In the Roman Catholic Church, an antipope is someone who opposes the legitimately elected bishop of Rome , tries to take the papal throne, and achieves some degree of success in this endeavor. There have been at least 37 antipopes from 217 to 1439, with Felix V being the last. Historically, antipopes have emerged for various reasons, including doctrinal disagreements, the deportation of the pope , double elections arbitrated by secular authorities, and changes in the process of choosing the pope. The election of antipopes has often been obscured by incomplete or biased records, making it difficult to determine the legitimate pope .

Why did antipopes appear in Roman Catholic history?

An antipope is someone who opposes a legitimately elected pope by claiming the papal throne. Historically, doctrinal disagreements, such as Monarchianism, have led to the rise of antipopes. For example, the spread of Monarchianism led a Roman priest, Hippolytus, to try to replace Pope Calixtus I in the 3rd century. Other factors that have contributed to the appearance of antipopes include the deportation of the pope, double elections arbitrated by secular authority, and changes in the procedure for choosing the pope. The most complex situation arose when the papacy moved to Avignon, France, leading to the Great Western Schism, where multiple rival popes claimed legitimacy.

How does an antipope differ from a legitimate pope?

In the Roman Catholic Church, an antipope is someone who opposes the legitimately elected bishop of Rome , tries to take the papal throne, and achieves some degree of success in their attempt. The elections of some antipopes are unclear due to incomplete or biased records; even contemporaries struggled to identify the true pope. There have been at least 37 antipopes from 217 to 1439. The last one was Felix V (1439–49).

Can you name a time when there were two or more rival popes?

The period known as the Western Schism , lasting from 1378 to 1417, was a time when multiple rival popes each claimed legitimacy. Initially, two popes were elected: Urban VI in Rome and Clement VII in Avignon. Later, the Council of Pisa in 1409 attempted to resolve the conflict by electing a third pope, Alexander V. However, instead of solving the issue, this action further complicated the situation, resulting in three competing papal claims. The Council of Constance (1414–18) eventually resolved the schism by deposing all three popes and electing Martin V in 1417, thus restoring a single papacy.

What effect did the existence of antipopes have on the Catholic Church?

The existence of antipopes, particularly during the Great Western Schism (1378-1417), had disastrous effects on the Catholic Church . The election of multiple popes created division and confusion, fostering political antagonisms as followers aligned along national lines. The spectacle of rival popes denouncing each other resulted in a tremendous loss of prestige for the papacy. This crisis of faith led to proposals for resolving the schism, including the Council of Pisa which elected another pope, further complicating the situation with three reigning popes. The schism was only resolved with the Council of Constance , which deposed or accepted the resignation of all three popes and elected Martin V.

How did the Catholic Church eventually solve conflicts caused by antipopes?

The Catholic Church addressed conflicts from antipopes through various means, especially during the Great Western Schism (1378-1417). This schism saw multiple rival popes, which caused division along national lines and political antagonisms, greatly damaging the papacy's prestige. To resolve this, various proposals were suggested, including those from the University of Paris, which advocated for either mutual resignation, a decision made by an independent tribunal, or a general council. Ultimately, the Council of Constance (1414–18) played a crucial role. The council deposed the Roman Pope Gregory XII, dismissed the claims of the Avignon Pope Benedict XIII, and elected Martin V in 1417, effectively healing the schism.

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What is an antipope?
In the Roman Catholic Church, an antipope is someone who opposes the legitimately elected bishop of Rome, tries to take the papal throne, and achieves some degree of success in this endeavor. There have been at least 37 antipopes from 217 to 1439, with Felix V being the last.

Historically, antipopes have emerged for various reasons, including doctrinal disagreements, the deportation of the pope, double elections arbitrated by secular authorities, and changes in the process of choosing the pope. The election of antipopes has often been obscured by incomplete or biased records, making it difficult to determine the legitimate pope.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why did antipopes appear in Roman Catholic history?
An antipope is someone who opposes a legitimately elected pope by claiming the papal throne. Historically, doctrinal disagreements, such as Monarchianism, have led to the rise of antipopes. For example, the spread of Monarchianism led a Roman priest, Hippolytus, to try to replace Pope Calixtus I in the 3rd century.

