Popes

To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  -- Romans 1:7


1. St. Peter (32-67) 

St. Peter's true and original name was Simon, sometimes occurring in the form Symeon. (Acts 15:14; 2 Peter 1:1). He was the son of Jona (Johannes) and was born in Bethsaida (John 1:42, 44). The Apostle Andrew was his brother, and the Apostle Philip came from the same town.

2. St. Linus (67-76)

Pope Linus is the Linus mentioned by St. Paul in his 2 Timothy 4:21. The same Linus is mentioned by St. Paul in his Epistle to Timothy. His successor was Anacletus. We cannot be positive whether this identification of the pope as being the Linus mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:21 goes back to an ancient and reliable source, or originated later on account of the similarity of the name.

3. St. Anacletus (Cletus) (76-88)

The second successor of St. Peter. Whether he was the same as Cletus, who is also called Anencletus as well as Anacletus, has been the subject of endless discussion.   Anicetus reigned certainly in 154. He ordained a certain number of priests is nearly all we have of positive record about him, but we know he died a martyr, perhaps about 91.



4. St. Clement I (88-97)

Pope Clement I also known as Saint Clement of Rome is listed from an early date as a Bishop of Rome. He was the first Apostolic Father of the Church. According to Tertullian, Clement was consecrated by Saint Peter, and he is known to have been a leading member of the church in Rome in the late 1st century. Early church lists place him as the second or third bishop of Rome after Saint Peter.



5. St. Evaristus (97-105)

Pope Saint Evaristus is accounted the fifth Pope, holding office from c. AD 99 to 107  or 108. He was also known as Aristus. Evaristus died in the 12th year of the reign of the Roman Emperor Trajan, after holding the office of bishop of the Romans for eight years. He is said to have divided Rome into several "titles" or Parishes, assigning a priest to each, and appointed seven deacons for the city.




6. St. Alexander I (105-115)

Pope Alexander I (died c. 115) was the Bishop of Rome from c. 107 to his death c. 115. The Holy See's Annuario Pontificio (2012) identifies him as a Roman who reigned from 108 or 109 to 116 or 119. Some believe he suffered martyrdom under the Roman Emperor Trajan or Hadrian, but this is improbable.









7. St. Sixtus I (115-125) Also called Xystus I

8. St. Telesphorus (125-136)

Pope Saint Telesphorus was Pope from 126 or 127 to 136 or 137 or 138, during the reigns of Roman Emperors Hadrian and Antoninus Pius. He was of Greek ancestry and born in Terranova da Sibari, Calabria, Italy. The Carmelites venerate Telesphorus as a patron saint of the order since some sources depict him as a hermit living on Mount Carmel.

• Saint Irenaeus was born 130 in Smyrna in Asia Minor (modern-day İzmir, Turkey)
   

9. St. Hyginus (136-140)

10. St. Pius I (140-155)

11. St. Anicetus (155-166)

12. St. Soter (166-175)

13. St. Eleutherius (175-189)

14.    St. Victor I (189-199)

15.    St. Zephyrinus (199-217)

DIVINITY OF CHRIST

Pope Saint Zepheniah, born in Rome, was bishop of Rome from 199 to 217. His predecessor was bishop Victor I. Upon his death on 20 December 217, he was succeeded by his principal advisor, bishop Callixtus I.

During the 17-year pontificate of Zephyrinus, the young Church endured severe persecution under the Emperor Severus until his death in the year 211. To quote Butler (Ref. A. Butler: Lives of the Saints Vol VIII, 1866), St Zephyrinus was the support of his flock. He also endured the trials associated with new heresies and apostases. The chief among these were Marcion, Praxeas, Valentine and the Montanists. St. Optatus testifies that all of these were subdued by Zephyrinus, Bishop of Rome. (Ref. Optat. 1,1 De Schismate, n.9 et Albaspinæus, not.ib.) Eusebius insists that Zephyrinus fought vigorously against the blasphemies of the two Theodotuses, who in response treated him with contempt, but later called him the greatest defender of the divinity of Christ. Although he was not physically martyred for the faith, his suffering – both mental and spiritual – during his pontificate have earned him the title of martyr. (Ref. Berti in Sæc 3. Diss. 1.t. 2 p 158)

• Saint Cyprian was born 200 in Cathage, North Africa.
• Saint Irenaeus died 202 in Lugdunum in Gaul (modern-day Lyons, France)

16.     St. Callistus I (217-22) Callistus and the following three popes were opposed by St.
          Hippolytus, antipope (217-236)

17.    St. Urban I (222-30)

18.   St. Pontain (230-35)

19.    St. Anterus (235-36)

20.    St. Fabian (236-50)

21.    St. Cornelius (251-53) Opposed by Novatian, antipope (251)

22.    St. Lucius I (253-54)

23.    St. Stephen I (254-257)

24.    St. Sixtus II (257-258)

Pope Sixtus II was the head of the Catholic Church from 31 August 257 to his death in 258. He was martyred during the persecution by Emperor Valerian.

He restored the relations with the African and Eastern churches which had been broken off by his predecessor on the question of heretical baptism raised by the heresy Novatianism.

In the persecutions under Valerian in 258, numerous bishops, priests, and deacons were put to death. Pope Sixtus II was one of the first victims of this persecution, being beheaded on 6 August. He was martyred along with six deacons— Januarius, Vincentius, Magnus, Stephanus, Felicissimus and Agapitus. Lawrence of Rome, his best-known deacon, suffered martyrdom on 10 August, 3 days after his bishop, as Sixtus had prophesied.

• Saint Cyprian died September 14, 258.

25.    St. Dionysius (260-268)

26.    St. Felix I (269-274)

27.    St. Eutychian (275-283)

28.    St. Caius (283-296) Also called Gaius

Pope Caius (died 22 April 296), also called Gaius, was the head of the Catholic Church from 17 December 283 to his death in 296. Christian tradition makes him a native of the Dalmatian city of Salona, today Solin near Split, the son of a man also named Caius, and a member of a noble family related to the Emperor Diocletian.

