Popes & Antipopes, EUL-LIB
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
Eulalius
Eulalius was an antipope from December 418 to April 419. He was an archdeacon set up against Pope St. Boniface......
Eusebius, Saint
Saint Eusebius ; feast day August 17, formerly September 26) was the pope from April 18 to Aug. 17, 309/310. His......
Eutychian, Saint
Saint Eutychian ; feast day December 7) was the pope from 275 until his death in 283. He succeeded Pope St. Felix......
Evaristus, St.
St. Evaristus ; feast day October 6) was the pope from approximately 97 to about 107 during the reign of the Roman......
Fabian, St
St. Fabian ; feast day January 20) was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from 236 to 250. After......
Felix
Felix (II) was an antipope from 355 to 365. Originally an archdeacon, Felix was irregularly installed as pope in......
Felix I, Saint
Saint Felix I ; feast day May 30) was the pope from 269 to 274. Elected to succeed St. Dionysius, Felix was the......
Felix III, Saint
Saint Felix III ; feast day March 1) was the pope from 483 to 492. He succeeded St. Simplicius on March 13. Felix......
Felix IV, Saint
Saint Felix IV ; feast day January 30) was the pope from 526 to 530. He was elected on July 12 as the choice of......
Formosus
Formosus was the pope from 891 to 896, whose posthumous trial is one of the most bizarre incidents in papal history.......
Francis
Francis ushered in a new era of leadership in the Roman Catholic Church when he was elected pope in 2013. As the......
Gaius, St.
St. Gaius ; feast day April 22) was the pope from 283 (possibly December 17) to 296. Nothing about him is known......
Gelasius I, St
St. Gelasius I ; feast day November 21) was the pope, leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from 492 ce to 496 ce.......
Gelasius II
Gelasius II was the pope from 1118 to 1119. He was called to Rome from Montecassino, Italy, by Pope Urban II, who......
Gregory
Gregory (VIII) was an antipope from 1118 to 1121. A Benedictine educated at the abbey of Cluny, he was made bishop......
Gregory
Gregory (VI) was an antipope from May to December 1012. From the middle 10th to the early 11th century, Rome, and......
Gregory II, Saint
Saint Gregory II ; feast day February 11) was the pope from 715 to 731. Before his election (May 19) he had served......
Gregory III, Saint
Saint Gregory III ; feast day November 28) was the pope from 731 to 741. A priest when elected pope by acclamation,......
Gregory IV
Gregory IV was the pope from 827 to 844. Cardinal priest of St. Mark’s Basilica, Rome, he succeeded Valentine as......
Gregory IX
Gregory IX was one of the most vigorous of the 13th-century popes (reigned 1227–41), a canon lawyer, theologian,......
Gregory the Great, St
St. Gregory the Great ; Western feast day, September 3 [formerly March 12, still observed in the East]) was the......
Gregory V
Gregory V was the first German pope, whose pontificate from 996 to 999 was among the most turbulent in history.......
Gregory VI
Gregory VI was the pope from 1045 to 1046. He was elected pope on May 5, 1045, after he paid Pope Benedict IX to......
Gregory VII, St
St. Gregory VII ; canonized 1606; feast day May 25) was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from......
Gregory VIII
Gregory VIII was the pope from Oct. 21 to Dec. 17, 1187. A Cistercian of noble birth, he was appointed cardinal......
Gregory X, Blessed
Blessed Gregory X ; beatified September 12, 1713; feast days January 28, February 4) was the pope, the leader of......
Gregory XI
Gregory XI was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from 1370 to 1378. He was the church’s last French-born......
Gregory XII
Gregory XII was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from 1406 to 1415. He was the last of the Roman......
Gregory XIII
Gregory XIII was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from 1572 to 1585. He promulgated the Gregorian......
Gregory XIV
Gregory XIV was the pope from 1590 to 1591. Appointed bishop of Cremona in the duchy of Milan (1560), he was made......
Gregory XV
Gregory XV was the pope from 1621 to 1623. Of noble birth, he was educated at the University of Bologna, where......
Gregory XVI
Gregory XVI was the pope from 1831 to 1846. His efforts to consolidate papal authority within the church were matched......
Hilary, St
St. Hilary ; feast day February 28) was the pope from 461 to 468. In 449 Emperor Theodosius II convened the Third......
