The Popes Recognized by the Roman Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic Church
recognizes the Pope as the Bishop of Rome, the successor of Saint Peter, and
the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. According to Catholic
tradition, Jesus entrusted Peter with a unique leadership role among the apostles
(they based on Gospel of Matthew 16:18–19), and every pope is regarded as
Peter's successor.
The Roman Catholic Church
recognizes 267 popes, beginning with Saint Peter and continuing to the present
pope.
The Pope serves as:
- The Bishop of Rome.
- The spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic
Church.
- The successor of Saint Peter according to
Catholic teaching.
- A teacher and guardian of Catholic doctrine.
- A symbol of the unity of the Catholic Church.
The Roman Catholic Church
recognizes an unbroken succession of 267 popes, beginning with Saint
Peter and continuing to Pope Leo XIV. Throughout history, the popes
have guided the Church through persecution, doctrinal debates, reform,
missionary expansion, and major global challenges, making the papacy one of the
oldest continuous institutions in the world.
Here is the complete list of Pope names together with the year they served as Pope.
| Name and Year-1 | Name and Year-2 | Name and Year-3 | Name and Year-4 | Name and Year-5 | Name and Year-6 |
| Peter (30–67) | Simplicius(468–483) | StephenIII (752–757) | Gregory V(996–999) | GregoryX (1271–1276) | Innocent IX(1591) |
| Linus (67–76) | Felix II(483–492) | Paul I(757–767) | SylvesterII (999–1003) | InnocentV (1276) | ClementVIII(1592–1605) |
| Anacletus(76–88) | Gelasius I(492–496) | StephenIV (768–772) | John XVII(1003) | Adrian V(1276) | Leo XI(1605) |
| Clement I(88–97) | AnastasiusII (496–498) | Adrian I(772–795) | JohnXVIII(1004–1009) | John XXI(1276–1277) | Paul V(1605–1621) |
| Evaristus(97–105) | Symmachus(498–514) | Leo III(795–816) | Sergius IV(1009–1012) | NicholasIII (1277–1280) | GregoryXV (1621–1623) |
| Alexander I(105–115) | Hormisdas(514–523) | Stephen V(816–817) | BenedictVIII(1012–1024) | Martin IV(1281–1285) | Urban VIII(1623–1644) |
| Sixtus I(115–125) | John I(523–526) | Paschal I(817–824) | John XIX(1024–1032) | HonoriusIV (1285–1287) | Innocent X(1644–1655) |
| Telesphorus(125–136) | Felix III(526–530) | Eugene II(824–827) | BenedictIX (1032–1044) | NicholasIV (1288–1292) | AlexanderVII (1655–1667) |
| Hyginus(136–140) | Boniface II(530–532) | Valentine(827) | SylvesterIII (1045) | CelestineV (1294) | Clement IX(1667–1669) |
| Pius I (140–155) | John II(533–535) | GregoryIV (827–844) | BenedictIX (1045) | BonifaceVIII(1294–1303) | Clement X(1670–1676) |
| Anicetus(155–166) | Agapitus I(535–536) | Sergius II(844–847) | GregoryVI (1045–1046) | BenedictXI (1303–1304) | Innocent XI(1676–1689) |
| Soter (166–175) | Silverius(536–537) | Leo IV(847–855) | Clement II(1046–1047) | ClementV (1304–1314) | AlexanderVIII (1689–1691) |
| Eleutherius(175–189) | Vigilius(537–555) | BenedictIII (855–858) | BenedictX (1047–1048) | JohnXXII(1316–1334) | InnocentXII (1691–1700) |
| Victor I(189–199) | Pelagius I(556–561) | Nicholas I(858–867) | DamasusII (1048) | BenedictXII(1334–1342) | Clement XI(1700–1721) |
| Zephyrinus(199–217) | John III(561–574) | Adrian II(867–872) | Leo IX(1049–1054) | ClementVI (1342–1352) | InnocentXIII (1721–1724) |
| Callistus I(217–222) | Benedict I(575–579) | John VIII(872–882) | Victor II(1055–1057) | InnocentVI (1352–1362) | BenedictXIII (1724–1730) |
| Urban I(222–230) | Pelagius II(579–590) | Marinus I(882–884) | Stephen X(1057–1058) | Urban V(1362–1370) | ClementXII (1730–1740) |