Little information on Caius is available except that given by the Liber Pontificalis, which relies on a legendary account of the martyrdom of St. Susanna for its information. According to legend, Caius baptized the men and women who had been converted by Saint Tiburtius (who is venerated with St. Susanna) and Saint Castulus. His legend states that Caius took refuge in the catacombs of Rome and died a martyr. Sources state that Caius was the uncle of Saint Susanna.

As pope, he decreed that before someone could assume the position of bishop, he must first be porter, lector, exorcist, acolyte, subdeacon, deacon, and priest. -- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• Saint Lucy, also known as Saint Lucia or Santa Lucia was born 283.

29.    St. Marcellinus (296-304)

Pope Marcellinus (died 1 April 304) was the head of the Catholic Church from 30 June 296 to his death in 304. According to the Liberian Catalogue, he was a Roman, the son of a certain Projectus.

Marcellinus’ pontificate began at a time when Diocletian was Roman Emperor, but had not yet started to persecute the Christians. He left Christianity rather free and so the church’s membership grew. Caesar Galerius led the pagan movement against Christianity and arrived to bring up Diocletian against Christianity in the year 302: first Christian soldiers had to leave the army, later the Church's property was confiscated and Christian books were destroyed. After two fires in Diocletian’s palace he took harder measures against Christians: they had either to apostatize or they were sentenced to death.

The Liber Pontificalis, basing itself on the Acts of St Marcellinus, the text of which is lost, relates that during Diocletian’s persecution Marcellinus was called upon to sacrifice, and offered incense to idols, but that, repenting shortly afterwards, he confessed the faith of Christ and suffered martyrdom with several companions. -- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• Saint Lucy, also known as Saint Lucia or Santa Lucia died 304.

30.    St. Marcellus I (308-309)

31.    St. Eusebius (309 or 310)

32.    St. Miltiades (311-14)

33.    St. Sylvester I (314-35)

34.    St. Marcus (336)

35.    St. Julius I (337-52)

• St. Ambrose of Milan was born probably 340.

36.    Liberius (352-66) Opposed by Felix II, antipope (355-365)

Pope Liberius, pope from 17 May 352 to 24 September 366, was consecrated according to the Catalogus Liberianus on 22 May as the successor of Pope Julius I. He is not mentioned as a saint in the Roman Martyrology. His first recorded act was, after a synod had been held at Rome, to write to Emperor Constantius II, then in quarters at Arles (353–354), asking that a council might be called at Aquileia with reference to the affairs of Athanasius of Alexandria, but his messenger Vincentius of Capua was compelled by the emperor at a conciliabulum held in Arles to subscribe against his will to a condemnation of the orthodox patriarch of Alexandria.

At the end of an exile of more than two years in Thrace, after which it seems he may have temporarily relented to the Arian cause, or been set up to appear to have relented - partially evidenced by three letters, quite possibly forgeries, ascribed to Liberius [1], the emperor recalled him, but, as the Roman See was officially occupied by Antipope Felix II, a year passed before Liberius was sent to Rome. It was the emperor's intention that Liberius should govern the Church jointly with Felix, but on the arrival of Liberius, Felix was expelled by the Roman people. Neither Liberius nor Felix took part in the Council of Rimini (359).

After the death of the Emperor Constantius in 361, Liberius annulled the decrees of that assembly but, with the concurrence of bishops Athanasius and Hilary of Poitiers, retained the bishops who had signed and then withdrew their adherence. In 366, Liberius gave a favourable reception to a deputation of the Eastern episcopate, and admitted into his communion the more moderate of the old Arian party. He died on 24 September 366.

Some historians have postulated that Liberius resigned the papacy in 365, in order to make sense of the reign of Antipope Felix II.

• St. Augustine was born in 13 November 354 in the municipium of Thagaste (now Souk Ahras, Algeria) in Roman Africa. He is also known as St Austin, or St Augoustinos.  

37.    St. Damasus I (366-83) Opposed by Ursicinus, antipope (366-367)

38.    St. Siricius (384-99)

• St. Ambrose of Milan died 4 April, 397.

39.    St. Anastasius I (399-401)

40.     St. Innocent I (401-17)

41.    St. Zosimus (417-18)

42.   St. Boniface I (418-22) Opposed by Eulalius, antipope (418-419)

43.    St. Celestine I (422-32)

• St. Augustine died 28 August 430.

44.   St. Sixtus III (432-40)

45.    St. Leo I (the Great) (440-61)

46.    St. Hilarius (461-68)

47.    St. Simplicius (468-83)

• St. Benedict of Nursia (Italian) was born c. 480 in Norcia (Umbria, Italy)

48.    St. Felix III (II) (483-92)

49.    St. Gelasius I (492-96)

50.    Anastasius II (496-98)

51.    St. Symmachus (498-514) Opposed by Laurentius, antipope (498-501)

52.    St. Hormisdas (514-23)

53.    St. John I (523-26)

54.    St. Felix IV (III) (526-30)

55.    Boniface II (530-32) Opposed by Dioscorus, antipope (530)

56.    John II (533-35)

57.    St. Agapetus I (535-36) Also called Agapitus I

58.    St. Silverius (536-37)

59.    Vigilius (537-55)

• St. Benedict of Nursia (Italian) died 21 March 543 (aged 64) at Monte Cassino

60.    Pelagius I (556-61)

61.    John III (561-74)

62.    Benedict I (575-79)

63.    Pelagius II (579-90)

64.    St. Gregory I (the Great) (590-604)

65.    Sabinian (604-606)

66.    Boniface III (607)

67.    St. Boniface IV (608-15)

68.    St. Deusdedit (Adeodatus I) (615-18)

69.    Boniface V (619-25)

70.    Honorius I (625-38)

71.    Severinus (640)

72.    John IV (640-42)

73.    Theodore I (642-49)

74.    St. Martin I (649-55)

Pope Martin I, born near Todi, Umbria, in the place now named after him (Pian di San Martino), was pope from 649 to 653, succeeding Pope Theodore I on 5 July 649. He was the only pope during the Byzantine Papacy whose election was not approved by a iussio from Constantinople. Martin I was abducted by Emperor Constans II and died in the Crimean peninsula. He is considered a martyr by the Catholic Church. He was the last apocrisiarius to be elected pope.