Other factors that have contributed to the appearance of antipopes include the deportation of the pope, double elections arbitrated by secular authority, and changes in the procedure for choosing the pope.

The most complex situation arose when the papacy moved to Avignon, France, leading to the Great Western Schism, where multiple rival popes claimed legitimacy.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How does an antipope differ from a legitimate pope?
In the Roman Catholic Church, an antipope is someone who opposes the legitimately elected bishop of Rome, tries to take the papal throne, and achieves some degree of success in their attempt.

The elections of some antipopes are unclear due to incomplete or biased records; even contemporaries struggled to identify the true pope. There have been at least 37 antipopes from 217 to 1439. The last one was Felix V (1439–49).
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Can you name a time when there were two or more rival popes?
The period known as the Western Schism, lasting from 1378 to 1417, was a time when multiple rival popes each claimed legitimacy.

Initially, two popes were elected: Urban VI in Rome and Clement VII in Avignon. Later, the Council of Pisa in 1409 attempted to resolve the conflict by electing a third pope, Alexander V. However, instead of solving the issue, this action further complicated the situation, resulting in three competing papal claims.

The Council of Constance (1414–18) eventually resolved the schism by deposing all three popes and electing Martin V in 1417, thus restoring a single papacy.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What effect did the existence of antipopes have on the Catholic Church?
The existence of antipopes, particularly during the Great Western Schism (1378-1417), had disastrous effects on the Catholic Church. The election of multiple popes created division and confusion, fostering political antagonisms as followers aligned along national lines.

The spectacle of rival popes denouncing each other resulted in a tremendous loss of prestige for the papacy. This crisis of faith led to proposals for resolving the schism, including the Council of Pisa which elected another pope, further complicating the situation with three reigning popes. The schism was only resolved with the Council of Constance, which deposed or accepted the resignation of all three popes and elected Martin V.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did the Catholic Church eventually solve conflicts caused by antipopes?
The Catholic Church addressed conflicts from antipopes through various means, especially during the Great Western Schism (1378-1417). This schism saw multiple rival popes, which caused division along national lines and political antagonisms, greatly damaging the papacy's prestige.

To resolve this, various proposals were suggested, including those from the University of Paris, which advocated for either mutual resignation, a decision made by an independent tribunal, or a general council.

Ultimately, the Council of Constance (1414–18) played a crucial role. The council deposed the Roman Pope Gregory XII, dismissed the claims of the Avignon Pope Benedict XIII, and elected Martin V in 1417, effectively healing the schism.
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Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

antipope, in the Roman Catholic Church, one who opposes the legitimately elected bishop of Rome, endeavors to secure the papal throne, and to some degree succeeds materially in the attempt. This abstract definition is necessarily broad and does not reckon with the complexity of individual cases. The elections of several antipopes are greatly obscured by incomplete or biased records, and at times even their contemporaries could not decide who was the true pope. It is impossible, therefore, to establish an absolutely definitive list of antipopes, but it is generally conceded that there were at least 37 from 217 to 1439. Felix V (1439–49) was the last.

Historically, antipopes have arisen as a result of a variety of causes; the following are some examples:

1. Doctrinal disagreement. The spread of Monarchianism (a Trinitarian heresy) led a Roman priest, Hippolytus, to try to replace Pope Calixtus I in the 3rd century. Hippolytus was later reconciled to Pope Pontianus during the persecution of Maximinus and died a martyr’s death in 235.

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2. Deportation of the pope. The Arian emperor Constantius II exiled Pope Liberius for his orthodoxy in 355 and imposed the archdeacon Felix on the Roman clergy as Pope Felix II. Eventually, Liberius was allowed to return, and Felix lived in retirement until his death.

