educated in Sicily and ordained......
Constantine
Constantine (II) was an antipope from 767 to 768. He was a soldier and—through the support of his brother Toto,......
Constantine
Constantine was the pope from 708 to 715. Constantine upheld Roman supremacy against the insubordination of Felix,......
Cornelius, St.
St. Cornelius ; feast day September 16) was the pope from 251 to 253. Cornelius was a Roman priest who was elected......
Damasus I St
St. Damasus I ; feast day December 11) was the pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, from October 1, 366,......
Damasus II
Damasus II was the pope from July 17 to Aug. 9, 1048. His brief reign, delayed by a rival claimant to the papal......
Deusdedit, Saint
Saint Deusdedit was the pope from 615 to 618. His pontificate is chiefly noteworthy for an unsuccessful resumption......
Dionysius, St.
St. Dionysius ; feast day December 6) was the pope from 259/260 to December 26, 268. While a presbyter during the......
Dioscorus
Dioscorus was a pope, or antipope, for 23 days in 530. A deacon in the Alexandrian Church, he clashed with the......
Donus
Donus was the pope from 676 to 678. Elected (August 676) to succeed Adeodatus II, Donus ended a schism created......
Eleutherius, St.
St. Eleutherius ; feast day May 26) was the pope from about 175 to 189. During his pontificate the church was involved......
Eugenius I, Saint
Saint Eugenius I ; feast day June 2) was the pope from 654 to 657. He was elected while his predecessor, Pope St.......
Eugenius II
Eugenius II was the pope from 824 to 827. He was a cardinal priest when chosen as successor to St. Paschal I. In......
Eugenius III, Blessed
Blessed Eugenius III ; beatified 1872) ; feast day July 8) was the pope from 1145 to 1153. Possibly a member of......
Eugenius IV
Eugenius IV was the pope from 1431 to 1447. Formerly an Augustinian monk, he was a cardinal when unanimously elected......