He had previously acted as papal apocrisiarius or legate at Constantinople, and was held in high repute for his learning and virtue. One of his first official acts was to summon the Lateran Council of 649 to deal with the Monothelites, whom the Church considered heretical. The Council met in the church of St. John Lateran. It was attended by 105 bishops (chiefly from Italy, Sicily, and Sardinia, with a few from Africa and other quarters), held five sessions or secretarii from 5 October to 31 October 649, and in twenty canons condemned Monothelitism, its authors, and the writings by which Monothelitism had been promulgated. In this condemnation were included not only the Ecthesis (the exposition of faith of the Patriarch Sergius for which the emperor Heraclius had stood sponsor), but also the typus of Paul, the successor of Sergius, which had the support of the reigning Emperor (Constans II).

Martin was very energetic in publishing the decrees of the Lateran Council of 649 in an encyclical, and Constans replied by enjoining his exarch (governor) in Italy to arrest the pope should he persist in this line of conduct and send Martin as a prisoner to Rome of Constantinople.

These orders were found impossible to carry out for a considerable space of time, but at last Martin was arrested in the Lateran on 17 June 653 along with Maximus the Confessor. He was hurried out of Rome and conveyed first to Naxos, Greece, and subsequently to Constantinople, where he arrived on 17 September 653. After suffering an exhausting imprisonment and many alleged public indignities, he was ultimately banished to Chersonesos Taurica (a city in present-day southern Ukraine in the Crimea region), where he arrived on 15 May 655 and died on 16 September of that year.

13 April is the optional memorial of St Martin I.[1] He is also venerated as a saint and martyr in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

75.    St. Eugene I (655-57)

76.    St. Vitalian (657-72)

77.    Adeodatus (II) (672-76)

78.    Donus (676-78)

79.    St. Agatho (678-81)

80.    St. Leo II (682-83)

81.    St. Benedict II (684-85)

82.    John V (685-86)

83.    Conon (686-87)

84.    St. Sergius I (687-701) Opposed by Theodore and Paschal, antipopes (687)

85.    John VI (701-05)

86.    John VII (705-07)

87.    Sisinnius (708)

88.    Constantine (708-15)

89.    St. Gregory II (715-31)

90.    St. Gregory III (731-41)

91.    St. Zachary (741-52)

92.    Stephen II (752) Because he died before being consecrated, many authoritative lists omit him

93.    Stephen III (752-57)

94.    St. Paul I (757-67)

95.    Stephen IV (767-72) Opposed by Constantine II (767) and Philip (768), antipopes (767)

96.    Adrian I (772-95)

97.    St. Leo III (795-816)

98.    Stephen V (816-17)

99.    St. Paschal I (817-24)

100.    Eugene II (824-27)

101.     Valentine (827)

102.    Gregory IV (827-44)

103.    Sergius II (844-47) Opposed by John, antipope (855)

104.    St. Leo IV (847-55)

105.    Benedict III (855-58) Opposed by Anastasius, antipope (855)

106.    St. Nicholas I (the Great) (858-67)

107.    Adrian II (867-72)

108.    John VIII (872-82)

109.    Marinus I (882-84)

110.    St. Adrian III (884-85)

111.    Stephen VI (885-91)

112.    Formosus (891-96)

113.    Boniface VI (896)

114.    Stephen VII (896-97)

115.    Romanus (897)

116.    Theodore II (897)

117.    John IX (898-900)

118.    Benedict IV (900-03)

119.    Leo V (903) Opposed by Christopher, antipope (903-904)

120.    Sergius III (904-11)

121.    Anastasius III (911-13)

122.    Lando (913-14)

123.    John X (914-28)

124.    Leo VI (928)

125.    Stephen VIII (929-31)

126.    John XI (931-35)

127.    Leo VII (936-39)

128.    Stephen IX (939-42)

129.    Marinus II (942-46)

130.    Agapetus II (946-55)

131.    John XII (955-63)

132.    Leo VIII (963-64)

133.    Benedict V (964)

134.   John XIII (965-72)

135.    Benedict VI (973-74)

136.    Benedict VII (974-83) Benedict and John XIV were opposed by Boniface VII, antipope (974; 984-985)

137.    John XIV (983-84)

138.    John XV (985-96)

139.    Gregory V (996-99) Opposed by John XVI, antipope (997-998)

140.    Sylvester II (999-1003)

141.    John XVII (1003)

142.    John XVIII (1003-09)

143.    Sergius IV (1009-12)

144.    Benedict VIII (1012-24) Opposed by Gregory, antipope (1012)

145.    John XIX (1024-32)

146.    Benedict IX (1032-45) He appears on this list three separate times, because he was twice deposed and restored

147.    Sylvester III (1045) Considered by some to be an antipope

148.    Benedict IX (1045)

149.    Gregory VI (1045-46)

150.    Clement II (1046-47)

151.    Benedict IX (1047-48)

152.    Damasus II (1048)

153.    St. Leo IX (1049-54)

154.    Victor II (1055-57)

155.    Stephen X (1057-58)

156.    Nicholas II (1058-61) Opposed by Benedict X, antipope (1058)

157.    Alexander II (1061-73) Opposed by Honorius II, antipope (1061-1072)

158.    St. Gregory VII (1073-85) Gregory and the following three popes were opposed by Guibert ("Clement III"), antipope (1080-1100)

159.    Blessed Victor III (1086-87)

160.    Blessed Urban II (1088-99)

161.    Paschal II (1099-1118) Opposed by Theodoric (1100), Aleric (1102) and Maginulf ("Sylvester IV", 1105-1111), antipopes (1100)

162.    Gelasius II (1118-19) Opposed by Burdin ("Gregory VIII"), antipope (1118)

163.    Callistus II (1119-24)

164.    Honorius II (1124-30) Opposed by Celestine II, antipope (1124)

165.    Innocent II (1130-43) Opposed by Anacletus II (1130-1138) and Gregory Conti ("Victor IV") (1138), antipopes (1138)

166.   Celestine II (1143-44)

• Pope Honorius III was born 1148.