3. Double elections arbitrated by the secular authority. In 418 the archdeacon Eulalius was elected by a faction partial to him, and he was supported by the imperial prefect and the Byzantine court. The rest of the clergy, however, chose the priest Boniface I, who was eventually given official recognition by the emperor.

4. Double elections and subsequent recourse to a third candidate. In the 7th century Paschal and Theodore were rivals for the papacy, and both were unwilling to renounce their claims. Finally, a part of the community more inclined to moderation gained the papacy for Sergius I.

Somewhat similarly, in the 14th century the official residence of the papacy was moved to Avignon, France. This led to a schism (the Great Western Schism) beginning in 1378 that resulted in a papacy in Rome (regarded as canonical), a papacy in Avignon (regarded as antipapal), and eventually a third papacy established by the Council of Pisa (also regarded as antipapal). Unity was finally achieved by the election of Martin V on November 11, 1417.

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5. Change in the manner of choosing the pope. In 1059 a new procedure for electing popes, proclaimed by Pope Nicholas II, deprived the German emperors of the leading role that they had played in earlier papal elections and also limited the influence of the Roman nobility. This led to the election of the antipope Honorius II in opposition to the canonically elected Alexander II, who was eventually recognized by the emperor. See also papacy and papal conclave.

List of popes and antipopes

A list of popes and antipopes of the Roman Catholic Church is provided in the table.