Hippolytus of Rome, Saint
Saint Hippolytus of Rome ; Western feast day August 13, Eastern feast day January 30) was a Christian martyr who......
Honorius
Honorius (II) was an antipope from 1061 to 1064. As bishop of Parma (c.. 1045), he opposed the church reform movement......
Honorius I
Honorius I was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from 625 to 638. After his death he was condemned......
Honorius II
Honorius II was the pope from 1124 to 1130. Made cardinal bishop of Ostia (1117) by Pope Paschal II, he became......
Honorius III
Honorius III was the pope from 1216 to 1227, who is often considered one of the great administrators in papal history.......
Honorius IV
Honorius IV was the pope from 1285 to 1287. Grandnephew of Pope Honorius III, he studied at Paris and was made......
Hormisdas, Saint
Saint Hormisdas ; feast day August 6) was the pope from 514 to 523. He reunited the Eastern and Western churches,......
Hyginus, St.
St. Hyginus ; feast day January 11) was the pope from about 136 to about 140. Hyginus had been a philosopher, possibly......
Innocent
Innocent (III) was the last of four antipopes (1179–80) during the pontificate of Alexander III. A member of a......
Innocent I, Saint
Saint Innocent I ; feast day July 28) was the pope from 401 to 417, who condemned Pelagianism, a heresy concerning......
Innocent II
Innocent II was the pope from 1130 to 1143. A cardinal by 1116, Innocent was appointed in 1122 by Pope Calixtus......
Innocent III
Innocent III was the most significant pope of the Middle Ages. Elected pope on January 8, 1198, Innocent III reformed......
Innocent IV
Innocent IV was one of the great pontiffs of the Middle Ages (reigned 1243–54), whose clash with Holy Roman emperor......
Innocent IX
Innocent IX was the pope from Oct. 29 to Dec. 30, 1591. As bishop of Nicastro, Kingdom of Naples, he participated......
Innocent V Blessed
Blessed Innocent V ; beatified March 13, 1898feast day June 22) was the pope during 1276, the first Dominican pontiff.......
Innocent VI
Innocent VI was the pope from 1352 to 1362. A professor of civil law at Toulouse, Fr., Innocent VI took holy orders......
Innocent VII
Innocent VII was the pope from 1404 to 1406. Appointed archbishop of Ravenna (1387) by Pope Urban VI and, in 1389,......
Innocent VIII
Innocent VIII was the pope from 1484 to 1492. Named bishop of Savona, Italy, in 1467 by Pope Paul II, he was made......
Innocent X
Innocent X was the pope from 1644 to 1655. Pamfili was a church judge under Pope Clement VIII and a papal representative......
Innocent XI Blessed
Blessed Innocent XI ; beatified Oct. 7, 1956) ; feast day August 13) was the pope from 1676 to 1689. Odescalchi......
Innocent XII
Innocent XII was the pope from 1691 to 1700. After studying at the Jesuit College, Rome, Pignatelli joined the......
Innocent XIII
Innocent XIII was the pope from 1721 to 1724. Of noble birth, Conti was papal ambassador to Switzerland and to......
John
John was an antipope during January 844. A Roman archdeacon well liked by the populace, John was elected by them......
John
John (XVII) was the pope from June to December 1003. Chosen by the patrician John Crescentius III, he succeeded......
John
John (XXIII) was a schismatic antipope from 1410 to 1415. After receiving his doctorate of law at Bologna, Cossa......
John I, Saint
Saint John I ; feast day May 18) was the pope from 523 to 526. He ended the Acacian Schism (484–519), thus reuniting......
John II
John II was the pope from 533 to 535. He was the first pontiff to change his original name, which he considered......
John III
John III was the pope from 561 to 574. Records of John’s pontificate were destroyed during an invasion of Italy......
John IV
John IV was the pope from 640 to 642. A Roman archdeacon, John was elected (Dec. 24, 640) as successor to Pope......
John IX
John IX was the pope from 898 to 900. Consecrated in January 898, John was opposed by the rival candidate Sergius......
John Paul II, St
St. John Paul II ; beatified May 1, 2011; canonized April 27, 2014; feast day October 22) was the pope, the bishop......
John V
John V was the pope from July 23, 685, to Aug. 2, 686. As deacon, John was one of Pope St. Agatho’s legates to......