167.    Lucius II (1144-45)

168.    Blessed Eugene III (1145-53)

169.    Anastasius IV (1153-54)

170.    Adrian IV (1154-59)

171.    Alexander III (1159-81) Opposed by Octavius ("Victor IV") (1159-1164), Pascal III (1165-1168), Callistus III (1168-1177) and Innocent III (1178-1180), antipopes

172.    Lucius III (1181-85)

173.    Urban III (1185-87)

174.    Gregory VIII (1187)

175.    Clement III (1187-91)

176.    Celestine III (1191-98)

177.    Innocent III (1198-1216)

178.   Honorius III (1216-27)

CENCIO SAVELLI

Pope Honorius III (1148 – March 18, 1227), born with the name Cencio Savelli, was Pope from 1216 to 1227.

He was born in Rome as son of Aimerico. He is often listed as member of Roman Savelli family, but this is disputed.

For a time he was canon at the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, then he became Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church in January 1188 and Cardinal Deacon of Santa Lucia in Silice on February 20, 1193. Under Pope Clement III (1187–91) and Pope Celestine III (1191–98) he was treasurer of the Roman Church, notably compiling the Liber Censuum. Acting Vice-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church 1194 until 1198.

In 1197 he became tutor of the future Emperor Frederick II, who had been given as ward to Pope Innocent III (1198–1216) by the Empress-widow Constantia.

Innocent III raised him to the rank of a Cardinal Priest in 1200, obtaining the Titulus of Ss. Ioannis et Pauli. He was dismissed as Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church in 1198 but about the same time he assumed the post of Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals.

• Saint Thomas Aquinas, O.P. was born 1225. 
• Saint Benedict of Nursia (Italian) was Canonized  1220, Rome by Pope Honorius III

179.    Gregory IX (1227-41)

• Saint Rose of Viterbo was Born c. 1233 in Viterbo, Papal States 
  

180.    Celestine IV (1241)

181.    Innocent IV (1243-54)

• Saint Rose of Viterbo died March 6, 1251 in Viterbo, Papal States

182.    Alexander IV (1254-61)

183.   Urban IV (1261-64)

184.    Clement IV (1265-68)

185. Blessed Gregory X (1271-76)

• Saint Thomas Aquinas, O.P. died 7 March 1274.

186.    Blessed Innocent V (1276)

187.    Adrian V (1276)

188.    John XXI (1276-77)

189.    Nicholas III (1277-80)

190.    Martin IV (1281-85)

191.    Honorius IV (1285-87)

192.    Nicholas IV (1288-92)

193.    St. Celestine V (1294)

194.    Boniface VIII (1294-1303)

• St. Augustine was canonized by popular acclaim, and later recognized as a Doctor of the Church in 1298 by Pope Boniface VIII.    

195. Blessed Benedict XI (1303-04)

196.Clement V (1305-14)

197. John XXII (1316-34) Opposed by Nicholas V, antipope (1328-1330)

• Saint Thomas Aquinas was pronounced a saint on 18 July 1323 by Pope John XXII.

198. Benedict XII (1334-42)

199. Clement VI (1342-52)

• St. Vincent Ferrer (Valencian) was Born 23 January 1350 in Valencia, Kingdom of Valenci

200. Innocent VI (1352-62)

201. Blessed Urban V (1362-70)

202. Gregory XI (1370-78)

203. Urban VI (1378-89)
        Opposed by Robert of Geneva ("Clement VII"), antipope (1378-1394)

Bartolomeo Prignano

Pope Urban VI (Latin: Urbanus VI; c. 1318 – 15 October 1389), born Bartolomeo Prignano (Italian pronunciation: [bartoloˈmɛːo priɲˈɲaːno]), was the head of the Catholic Church from 8 April 1378 to his death in 1389. He was the last Pope to be elected from outside the College of Cardinals.

Born in Itri, Prignano was a devout monk and learned casuist, trained at Avignon. On 21 March 1364 he was consecrated Archbishop of Acerenza in the Kingdom of Naples. He became Archbishop of Bari in 1377. -- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• St. Collette was Born 13 January 1381, Corbie, Picardy

204. Boniface IX (1389-1404) Opposed by Robert of Geneva ("Clement VII") (1378-1394),

205. Pedro de Luna ("Benedict XIII") (1394-1417) and Baldassare Cossa ("John XXIII") (1400-1415), antipopes

206. Innocent VII (1404-06) Opposed by Pedro de Luna ("Benedict XIII") (1394-1417) and Baldassare Cossa ("John XXIII") (1400-1415), antipopes

207. Gregory XII (1406-15) Opposed by Pedro de Luna ("Benedict XIII") (1394-1417), Baldassare

208. Cossa ("John XXIII") (1400-1415), and Pietro Philarghi ("Alexander V") (1409-1410), antipopes

• Pope Sixtus IV was born Francesco della Rovere on 21 July 1414.

209. Martin V (1417-31)

ODDONE COLONNA

Martin V (January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Odo (or Oddone) Colonna, was Pope from 1417 to 1431.

Martin was elected pope at the Council of Constance on St. Martin's Day, 11 November 1417, by a conclave consisting of twenty-three cardinals and thirty delegates of the council. After deposing Antipope John XXIII in 1415, the Council was long divided by the conflicting claims of Pope Gregory XII (1406–15) and Antipope Benedict XIII (1394–1423).

When the second Pope to take the name Martin was elected, there was confusion over how many Popes had taken the name before. It was believed then that there were three, so the second Pope named Martin was named Martin IV. But, in reality, those believed to be Martin II and Martin III were actually named Marinus I and Marinus II, although they are sometimes still referred to as "Martin II" and "Martin III". This has advanced the numbering of all subsequent Popes Martin by two. Popes Martin IV–V were actually the second and third popes by that name. -- Wikipedia

• St. Nicholas of Flüe (Swiss) was born 21 March 1417. 
• St. Vincent Ferrer (Valencian) Died 5 April 1419 (aged 69) in Vannes, Duchy of Brittany

210. Eugene IV (1431-47) Opposed by Amadeus of Savoy ("Felix V"), antipope (1439-1449)

211. Nicholas V (1447-55)

• St. Collette Died 6 March 1447 (aged 66), Ghent

212. Callistus III (1455-58)

Pope Callixtus III or Callistus III (31 December 1378 – 6 August 1458), né Alfons de Borja, was born in La Torreta, now a neighbourhood of Canals, Valencia – today in Spain – but at that time in the Kingdom of Valencia under the Crown of Aragon. He is the last pope to take the name "Callixtus" upon his election.