Popes and antipopes¹
¹Antipopes are in italics. Until the 4th century the popes were usually known only as bishops of Rome.
²The higher number is used if Felix (II), who reigned from 355 to 358 and is ordinarily classed as an antipope, is counted as a pope.
³Though elected on March 23, 752, Stephen (II) died two days later, before he could be consecrated, and thus is ordinarily not counted. The issue has made the numbering of subsequent Stephens somewhat irregular.
⁴Either Leo VIII or Benedict V may be considered an antipope.
⁵A confusion in the numbering of popes named John after John XIV (reigned 983–984) resulted because some 11th-century historians mistakenly believed that there had been a pope named John between antipope Boniface VII and the true John XV (reigned 985–996). Therefore they mistakenly numbered the real popes John XV to XIX as John XVI to XX. These popes have since customarily been renumbered XV to XIX, but John XXI and John XXII continue to bear numbers that they themselves formally adopted on the assumption that there had indeed been 20 Johns before them. In current numbering there thus exists no pope by the name of John XX.
⁶Sylvester III is considered an antipope by those who believe that Benedict IX's forcible removal in 1044 was illegitimate.
⁷In the 13th century the papal chancery misread the names of the two popes Marinus as Martin, and, as a result of this error, Simon de Brie in 1281 assumed the name of Pope Martin IV instead of Martin II. The enumeration has not been corrected, and thus there exist no Martin II and Martin III.
Peter	?-c. 64
Linus	c. 67–76/79
Anacletus	76–88 or 79–91
Clement I	88–97 or 92–101
Evaristus	c. 97–c. 107
Alexander I	105–115 or 109–119
Sixtus I	c. 115–c. 125
Telesphorus	c. 125–c. 136
Hyginus	c. 136–c. 140
Pius I	c. 142–c. 155
Anicetus	c. 155–c. 166
Soter	c. 166–c. 175
Eleutherius	c. 175–189
Victor I	c. 189–198/199
Zephyrinus	c. 199–217
Calixtus I (Callistus)	217?–222
Hippolytus	217/218–235
Urban I	222–230
Pontian	230–235
Anterus	235–236
Fabian	236–250
Cornelius	251–253
Novatian	251
Lucius I	253–254
Stephen I	254–257
Sixtus II	257–258
Dionysius	259/260–268
Felix I	269–274
Eutychian	275–283
Gaius	283–296
Marcellinus	291/296–304
Marcellus I	306–308 or 308–309
Eusebius	309/310
Miltiades (Melchiades)	311–314
Sylvester I	314–335
Mark	336
Julius I	337–352
Liberius	352–366
Felix (II)	355–365
Damasus I	366–384
Ursinus	366–367
Siricius	384–399
Anastasius I	399–401
Innocent I	401–417
Zosimus	417–418
Boniface I	418–422
Eulalius	418–419
Celestine I	422–432
Sixtus III	432–440
Leo I	440–461
Hilary	461–468
Simplicius	468–483
Felix III (or II)²	483–492
Gelasius I	492–496
Anastasius II	496–498
Symmachus	498–514
Laurentius	498, 501– c. 505/507
Hormisdas	514–523
John I	523–526
Felix IV (or III)²	526–530
Dioscorus	530
Boniface II	530–532
John II	533–535
Agapetus I	535–536
Silverius	536–537
Vigilius	537–555
Pelagius I	556–561
John III	561–574
Benedict I	575–579
Pelagius II	579–590
Gregory I	590–604
Sabinian	604–606
Boniface III	607
Boniface IV	608–615
Deusdedit (also called Adeodatus I)	615–618
Boniface V	619–625
Honorius I	625–638
Severinus	640
John IV	640–642
Theodore I	642–649
Martin I	649–653
Eugenius I	654–657
Vitalian	657–672
Adeodatus II	672–676
Donus	676–678
Agatho	678–681
Leo II	682–683
Benedict II	684–685
John V	685–686
Conon	686–687
Sergius I	687–701
Theodore	687
Paschal	687
John VI	701–705
John VII	705–707
Sisinnius	708
Constantine	708–715
Gregory II	715–731
Gregory III	731–741
Zacharias (Zachary)	741–752
Stephen (II)³	752
Stephen II (or III)³	752–757
Paul I	757–767
Constantine(II)	767–768
Philip	768
Stephen III (or IV)³	768–772
Adrian I	772–795
Leo III	795–816
Stephen IV (or V)³	816–817
Paschal I	817–824
Eugenius II	824–827
Valentine	827
Gregory IV	827–844
John	844
Sergius II	844–847
Leo IV	847–855
Benedict III	855–858
Anastasius (Anastasius the Librarian)	855
Nicholas I	858–867
Adrian II	867–872
John VIII	872–882
Marinus I	882–884
Adrian III	884–885
Stephen V (or VI)³	885–891
