- News. White smoke rises over Vatican as Catholic Church elects new Pope
- News. The origin of the celibacy of popes and cardinals: why can't they have sex?
From St. Peter to Pope Francis, the history of the papacy in the Catholic Church spans more than two thousand years. The pope is considered the successor of St. Peter, the first bishop of Rome, to whom, according to Christian tradition, Jesus entrusted the leadership of his Church
The list of Popes throughout history
The papal succession has gone through periods of stability, crisis, reform and schism. There were particularly turbulent times such as the Western Schism (1378-1417), in which several rival popes coexisted, and key moments such as the Council of Trent (1545-1563) or the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which marked profound changes in doctrine, liturgy and the Church's relationship with the modern world.
Some, such as St. John Paul II, led for decades, while others, such as John Paul I or Urban VII, served as pontiffs for only a few days. The role of the pope has also changed from being eminently spiritual to acquiring political weight, especially during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Below is the complete list of all the Supreme Pontiffs who have led the Church from its origins to the present day.
o San Pedro | 33-67
o St. Linus | 67-76
o Anacletus | 76-88
o Clement I | 88-97
o Saint Evaristus | 97-105
o Pope Alexander I | 105-115
o Pope Sixtus I | 115-125
o Telesphorus | 125-136
o Pope Hyginus | 136-140
o Pope Pius I | 140-155
o Pope Anicetus | 155-166
o Saint Soter | 166-175
o Pope Eleutherius | 175-189
o Saint Victor I | 189-199
o Pope Zephyrinus | 199-217
o Callixtus I | 217-222
o Urban I | 222-230
o Pope Pontian | 230-235
o San Antero | 235-236
o Pope Fabian | 236-250
o Pope Cornelius | 251-253
o Lucius I | 253-254
o Stephen I | 254-257
o Sixtus II | 257-258
o Pope Dionysius | 259-268
o Pope Felix I | 269-274
o St Eutychian | 275-283
o Saint Caius | 283-296
o Pope Marcellinus | 296-304
o Marcellus I | 308-309
o Saint Eusebius | 309-310
o Miltiades | 311-314
o Sylvester I | 314-335
o San Marcos | 336
o St. Julius I | 337-352
o Liberius | 352-366
o Damasus I | 366-384
o Pope Siricius | 384-399
o Pope Anastasius I | 399-401
o Pope Innocent I | 401-417
o Zosimus | 417-418
o Pope Boniface I | 418-422
o Pope Celestine I | 422-432
o Pope Sixtus III | 432-440
o Pope Leo I | 440-461
o Hilarius | 461-468
o Saint Simplicius | 468-483
o Felix III II | 483-492
o Pope Gelasius I | 492-496
o Anastasius II | 496-498
o Symmachus | 498-514
o St. Hormisdas | 514-523
o John I | 523-526
o Felix IV III | 526-530
o Boniface II | 530-532
o John II | 533-535
o Pope Agapetus I | 535-536
o Pope Silverius | 536-537
o Vigilius | 537-555
o Pelagius I | 556-561
o John III | 561-574
o Benedict I | 575-579
o Pelagius II | 579-590
o Gregory I the Great | 590-604
o Sabinian | 604-606
o Boniface III | 607
o Boniface IV | 608-615
o Pope Adeodatus I | 615-618
o Boniface V | 619-625
o Honorius I | 625-638
o Severino | 640
o John IV | 640-642
o Theodore I | 642-649
o Martin I | 649-655
o Pope Eugene I | 654-657
o Vitalian | 657-672
o Adeodatus II | 672-676
o Dono | 676-678
o Agatho | 678-681
o Pope Leo II | 682-683
o Benedict II | 684-685
o John V | 685-686
o Conon | 686-687
o Pope Sergius I | 687-701
o John VI | 701-705
o John VII | 705-707
o Sisinus | 708
o Constantine | 708-715
o Gregory II | 715-731
o Gregory III | 731-741
o Pope Zachary | 741-752
o Stephen II | elected without consecration
o Stephen II III | 752-757
o Paul I | 757-767
o Stephen III IV | 768-772
o Adrian I | 772-795
o Pope Leo III | 795-816
o Stephen IV V | 816-817
o Paschal I | 817-824
o Eugene II | 824-827
o Valentin | 827
o Gregory IV | 827-844
o Sergius II | 844-847
o Pope Leo IV | 847-855
o Benedict III | 855-858
o Pope Nicholas I | 858-867
o Adrian II | 867-872
o John VIII | 872-882
o Marinus I | 882-884
o Adrian III | 884-885
o Stephen V VI | 885-891
o Formosus | 891-896
o Boniface VI | 896
o Stephen VI VII | 896-897
o Roman | 897
o Theodore II | 897