He supported Antipope Benedict XIII, and was the driving force behind Antipope Clement VIII's submission to Pope Martin V in 1429. He became a cardinal after reconciling Pope Eugene IV with King Alfonso V of Aragon. He was raised to the papal chair in 1455 as Callixtus III at a very advanced age, as a "compromise candidate" in the papal conclave that year.

He is viewed by historians as being extremely pious, a firm believer in the authority of the Holy See and, like the second Borgia pope, he went to great lengths to advance his immediate family.


Callixtus ordered a new trial for St. Joan of Arc (c. 1412–1431), at which she was posthumously vindicated.  -- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• Saint. Vincent Ferrer (Valencian) was Canonized 3 June 1455, Rome by Pope Calixtus III
• Saint Rose of Viterbo was Canonized 1457 by Pope Callistus III
  

210. Pius II (1458-64)

211. Paul II (1464-71)

212. Sixtus IV (1471-84)

FRANCESCO DELLA ROVERE

Sixtus IV (21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was Pope from 1471 to 1484. His accomplishments as Pope included the establishment of the Sistine Chapel; the group of artists that he brought together introduced the Early Renaissance into Rome with the first masterpiece of the city's new artistic age, the Vatican Archives. Sixtus also furthered the agenda of the Spanish Inquisition and annulled the decrees of the Council of Constance. He was famed for his nepotism and was personally involved in the infamous Pazzi Conspiracy .-- Wikipedia

• Pope Leo X was born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici on 11 December 1475
• St. Thomas More was born 7 February 1478
• St. Cajetan, Gaetano dei Conti di Tiene (Italian) was born October 1, 1480

213. Innocent VIII (1484-92)

• St. Nicholas of Flüe (Swiss) died 21 March 1487.

214. Alexander VI (1492-1503)

• St. John of Ávila (Spanish), called the "Apostle of Andalusia" was born 6 January 1500. 

215. Pius III (1503)

216. Julius II (1503-13)

• St. Francis Xavier was born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta  7 April 1506.

217. Leo X (1513-21)

GIOVANNI DI LORENZO DE MEDICI

Leo X (11 December 1475 – 1 December 1521), born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest (he was a cardinal-deacon, which at the time did not require priestly ordination) to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses. He was the second son of Lorenzo de' Medici, the most famous ruler of the Florentine Republic, and Clarice Orsini. His cousin, Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, would later succeed him as Pope Clement VII (1523–34). -- Wikipedia

Birth of Saints

• St. Teresa of Avila was born  28 March 1515 at Gotarrendura, Ávila, Crown of Castile (today Spain)
• Pope Innocent IX was born Giovanni Antonio Facchinetti in 20 July 1519   

218. Adrian VI (1522-23)

219. Clement VII (1523-34)

220. Paul III (1534-49)

• St. John of Ávila, called the "Apostle of Andalusia" (Spanish) was born January 6, 1500 – 10 May 1569)
• St. Thomas More died 6 July 1535
• St. Cajetan, Gaetano dei Conti di Tiene (Italian) died August 7, 1547 (aged 66)

221. Julius III (1550-55)

• Pope Paul V was born on 17 September 1550 at Rome, Italy
  
• St. Francis Xavier died 3 December 1552.

222. Marcellus II (1555)

223. Paul IV (1555-59)

• St. Lawrence of Brindisi was born on 22 July 1559 at Brindisi, Italy.

224. Pius IV (1559-65)

225. St. Pius V (1566-72)

• Saint John of Ávila (Spanish), called the "Apostle of Andalusia" died 10 May 1569. 

226. Gregory XIII (1572-85)

Birth of Saints

• Saint Jane Frances de Chantal (French) was Born 28 January 1572 in Dijon, Burgundy, France 

Death of Saints

• St. Teresa of Avila died 4 October 1582 (aged 67) at Alba de Tormes, Salamanca, Spain

227. Sixtus V (1585-90)

228. Urban VII (1590)

229. Gregory XIV (1590-91)

230. Innocent IX (1591)

GIOVANNI ANTONIO FACCHINETTI

Innocent IX (20 July 1519 – 30 December 1591), born Giovanni Antonio Facchinetti, was Pope from 29 October 1591 to his death on 30 December of the same year. Prior to his short papacy, he had been a Canon Lawyer, diplomat, and chief administrator during the reign of Pope Gregory XIV (1590–1591).

Facchinetti, whose family came from Crodo, in the diocese of Novara, northern Italy, was born in Bologna on 20 July 1519. He was a lawyer, a graduate in 1544 of the University of Bologna, which was pre-eminent in jurisprudence, and became secretary to Cardinal Nicolò Ardinghelli before entering the service of Alessandro Cardinal Farnese, brother of the Duke of Parma and grandson of Pope Paul III (1534–1549), one of the great patrons of the time. The Cardinal, who was archbishop of Avignon, sent Facchinetti there as his ecclesiastical representative and subsequently recalled him to the management of his affairs at Parma, where he was acting governor of the city, from 1556 to 1558. In 1560, Facchinetti was named Bishop of Nicastro, in Calabria, and in 1562 was present at the Council of Trent. Pope Pius V (1566–1572) sent him as papal nuncio to Venice in 1566 to further the papal alliance with Spain and Venice against the Turks, which ultimately resulted in the victory of Lepanto in 1571. Relinquishing his see to pursue his career in Rome, he was named titular Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem in 1572.

• Saint Louise de Marillac, D.C., (French) was born August 12, 1591. She was the co-founder, with St. Vincent de Paul, of the Daughters of Charity.

231. Clement VIII (1592-1605)

Pope Clement VIII (Latin: Clemens VIII; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was Pope from 2 February 1592 to his death in 1605. He was only ordained as a priest at the age of 45, and rose to Pope in a further 12 years. He was an effective, if sometimes ruthless, administrator.