Formosus	891–896
Boniface VI	896
Stephen VI (or VII)³	896–897
Romanus	897
Theodore II	897
John IX	898–900
Benedict IV	900–903
Leo V	903
Christopher	903–904
Sergius III	904–911
Anastasius III	911–913
Lando	913–914
John X	914–928
Leo VI	928
Stephen VII (or VIII)³	928–931
John XI	931–935
Leo VII	936–939
Stephen VIII (or IX)³	939–942
Marinus II	942–946
Agapetus II	946–955
John XII	955–964
Leo VIII⁴	963–965
Benedict V⁴	964
John XIII	965–972
Benedict VI	973–974
Boniface VII (1st time)	974
Benedict VII	974–983
John XIV	983–984
Boniface VII (2nd time)	984–985
John XV (or XVI)⁵	985–996
Gregory V	996–999
John XVI (or XVII)⁵	997–998
Sylvester II	999–1003
John XVII (or XVIII)⁵	1003
John XVIII (or XIX)⁵	1003–09
Sergius IV	1009–12
Gregory (VI)	1012
Benedict VIII	1012–24
John XIX (or XX)⁵	1024–32
Benedict IX (1st time)	1032–44
Sylvester III⁶	1045
Benedict IX (2nd time)	1045
Gregory VI	1045–46
Clement II	1046–47
Benedict IX (3rd time)	1047–48
Damasus II	1048
Leo IX	1049–54
Victor II	1055–57
Stephen IX (or X)³	1057–58
Benedict X	1058–59
Nicholas II	1059–61
Alexander II	1061–73
Honorius (II)	1061–64
Gregory VII	1073–85
Clement (III)	1080–1100
Victor III	1086–87
Urban II	1088–99
Paschal II	1099–1118
Theodoric	1100–01
Albert (also called Aleric)	1101
Sylvester (IV)	1105–11
Gelasius II	1118–19
Gregory (VIII)	1118–21
Calixtus II (Callistus)	1119–24
Honorius II	1124–30
Celestine (II)	1124
Innocent II	1130–43
Anacletus (II)	1130–38
Victor (IV)	1138
Celestine II	1143–44
Lucius II	1144–45
Eugenius III	1145–53
Anastasius IV	1153–54
Adrian IV	1154–59
Alexander III	1159–81
Victor (IV)	1159–64
Paschal (III)	1164–68
Calixtus (III)	1168–78
Innocent (III)	1179–80
Lucius III	1181–85
Urban III	1185–87
Gregory VIII	1187
Clement III	1187–91
Celestine III	1191–98
Innocent III	1198–1216
Honorius III	1216–27
Gregory IX	1227–41
Celestine IV	1241
Innocent IV	1243–54
Alexander IV	1254–61
Urban IV	1261–64
Clement IV	1265–68
Gregory X	1271–76
Innocent V	1276
Adrian V	1276
John XXI⁵	1276–77
Nicholas III	1277–80
Martin IV⁷	1281–85
Honorius IV	1285–87
Nicholas IV	1288–92
Celestine V	1294
Boniface VIII	1294–1303
Benedict XI	1303–04
Clement V (at Avignon from 1309)	1305–14
John XXII⁵ (at Avignon)	1316–34
Nicholas (V) at Rome)	1328–30
Benedict XII (at Avignon)	1334–42
Clement VI (at Avignon)	1342–52
Innocent VI (at Avignon)	1352–62
Urban V (at Avignon)	1362–70
Gregory XI (at Avignon, then Rome from 1377)	1370–78
Urban VI	1378–89
Clement (VII) (at Avignon)	1378–94
Boniface IX	1389–1404
Benedict (XIII) (at Avignon)	1394–1423
Innocent VII	1404–06
Gregory XII	1406–15
Alexander (V) (at Bologna)	1409–10
John (XXIII) (at Bologna)	1410–15
Martin V⁷	1417–31
Clement (VIII)	1423–29
Eugenius IV	1431–47
Felix (V) (also called Amadeus VIII of Savoy)	1439–49
Nicholas V	1447–55
Calixtus III (Callistus)	1455–58
Pius II	1458–64
Paul II	1464–71
Sixtus IV	1471–84
Innocent VIII	1484–92
Alexander VI	1492–1503
Pius III	1503
Julius II	1503–13
Leo X	1513–21
Adrian VI	1522–23
Clement VII	1523–34
Paul III	1534–49
Julius III	1550–55
Marcellus II	1555
Paul IV	1555–59
Pius IV	1559–65
Pius V	1566–72
Gregory XIII	1572–85
Sixtus V	1585–90
Urban VII	1590
Gregory XIV	1590–91
Innocent IX	1591
Clement VIII	1592–1605
Leo XI	1605
Paul V	1605–21
Gregory XV	1621–23
Urban VIII	1623–44
Innocent X	1644–55
Alexander VII	1655–67
Clement IX	1667–69
Clement X	1670–76
Innocent XI	1676–89
Alexander VIII	1689–91
Innocent XII	1691–1700
Clement XI	1700–21
Innocent XIII	1721–24
Benedict XIII	1724–30
Clement XII	1730–40
Benedict XIV	1740–58
Clement XIII	1758–69
Clement XIV	1769–74
Pius VI	1775–99
Pius VII	1800–23
Leo XII	1823–29
Pius VIII	1829–30
Gregory XVI	1831–46
Pius IX	1846–78
Leo XIII	1878–1903
Pius X	1903–14
Benedict XV	1914–22
Pius XI	1922–39
Pius XII	1939–58
John XXIII	1958–63
Paul VI	1963–78
John Paul I	1978
John Paul II	1978–2005
Benedict XVI	2005–13
Francis I	2013–25
Leo XIV	2025–

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.

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List of popes and antipopes