| Pontianus(230–235) | Gregory I(590–604) | Adrian III(884–885) | NicholasII (1059–1061) | GregoryXI (1370–1378) | BenedictXIV (1740–1758) |
| Anterus(235–236) | Sabinianus(604–606) | StephenVI (885–891) | AlexanderII (1061–1073) | Urban VI(1378–1389)* | ClementXIII (1758–1769) |
| Fabian(236–250) | Boniface III(607) | Formosus(891–896) | GregoryVII(1073–1085) | BonifaceIX (1389–1404) | ClementXIV (1769–1774) |
| Cornelius(251–253) | BonifaceIV (608–615) | BonifaceVI (896) | Victor III(1086–1087) | InnocentVII(1404–1406) | Pius VI(1775–1799) |
| Lucius I(253–254) | Adeodatus I(615–618) | StephenVII (896–897) | Urban II(1088–1099) | GregoryXII(1406–1415) | Pius VII(1800–1823) |
| Stephen I(254–257) | Boniface V(619–625) | Romanus(897) | Paschal II(1099–1118) | Martin V(1417–1431) | Leo XII(1823–1829) |
| Sixtus II(257–258) | Honorius I(625–638) | TheodoreII (897) | GelasiusII (1118–1119) | EugeneIV (1431–1447) | Pius VIII(1829–1830) |
| Dionysius(259–268) | Severinus(640) | John IX(898–900) | CallistusII (1119–1124) | NicholasV (1447–1455) | GregoryXVI (1831–1846) |
| Felix I(269–274) | John IV(640–642) | BenedictIV (900–903) | HonoriusII (1124–1130) | CallistusIII (1455–1458) | Pius IX(1846–1878) |
| Eutychianus(275–283) | Theodore I(642–649) | Leo V(903) | InnocentII (1130–1143) | Pius II(1458–1464) | Leo XIII(1878–1903) |
| Caius (283–296) | Martin I(649–655) | Sergius III(904–911) | CelestineII (1143–1144) | Paul II(1464–1471) | Pius X(1903–1914) |
| Marcellinus(296–304) | Eugene I(655–657) | AnastasiusIII (911–913) | Lucius II(1144–1145) | Sixtus IV(1471–1484) | BenedictXV (1914–1922) |
| Marcellus I(308–309) | Vitalian(657–672) | Lando(913–914) | Eugene III(1145–1153) | InnocentVIII(1484–1492) | Pius XI(1922–1939) |
| Eusebius(310) | AdeodatusII (672–676) | John X(914–928) | AnastasiusIV (1153–1154) | AlexanderVI (1492–1503) | Pius XII(1939–1958) |
| Melchiadus(311–314) | Donus(676–678) | Leo VI(928) | Adrian IV(1154–1159) | Pius III(1503) | John XXIII(1958–1963) |
| Sylvester I(314–335) | Agatho(678–681) | StephenVIII (928–931) | AlexanderIII (1159–1181) | Julius II(1503–1513) | Paul VI(1963–1978) |
| Mark (336) | Leo II(682–683) | John XI(931–935) | Lucius III(1181–1185) | Leo X(1513–1521) | John Paul I(1978) |
| Julius I(337–352) | Benedict II(684–685) | Leo VII(936–939) | Urban III(1185–1187) | Adrian VI(1522–1523) | John Paul II(1978–2005) |
| Liberius(352–366) | John V(685–686) | StephenIX (939–942) | GregoryVIII(1187) | VII(1523–1534) | BenedictXVI(2005–2013) |
| Damasus I(366–384) | Cono (686–687) | Marinus II(942–946) | ClementIII (1187–1191) | Paul III(1534–1549) | Pope Francis (2013-2025) |
| Siricius(384–399) | Sergius I(687–701) | AgapitusII (946–955) | CelestineIII (1191–1198) | Julius III(1550–1555) | Pope Leo XIV (2025-till date) |
| Anastasius I(399–401) | John VI(701–705) | John XII(955–963) | InnocentIII (1198–1216) | MarcellusII (1555) | |
| Innocent I(401–417) | John VII(705–707) | Leo VIII(963–964) | HonoriusIII (1216–1227) | Paul IV(1555–1559) | |
| Zozimus(417–418) | Sisinnius(708) | BenedictV (964) | GregoryIX (1227–1241) | Pius IV(1559–1565) | |
| Boniface I(418–422) | Constantine(708–715) | John XIII(965–972) | CelestineIV (1241) | Pius V(1566–1572) | |
| Celestine I(422–432) | Gregory II(715–731) | BenedictVI (973–974) | InnocentIV (1243–1254) | GregoryXIII(1572–1585) | |
| Sixtus III(432–440) | Gregory III(731–741) | BenedictVII (974–983) | AlexanderIV (1254–1261) | Sixtus V(1585–1590) | |
| Leo I (440–461) | achary(741–752) | John XIV(983–984) | Urban IV(1261–1264) | Urban VII(1590) | |
| Hilarus(461–468) | Stephen II(752) | John XV(985–996) | ClementIV (1265–1268) | GregoryXIV(1590–1591) |
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