Birth of Saints

• Saint Jean de Brébeuf (French) was born March 25, 1593.
• Saint John Francis Regis was born 31 January 1597 in Fontcouverte, Aude, France

232. Leo XI (1605)

233. Paul V (1605-21)

Pope Paul V, born Camillo Borghese, was Pope from 16 May 1605 to his death in 1621. He is best remembered today as the Pope who persecuted Galileo Galilei. 

He was born on 17 September 1550 at Rome, Italy and died on 28 January 1621 at Rome, Italy. His parents were Marcantonio Borghese and Flaminia Astalli.

Camillo Borghese was born into the noble Borghese family of Siena which had recently fled to Rome, thus the reason as to why ROMANUS appears in most of his inscriptions. He began his career as a lawyer educated at Perugia and then in Padua.

Birth of Saints

• St. Isaac Jogues (French) was born January 10, 1607

Death of Saints

• St. Lawrence of Brindisi died on 22 July 1619 at Lisbon, Portugal.
• Pope Paul V died on 28 January 1621 at Rome, Italy  

Beatification of Saints

• St. Aloysius Gonzaga was beatified 10 October 1605 by Pope Paul V
• St. Ignatius Loyola was beatified 27 July 1609 by Pope Paul V
• St. Teresa of Avila was beatified 24 April 1614, Rome by Pope Paul V
• St. Philip Neri was beatified 11 May 1615 by Pope Paul V 
• St. Francis Xavier was beatified 25 October 1619 by Pope Paul V

Canonization of Saints

• St. Frances of Rome was canonised by Pope Paul V on 29 May 1608
• St. Charles Borromeo was canonised by Pope Paul V on 1 November 1610
• St. Pompejanus was canonised by Pope Paul V in 1615
• St. Cardinal Albert de Louvain was canonised by Pope Paul V on 9 August 1621.

234. Gregory XV (1621-23)

Pope Gregory XV (Latin: Gregorius XV; 9 January or 15 January 1554 – 8 July 1623), born Alessandro Ludovisi, was the head of the Catholic Church from 9 February 1621 to his death in 1623. At his advanced age (he was 67) and with his weak state of health he created his nephew Ludovico Ludovisi cardinal on the third day of his pontificate. On the same day, his youngest brother Orazio was appointed Captain General of the Church at the head of the papal army.

Canonization of Saints

• St. Francis Xavier was Canonized 12 March 1622 by Pope Gregory XV
• St. Teresa of Avila was Canonized 12 March 1622 by Pope Gregory XV
   

235. Urban VIII (1623-44)

Pope Urban VIII (Latin: Urbanus VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), reigned as Pope from 6 August 1623 to his death in 1644. He expanded the papal territory by force of arms and advantageous politicking, and was also a prominent patron of the arts and a reformer of Church missions. He was also involved in a controversy with Galileo and his theory on heliocentrism during his reign.

Death of Saints

• Saint Jane Frances de Chantal (French) Died 13 December 1641 (aged 69) in Moulins, France
• St. John Francis Regis died 30 December 1640 (aged 43) at Lalouvesc, Ardèche, France 

Beatification of Saints

• Saint Cajetan, Gaetano dei Conti di Tiene (Italian) was beatified October 8, 1629, in Rome by Pope Urban VIII

236. Innocent X (1644-55)

• Saint Isaac Jogues (French) died October 18, 1646
  
• Saint Jean de Brébeuf (French) died 16, 1649.

237. Alexander VII (1655-67)

• Saint Louise de Marillac, D.C., (French) died March 15, 1660. She was the co-founder, with St. Vincent de Paul, of the Daughters of Charity.

238. Clement IX (1667-69)

• St. Nicholas of Flüe (Swiss) was beatified in 1669. 

239. Clement X (1670-76)

• Saint Cajetan, Gaetano dei Conti di Tiene (Italian) was Canonized April 12, 1671, Rome by Pope Clement X

240. Blessed Innocent XI (1676-89)

241. Alexander VIII (1689-91)

242. Innocent XII (1691-1700)

243. Clement XI (1700-21)

Pope Clement XI (Latin: Clemens XI; 23 July 1649 – 19 March 1721), born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was pope from 23 November 1700 to his death in 1721. He was a patron of the arts and of science and was also a great benefactor of the Vatican Library, his interest in archaeology is credited with saving much of Rome’s antiquity. In fact, he authorized excavations of the Roman catacombs. He was Italian of distant Albanian origins.

Beatification of Saints

• St. John Francis Regis  was beatified on 18 May 1716, Rome by Pope Clement XI
  

244. Innocent XIII (1721-24)

245. Benedict XIII (1724-30)

246. Clement XII (1730-40)

Pope Clement XII (Latin: Clemens XII; 7 April 1652 – 6 February 1740), born Lorenzo Corsini, was Pope from 12 July 1730 to his death in 1740. He is known for building the new façade of the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, beginning construction of the Trevi Fountain, and the purchase of Cardinal Alessandro Albani's collection of antiquities for the papal gallery.

Beatification of Saints

• St. Collette was beatified 23 January 1740 by Pope Clement XII 

Canonization of Saints

• St. John Francis Regis  was canonized on 5 April 1737, Rome by Pope Clement XII

247. Benedict XIV (1740-58)

• St. Jane Frances de Chantal (French) was Beatified  21 November 1751, Rome by Pope Benedict XIV

248. Clement XIII (1758-69)

• Saint John of Ávila was declared Venerable by Pope Clement XIII on 8 February 1759
• Saint Jane Frances de Chantal (French) was Canonized     16 July 1767, Rome by Pope Clement XIII

249. Clement XIV (1769-74)

250. Pius VI (1775-99)

Birth of Saints  

• St John Vianney (French) was born 8 May 1786.
• Blessed Pope Pius IX was Born 13 May 1792

Beatification of Saints  

•  St. Lawrence of Brindisi was beatified in 1783 by Pope Pius VI.

251. Pius VII (1800-23)

Birth of Saints 

• St. Anthony Mary Claret (Spanish) was born December 23, 1807.
• St. Peter Julian Eymard was born 4 February 1811
• St. John Bosco was born in Piedmont, Italy, 16 August, 1815.