o John IX | 898-900
o Benedict IV | 900-903
o Leon V | 903
o Sergius III | 904-911
o Anastasius III | 911-913
o Landon | 913-914
o John X | 914-928
o Leo VI | 928
o Stephen VII VIII | 928-931
o John XI | 931-935
o Leo VII | 936-939
o Stephen VIII IX | 939-942
o Marinus II | 942-946
o Agapetus II | 946-955
o John XII | 955-964
o Leo VIII | 963-965
o Benedict V | 964
o John XIII | 965-972
o Benedict VI | 973-974
o Benedict VII | 974-983
o John XIV | 983-984
o John XV | 985-996
o Gregory V | 996-999
o Sylvester II | 999-1003
o John XVII | 1003
o John XVIII | 1004-1009
o Sergius IV | 1009-1012
o Benedict VIII | 1012-1024
o John XIX | 1024-1032
o Benedict IX | 1032-1044
o Sylvester III | 1045
o Benedict IX | 1045
o Gregory VI | 1045-1046
o Clement II | 1046-1047
o Benedict IX | 1047-1048
o Damasus II | 1048
o Leo IX | 1049-1054
o Victor II | 1055-1057
o Stephen IX X | 1057-1058
o Nicholas II | 1059-1061
o Alexander II | 1061-1073
o Gregory VII | 1073-1085
o Blessed Victor III | 1086-1087
o Blessed Urban II | 1088-1099
o Paschal II | 1099-1118
o Gelasius II | 1118-1119
o Callixtus II | 1119-1124
o Honorius II | 1124-1130
o Innocent II | 1130-1143
o Celestine II | 1143-1144
o Lucius II | 1144-1145
o Blessed Eugene III | 1145-1153
o Anastasius IV | 1153-1154
o Adrian IV | 1154-1159
o Alexander III | 1159-1181
o Lucius III | 1181-1185
o Urban III | 1185-1187
o Gregory VIII | 1187
o Clement III | 1187-1191
o Celestine III | 1191-1198
o Innocent III | 1198-1216
o Honorius III | 1216-1227
o Gregory IX | 1227-1241
o Celestine IV | 1241
o Innocent IV | 1243-1254
o Alexander IV | 1254-1261
o Urban IV | 1261-1264
o Clement IV | 1265-1268
o Blessed Gregory X | 1271-1276
o Blessed Innocent V | 1276
o Adrian V | 1276
o John XXI | 1276-1277
o Nicholas III | 1277-1280
o Martin IV | 1281-1285
o Honorius IV | 1285-1287
o Nicholas IV | 1288-1292
o Pope Celestine V | 1294
o Boniface VIII | 1294-1303
o Blessed Benedict XI | 1303-1304
o Clement V | 1305-1314
o John XXII | 1316-1334
o Benedict XII | 1334-1342
o Clement VI | 1342-1352
o Innocent VI | 1352-1362
o Blessed Urban V | 1362-1370
o Gregory XI | 1370-1378
o Urban VI | 1378-1389
o Boniface IX | 1389-1404
o Innocent VII | 1404-1406
o Gregory XII | 1406-1415
o Martin V | 1417-1431
o Eugene IV | 1431-1447
o Nicholas V | 1447-1455
o Callixtus III | 1455-1458
o Pius II | 1458-1464
o Paul II | 1464-1471
o Sixtus IV | 1471-1484
o Innocent VIII | 1484-1492
o Alexander VI | 1492-1503
o Pius III | 1503
o Julius II | 1503-1513
o Leo X | 1513-1521
o Adrian VI | 1522-1523
o Clement VII | 1523-1534
o Paul III | 1534-1549
o Julius III | 1550-1555
o Marcellus II | 1555
o Paul IV | 1555-1559
o Pius IV | 1559-1565
o Pius V | 1566-1572
o Gregory XIII | 1572-1585
o Sixtus V | 1585-1590
o Urban VII | 1590
o Gregory XIV | 1590-1591
o Innocent IX | 1591
o Clement VIII | 1592-1605
o Leo XI | 1605
o Paul V | 1605-1621
o Gregory XV | 1621-1623
o Urban VIII | 1623-1644
o Innocent X | 1644-1655
o Alexander VII | 1655-1667
o Clement IX | 1667-1669
o Clement X | 1670-1676
o Blessed Innocent XI | 1676-1689
o Alexander VIII | 1689-1691
o Pope Innocent XII | 1691-1700
o Clement XI | 1700-1721
o Innocent XIII | 1721-1724
o Benedict XIII | 1724-1730
o Clement XII | 1730-1740
o Benedict XIV | 1740-1758
o Clement XIII | 1758-1769
o Clement XIV | 1769-1774
o Pius VI | 1775-1799
o Pius VII | 1800-1823
o Leo XII | 1823-1829
o Pius VIII | 1829-1830
o Gregory XVI | 1831-1846
o Blessed Pius IX | 1846-1878
o Leo XIII | 1878-1903
o Pius X | 1903-1914
o Benedict XV | 1914-1922
o Pius XI | 1922-1939
o Venerable Pius XII | 1939-1958
o John XXIII | 1958-1963
o Saint Paul VI | 1963-1978
o Blessed John Paul I | 1978
o John Paul II | 1978-2005
o Benedict XVI | 2005-2013
o Francis | 2013-2025
* Leo XIV | 2025 -
For more than two thousand years, the papacy has been a central institution in the history of Christianity and in the lives of millions of people around the world. From St. Peter to Pope Francis, each Supreme Pontiff has left his mark on the Church, facing political and social challenges according to his time.