List of Catholic Popes: What Most People Get Wrong

Honestly, if you try to sit down and memorize a list of catholic popes, you’re going to have a bad time. It is a long, winding, and often messy history that spans over two thousand years. Most people think it’s just a neat line of holy men moving from Saint Peter straight to the guy we see on the news today.

It wasn't that simple. Not even close.

As of early 2026, we are looking at a lineage that officially counts 267 men. The current guy in the chair is Pope Leo XIV, who took over in May 2025 after Pope Francis. But even that number, 267, is kind of a best guess by historians and the Vatican. Why? Because the Middle Ages were a total disaster for record-keeping. We had periods with two popes, three popes, and "antipopes" who claimed they were the real deal while everyone else called them frauds.

History is weird.

The Reality of the List of Catholic Popes

The official list starts with Saint Peter. Catholics believe Jesus basically handed him the keys and said, "You're in charge." Peter was a fisherman. He wasn't wearing a silk miter or living in a palace. He ended up martyred in Rome, reportedly crucified upside down because he didn't feel worthy to die the same way as Christ.

After him, things get blurry.

You have names like Linus, Anacletus, and Clement I. These guys were essentially operating an underground ring of believers while the Roman Empire was actively trying to execute them. It wasn't a job you took for the benefits. For the first few centuries, being on the list of catholic popes was basically a death sentence. Out of the first 54 popes, 52 are considered saints. Most of them earned that title the hard way—through martyrdom.

Then Constantine happened.

In the 4th century, Christianity became legal, and suddenly the Bishop of Rome had political power. This changed everything. The list stopped being a roll call of future martyrs and started looking like a roster of world leaders.

The Long and the Short of It

If you look at the sheer duration of these reigns, it's wild how much they vary. Most people know Pope John Paul II was around for a long time. He held the office for over 26 years. That’s a massive chunk of modern history. But he isn’t even the record holder.

Pope Pius IX holds the documented title for the longest reign. He was in office for 31 years, 7 months, and 23 days (1846–1878). He saw the rise of modern Italy and the loss of the Papal States. He was the one who defined the "Prisoner of the Vatican" era. Of course, tradition says Saint Peter reigned for about 34 or 35 years, but we don't have the exact calendar dates for a guy living in 64 AD.

On the flip side, some guys barely had time to unpack.

• Pope Urban VII (1590): He lasted 13 days. Malaria got him before he could even be crowned.
• Pope Boniface VI (896): He made it 16 days.
• Pope-elect Stephen (752): This is a technicality that drives historians crazy. He was elected, but he died of a stroke three days later before he was actually consecrated. For centuries, he was on the list. Then, in 1961, the Vatican took him off because, technically, you aren't "the" Pope until you're a bishop.

Imagine getting the biggest promotion of your life and then dying before your first Monday morning meeting. Brutal.

What People Get Wrong About "The Greats"

You'll see certain names on the list of catholic popes with the title "The Great" attached to them. People assume there are dozens of them.

Nope. Only three are officially recognized with that title by the Church:

1. Leo I (Leo the Great): He’s the guy who supposedly walked out and convinced Attila the Hun not to sack Rome. That takes some serious guts.
2. Gregory I (Gregory the Great): He was a monk who didn't even want the job. He ended up reforming the liturgy and sending missionaries to England.
3. Nicholas I (Nicholas the Great): He was a big-time advocate for papal authority in the 9th century.

Some people call John Paul II "The Great," but it’s not an official Vatican designation yet. It’s more of a popular sentiment.

The Year of Three Popes

1978 was a chaotic year for the Vatican. Pope Paul VI died in August. John Paul I (the "Smiling Pope") was elected and then died just 33 days later. This led to the election of John Paul II in October. Three different men held the keys to the kingdom in less than two months. That hasn't happened often, and it sent the rumor mill into overdrive back then.

Scandals and the Dark Ages

We have to be honest: the list of catholic popes isn't entirely made of saints. There was a period in the 10th century called the Saeculum Obscurum (the Dark Age). It was basically "Game of Thrones" in Rome.

You had Pope John XII, who was elected in his late teens or early twenties and turned the Lateran Palace into what contemporary accounts described as a brothel. Then there’s Pope Benedict IX, who is the only man to have served as Pope on three separate occasions. He actually sold the papacy to his godfather (who became Gregory VI) because he wanted to get married.

Then he changed his mind and came back. Twice.

It’s important to acknowledge this because it shows the humanity of the institution. The Church doesn't hide these guys; they are still on the official list. It’s a reminder that the office is bigger than the person sitting in it.

The Name Game

Ever wonder why there hasn't been a Pope Peter II?

There’s no actual rule against it. But out of respect for the first pope, no one has ever taken the name. In fact, if a guy named Peter gets elected, he usually picks something else immediately. For instance, Pope John XIV was actually named Pietro (Peter) Canepanova. He changed it the second he was elected to avoid the comparison.

The most popular names on the list?

• John: 21 (officially 23, but the numbering is a mess because of John XVI and John XX).
• Gregory: 16.
• Benedict: 16.
• Clement: 14.
• Leo: 14 (now that Leo XIV is in the chair).

Why the List Matters Today

The list of catholic popes isn't just a trivia sheet for history buffs. It represents one of the oldest continuous lines of leadership in human history. Whether you're Catholic or not, that's impressive. It survived the fall of the Roman Empire, the Black Death, the Reformation, the French Revolution, and two World Wars.

If you’re looking to dive deeper into this, don’t just read a list of names and dates. Look at the "years of the four popes" or the Avignon Papacy, where the popes lived in France for 70 years while Rome fell into ruin. That’s where the real stories are.

Actionable Steps for Exploring Papal History

If you want to actually understand this timeline, here is what you should do next:

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• Look up the "Cadaver Synod": It is the most insane moment in papal history. Pope Stephen VI literally dug up the body of his predecessor, Pope Formosus, put the corpse on trial, found it guilty, and threw it in the Tiber River. It sounds like a horror movie, but it actually happened in 897 AD.
• Check the Annuario Pontificio: This is the Vatican's official year-book. If you want the "canonical" list without the internet fluff, this is the source of truth.
• Differentiate between Popes and Antipopes: When you see gaps or weird numbering (like why there is no John XX), it's usually because an antipope messed up the count. Understanding the "Great Western Schism" will explain why there were once three people all claiming to be the Pope at the same time.
• Follow the current Pontificate: Keep an eye on the decrees of Pope Leo XIV. Every new pope adds a unique flavor to the office. Leo XIV's focus on Franciscan values following the 2026 centenary of St. Francis' death is already shaping how the list will be viewed by future historians.

The papacy isn't a stagnant pool; it's a river. Sometimes it’s clear, sometimes it’s muddy, but it never stops moving.