Canonization of Saints  

• St. Collette was Canonized 24 May 1807 by Pope Pius VII
  

    
252. Leo XII (1823-29)
    
253. Pius VIII (1829-30)
    
254. Gregory XVI (1831-46)

Birth of Saints 

• Pope St. Pius X was born 2 June 1835 at Riese, Treviso, Lombardy-Venetia, Austrian Empire 

    
255. Blessed Pius IX (1846-78)

Blessed Pope Pius IX (Latin: Pius IX; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878), born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the head of the Catholic Church from 16 June 1846 to his death in 1878. He was the longest-reigning elected pope in the history of the Catholic Church—nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal infallibility. The Pope defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, meaning that Mary was conceived without original sin. Pius IX also granted the Marian title of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, a famous Byzantine icon from Crete entrusted to the Redemptorist priests. In addition to this, Pius IX was also the last pope to rule as the Sovereign of the Papal States, which fell completely to Italian nationalist armies by 1870 and were incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy. After this, he was referred to as the "Prisoner of the Vatican". He was beatified in 2000. -- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 Birth of Saints/Pope

• Pope Pius XI was born 31 May 1857.
• St. Therese de Lisieux (French) was Born: January 2, 1873, Alençon

 Death of Saints

• St John Vianney (French) died  4 August 1859.
• St. Peter Julian Eymard died 1 August 1868)
• St. Anthony Mary Claret (Spanish) died October 24, 1870.

Veneration of Saints

• St John Vianney (French) was proclaimed Venerable on 3 October 1874 by Pope Pius IX.
   

256. Leo XIII (1878-1903)

Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci

Pope Leo XIII (2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903), born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family.  He was the oldest pope (reigning until the age of 93), and had the third longest pontificate, behind Pius IX (his immediate predecessor) and John Paul II. He is the most recent Pope to date to take the name "Leo" upon being elected as Pope.

He is known for intellectualism, the development of social teachings with his encyclical Rerum Novarum and his attempts to define the position of the Church with regard to modern thinking. He influenced Roman Catholic Mariology and promoted both the rosary and the scapular. He issued a record eleven encyclicals on the rosary, approved two new Marian scapulars and was the first Pope to fully embrace the concept of Mary as mediatrix. -- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Birth of Saints

• St. Toribio (Mexican) was born April 16, 1900

Death of Saints

• St. John Bosco (Italian) died 31 January 1888.
• St. Therese de Lisieux (French) died: September 30, 1897, Lisieux

Beatification of Saints

• St. John of Ávila was beatified by Pope Leo XIII on 12 November 1893.

Canonization of Saints

• St. Lawrence of Brindisi was canonized in 1881 by Pope Leo XIII.

257. St. Pius X (1903-14) 

Pope Saint Pius X (2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914), born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was Pope from 4 August 1903 to his death in 1914. He was canonized in 1954. He was born in the town of Riese, which would later append "Pio X" (Pius X's name in Italian) to the town's name.

DEVOTED TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Pius X was particularly devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the specific title of Our Lady of Confidence; his papal encyclical Ad Diem Illum expresses his desire through Mary to renew all things in Christ, which he had defined as his motto in his first encyclical. Pius X believed that there was no surer or more direct road than by the Virgin Mary to achieve this goal.

OPPOSED TO MODERNISM
Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox theology. His most important reform was to publish the first Code of Canon Law, which collected the laws of the Church into one volume for the first time. He vehmently opposed modernism, which claimed that Roman Catholic dogma should be modernized and blended with nineteenth-century philosophies. He viewed modernism as an import of secular errors affecting three areas of Roman Catholic belief: theology, philosophy, and dogma.

DEFENDED THE CATHOLIC FAITH AGAINST INDIFFERENTISM AND RELATIVISM
Pius X defended the Catholic faith against popular 19th-century attitudes and views such as indifferentism and relativism which his predecessors had warned against as well. He followed the example of Leo XIII by promoting Thomas Aquinas and Thomism as the principal philosophical method to be taught in Catholic institutions.


PASTORAL EXPERIENCE AND IMPLEMENTATION AT THE PARISH LEVEL
He was also considered a pastoral pope, in the sense of encouraging personal holiness, piety and a daily lifestyle reflecting deep Christian values. He wanted to be pastoral in the sense that he was the only pope in the 20th century who gave Sunday homily sermons in the pulpit every week.

Pius X was the only pope in the 20th century with extensive pastoral experience and implementation at the parish level, in the sense that he favoured the use of the vernacular language in teaching catechesis while the encouragement for frequent communion became a lasting innovation of his papacy.


STRONG SENSE OF COMPASSION, BENEVOLENCE, AND POVERTY
Personally, Pius X combined within himself a strong sense of compassion, benevolence and poverty, but also stubbornness and a certain stiffness. He often referred to his own humble origins, taking up the causes of poor people. I was born poor, I have lived poor, and I wish to die poor.

He rejected any kind of favours for his family; his brother remained a postal clerk, his favourite nephew stayed on as village priest, and his three sisters lived together close to poverty in Rome.

Beatification of Saints

• St John Vianney (French) was declared Blessed and proposed him as a model to the parochial clergy on 8 January 1905 by Pope Pius X.

Veneration of Saints

• St. John Bosco was declared Venerable by Pius X, 21 July, 1907. 
• St. Peter Julian Eymard was declared venerable in 1908. 

 
258. Benedict XV (1914-22)

• Saint Louise de Marillac (French) was beatified by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.
• Pope John Paul II was born 18 May 1920. 
• Saint Toribio (Mexican) was ordained as Priest in 1922 

259. Pius XI (1922-39)

Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti

Pope Pius XI, (31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was the head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in 1939. He was sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929. He took as his papal motto, "Pax Christi in Regno Christi," translated "The Peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ."

Achille Ratti was an accomplished scholar, librarian and priest. He celebrated his 60th birthday as a priest on 31 May 1917. Fewer than five years later, on 6 February 1922, he was elected Pope, succeeding Pope Benedict XV, who was only thirty months older and thus from the same generation as Ratti. In those five years, he had short stints as papal nuncio in Poland, in Kamionek, until being forced by the government to leave, and as Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Silvestro e Martino ai Monti and Archbishop of Milan, where he served only a few months before being elected Pope.