John VI
John VI was the pope from 701 to 705. John was consecrated on Oct. 3, 701. When the Byzantine commander Theophylactus......
John VII
John VII was the pope from 705 to 707. Elected March 1, 705, John was noted for his devotion to the Virgin Mary......
John VIII
John VIII was the pope from 872 to 882. John was a deacon of the Roman church when elected on Dec. 14, 872, to......
John X
John X was the pope from 914 to 928. He was archbishop of Ravenna (c. 905–914) when chosen to succeed Pope Lando......
John XI
John XI was the pope from 931 to late 935 or early 936. He was the son of Marozia (dominant lady of the Roman Crescentii......
John XII
John XII was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from 955 to 964. He was the youngest pope in history.......
John XIII
John XIII was the pope from 965 to 972. He was bishop of Narni, Papal States, when chosen pope on Oct. 1, 965,......
John XIV
John XIV was the pope from 983 to 984. He was bishop of Pavia when chosen pope in November/December 983 by the......
John XIX
John XIX was the pope from 1024 to 1032. A member of the Tusculani family that followed the powerful Crescentii......
John XV
John XV (or XVI) was the pope from 985 to 996, who carried out the first solemn canonization in history by papal......
John XVI
John XVI was an antipope from 997 to 998. A monk of Greek descent whom the Holy Roman emperor Otto II named abbot......
John XVIII
John XVIII (or XIX) was the pope from 1003 to 1009. Like his predecessor, Pope John XVII, his election was influenced......
John XXI
John XXI was the pope from 1276 to 1277, and he was one of the most scholarly pontiffs in papal history. Educated......
John XXII
John XXII was the second Avignon pope (reigned 1316–34), who centralized church administration, condemned the Spiritual......
John XXIII, St
St. John XXIII ; beatified September 3, 2000; canonized April 27, 2014; feast day October 11) was the pope, the......
Julius I, Saint
Saint Julius I ; feast day April 12) was the pope from 337 to 352. The papacy had been vacant four months when......
Julius II
Julius II was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from 1503 to 1513. The greatest art patron of......
Julius III
Julius III was the pope from 1550 to 1555. As a cardinal, he served as co-president of the Council of Trent in......
Lando
Lando was the pope from July/August 913 to early 914. He reigned during one of the most difficult periods in papal......
Laurentius
Laurentius was an antipope in 498 and from 501 to about 505/507, whose disputed papal election gave his name to......
Leo I, St
St. Leo I ; Western feast day November 10 ([formerly April 11]), Eastern feast day February 18) was the pope, the......
Leo II, Saint
Saint Leo II ; feast day July 3, formerly June 28) was the pope from 682 to 683. He promoted church music (he was......
Leo III, Saint
Saint Leo III ; feast day June 12) was the pope from 795 to 816. Leo was a cardinal when elected to succeed Pope......
Leo IV, Saint
Saint Leo IV ; feast day July 17) was the pope from 847 to 855. A Benedictine monk, Leo served in the Curia under......
Leo IX, St.
St. Leo IX ; feast day April 19) was the head of the medieval Latin church (1049–54), during whose reign the papacy......
Leo V
Leo V was a pope from August to September 903. Elected while a priest to succeed Pope Benedict IV, Leo assumed......
Leo VI
Leo VI was pope from May to December 928. He was Pope John VIII’s prime minister and later a cardinal priest when......
Leo VII
Leo VII was the pope from 936 to 939. He was probably a Benedictine monk when he succeeded John XI, who had been......
Leo VIII
Leo VIII was a pope, or antipope, from 963 to 965. The legitimacy of his election has long been debated. A Roman......
Leo X
Leo X was one of the leading Renaissance popes (reigned 1513–21). He made Rome a cultural center and a political......
Leo XI
Leo XI was the pope from April 1–27, 1605. Pope Gregory XIII made him bishop of Pistoia, Italy, in 1573, archbishop......
Leo XII
Leo XII was the pope from 1823 to 1829. Ordained in 1783, della Genga became private secretary to Pope Pius VI,......
Leo XIII
Leo XIII was the pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, from 1878 to 1903. He brought a new spirit to the......
Leo XIV
Leo XIV is the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. He was elected on May 8, 2025, succeeding Pope Francis......
Liberius
Liberius was the pope from 352 to 366. He was elected on May 17, 352, to succeed Pope St. Julius I. Liberius was......