Birth of Pope/Saints

• Pope Francis was born 17 December 1936.

Beatification of Saints

• St. Peter Julian Eymard was beatified in 1925.
• St. Jean de Brébeuf (French) was Beatified 1925
• St. John Bosco was beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1929.

Canonization of Saints 

• St. John Vianney (French) was canonized in 1925 by Pope Pius XI.
• St. Jean de Brébeuf (French) was Canonized June 29, 1930 by Pope Pius XI
• St. Issac Jogues was canonized on June 29, 1930 by Pope Pius XI along with seven other Canadian Martyrs.
• St. Louise de Marillac (French) was canonized by Pope Pius XI on March 11, 1934.
• St. John Bosco was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1934.
• St. Thomas More was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1935
   

260. Pius XII (1939-58)

• Pope St. Pius X was Beatified 3 June 1951 at Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City by Pope Pius XII 

•  St. Nicholas of Flüe (Swiss) was canonized in 1947 by Pope Pius XII.
• Pope St. Pius X was Canonized 29 May 1954 at Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City by Pope Pius XII
  

261. Blessed John XXIII (1958-63)

• St John Vianney (French) encyclical was issued in 1959 by  Pope John XXIII - "Sacerdotii Nostri Primordia". 
• St. Lawrence of Brindisi was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope John XXIII in 1959. 
• Saint Louise de Marillac (French) was declared Patroness of Christian Social Workers by Pope John XXIII in 1960.
• St. Peter Julian Eymard was canonized by Pope John XXIII on 9 December 1962.  

 
262. Paul VI (1963-78)

• Saint John of Ávila was canonized by Pope Paul VI on 31 May 1970.
• St John Vianney (French) memorial was changed from August 8 to August 4 by Pope Paul VI in 1960.
   

263. John Paul I (1978)

264. John Paul II (1978-2005)

Karol Józef Wojtyła

John Paul II (Latin: Ioannes Paulus PP. II, Italian: Giovanni Paolo II), sometimes called Blessed John Paul or John Paul the Great, born Karol Józef Wojtyła (Polish: [ˈkarɔl ˈjuzɛf vɔjˈtɨwa]; 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005), reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 1978 until his death in 2005. He was the second-longest serving Pope in history and the first non-Italian since 1523.

A very charismatic figure, John Paul II was acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century. He was instrumental in ending communism in his native Poland and eventually all of Europe.[1] John Paul II significantly improved the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, Islam, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion. Though criticised by progressives for upholding the Church's teachings against artificial contraception and the ordination of women, and by traditionalists for his support of the Church's Second Vatican Council and its reform, he was also widely praised for his firm, orthodox Catholic stances.

He was one of the most-travelled world leaders in history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate. As part of his special emphasis on the universal call to holiness, he beatified 1,340 people and canonised 483 saints, more than the combined tally of his predecessors during the preceding five centuries. He named most of the present College of Cardinals, consecrated or co-consecrated a large number of the world's past and current bishops, and ordained many priests.[2] A key goal of his papacy was to transform and reposition the Catholic Church. His wish was "to place his Church at the heart of a new religious alliance that would bring together Jews, Muslims and Christians in a great [religious] armada".[3][4] On 19 December 2009, John Paul II was proclaimed venerable by his successor Pope Benedict XVI and was beatified on 1 May 2011.

• Saint Toribio (Mexican) was Beatified in November 22, 1992 by Pope John Paul
• Blessed Pope Pius IX was Beatified 3 September 2000 in Vatican City by Pope John Paul II
• Saint Toribio (Mexican) was Canonized in May 21, 2000 by Pope John Paul

265. Benedict XVI (2005 - 2013)

Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger

Benedict XVI (Latin: Benedictus XVI; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger on 16 April 1927) is Pope emeritus of the Catholic Church, having served as Pope from 2005 to 2013. In that position, he was both the leader of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State. Benedict was elected on 19 April 2005 in a papal conclave following the death of Pope John Paul II, celebrated his papal inauguration Mass on 24 April 2005, and took possession of his cathedral, the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, on 7 May 2005.

On 11 February 2013, Benedict announced his resignation in a speech in Latin before the cardinals, citing a "lack of strength of mind and body" due to his advanced age.[13] His resignation became effective on 28 February 2013. He is the first pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII in 1415, and the first to do so on his own initiative since Pope Celestine V in 1294.[14][15][16] As pope emeritus, Benedict retains the style of His Holiness, and the title of Pope, and will continue to dress in the papal colour of white.[17] He was succeeded by Pope Francis on 13 March 2013, and he moved into the newly renovated Mater Ecclesiae monastery for his retirement on 2 May 2013.[18][19]

• Saint John of Ávila was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI on 7 October 2012, the Feast of the Holy Rosary. 

266. Francis (2013--)

Jorge Mario Bergoglio

Francis (17 December 1936) is the 266th and current Pope of the Catholic Church, a position also holding the roles of Sovereign of Vatican City and the Bishop of Rome.

Born in Buenos Aires as the son of Italian parents, Bergoglio worked briefly as a chemical technician before entering seminary. He was ordained a priest in 1969. From 1973 to 1979 he was Argentina's Provincial superior of the Society of Jesus. He became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998, and a cardinal in 2001. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, on 13 March 2013 the papal conclave elected Bergoglio, who chose the papal name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, and the first from the Southern Hemisphere. [3]

Throughout his life, both as an individual and a religious leader, Bergoglio has been noted for his humility, his concern for the poor, and his commitment to dialogue as a way to build bridges between people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and faiths.[4][5][6] He is known for having a simpler and less formal approach to the papacy, most notably by choosing to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace formerly used by his predecessors. In addition, he is known for favoring simpler vestments void of ornamentation, by starting to refuse the traditional papal mozzetta cape upon his election.[7][8]

Pope Francis has affirmed Catholic teachings on sexual morality. He said that while homosexual acts were sinful, the homosexual orientation was not. He favours a wider active role for women in the Church, but believes the ordination of women into the Catholic priesthood is impossible. In addition, Pope Francis said that it was necessary to listen to young people and admired their non-conformism. In general, he is seen as advocating a more merciful attitude than his predecessor.[9] -- Wikipedia