Documents for "Roman Catholic Popes and Antipopes":

• Adrian I d. 795, pope (772-95), a Roman; successor of Stephen IV. At Adrian's urging, Charlemagne crossed the Alps and defeated the Lombard king, Desiderius , who had annexed papal territory. That defeat marked the end of the Lombard kingdom. Charlemagne, during the siege of Pavia, went to Rome (774) and there confirmed the donation of Pepin to the Papal States and joined additional provinces to it. Adrian in turn confirmed Charlemagne's title of patrician of the Romans, thereby acknowledging Charlemagne's protectorate over all Italy. Adrian supported...

• Adrian IV d. 1159, pope (1154-59), an Englishman (the only English pope), b. Nicholas Breakspear at Langley, near St. Albans. He was successor of Anastasius IV. At an early age he went to France. There he...

• Adrian VI 1459-1523, pope (1522-23), a Netherlander (b. Utrecht) named Adrian Florensz; successor of Leo X. He taught at Louvain and was tutor of the young prince, later Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. This was a time when Roman life was extravagant, papal expenditures on worldly objects were lavish, and the Curia needed drastic reform. Adrian, an ascetic and a pious man, did his best to curb...

• Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini see Pius II.

• Alexander III d. 1181, pope (1159-81), a Sienese named Rolandus [Bandinelli?], successor of Adrian IV. He was a canonist who had studied law under Gratian and had taught at Bologna. He came to Rome under Eugene...

• Alexander VI 1431?-1503, pope (1492-1503), a Spaniard (b. Játiva) named Rodrigo de Borja or, in Italian, Rodrigo Borgia; successor of Innocent VIII. He took Borja as his surname from his mother's brother...

• Amadeus VIII 1383-1451, count (1391-1416) and duke (from 1416) of Savoy, antipope (1439-49) with the name Felix V. In 1434 he appointed his son regent of Savoy and retired to the hermitage of Ripaille, on Lake...

• Anacletus, Saint see Cletus, Saint.

• Benedict XI d. 1304, pope (1303-4), an Italian (b. Treviso) named Niccolo Boccasini; successor of Boniface VIII. Prior to his election he had been master general of the Dominican order. As pope he was able to...

• Benedict XIII antipope: see Luna, Pedro de.

• Benedict XIV 1675-1758, pope (1740-58), an Italian (b. Bologna) named Prospero Lambertini; successor of Clement XII. Long before his pontificate he was renowned for his learning and wrote a classic treatise on...

• Benedict XV 1854-1922, pope (1914-22), an Italian (b. Genoa) named Giacomo della Chiesa; successor of Pius X. He was made archbishop of Bologna in 1907 and cardinal in 1914, two months before his election as pope. His policy in World War I was one of the strictest neutrality, and he had the respect of all...

• Benedict XVI 1927-, pope (2005-) and Roman Catholic theologian, a German (b. Marktl am Inn, Bavaria) named Josef (or Joseph) Alois Ratzinger; successor of John Paul II. He entered the seminary in 1939, but his training was interrupted by World War II. Drafted (1943) into the antiaircraft corps and then into the infantry, he later deserted (1945) and was briefly a...

• Boniface IX c.1345-1404, pope (1389-1404), a Neapolitan named Pietro Tomacelli; successor of Urban VI. The Avignon antipopes Clement VII and Benedict XIII were his contemporaries during the Great Schism. He succeeded in imposing his rule on the Papal States. He fortified Rome and brought Naples under the Roman obedience. His attempt to replenish the papal treasury proved unpopular, and he was...

• Boniface VIII 1235-1303, pope (1294-1303), an Italian (b. Anagni) named Benedetto Caetani; successor of St. Celestine V.

• Borgia, Rodrigo see Alexander VI.

• Breakspear, Nicholas see Adrian IV.

• Calixtus I, Saint c.160-c.222, pope (217-222), a Roman; successor of St. Zephyrinus. As archdeacon to Zephyrinus he established the famous Calixtus Cemetery, where all the popes of the 3d cent. except Calixtus...

• Calixtus II   Callixtus II, or Callistus II, d. 1124, pope (1119-24), named Guy of Burgundy, successor of Gelasius II. The son of count William I of Burgundy, he was archbishop of Vienne during the investiture controversy with Holy Roman Emperor Henry V. When Gelasius died while in exile in France, Calixtus was consecrated pope at Vienne. He immediately summoned a large council at Reims (1119) that proceeded to anathematize the emperor and the...

• Calixtus III   Callixtus III, or Callistus III, 1378-1458, pope (1455-58), a Spaniard (b. Játiva) named Alonso de Borja or, in Italian, Alfonso Borgia; successor of Nicholas V. He acted as arbitrator between his friend Alfonso V of Aragón and...

• Callistus see Calixtus.

• Callixtus see Calixtus.

• Celestine I, Saint d. 432, pope (422-32), an Italian; successor of St. Boniface I. The opposition of St. Cyril of Alexandria to Nestorianism inspired both sides to appeal to the pope, who judged that Nestorius should be excommunicated if he refused to retract. Celestine sent legates to the Council of Ephesus with orders not to discuss,...

• Celestine V, Saint 1215-96, pope (elected July 5, resigned Dec. 13, 1294), an Italian (b. Isernia) named Pietro del Murrone; successor of Nicholas IV. Celestine's election ended a two-year deadlock among the...

• Clement I, Saint or Clement of Rome , d. AD 97?, pope (AD 88?-AD 97?), martyr; successor of St. Cletus. He may have known the apostles Peter and Paul and was a highly esteemed figure in the church. His letter to the church at Corinth...

• Clement III antipope: see Guibert of Ravenna.

• Clement IV d. 1268, pope (1265-68), a Frenchman named Guy le gros Foulques; successor of Urban IV. He was a lay adviser of King Louis IX of France, but after his wife's death he entered the church. As pope he...

• Clement of Rome see Clement I, Saint.

• Clement V 1264-1314, pope (1305-14), a Frenchman named Bertrand de Got; successor of Benedict XI. He was made archbishop of Bordeaux by Boniface VIII , who trusted him; surprisingly, he was also in some favor at the court of Philip IV , even though Philip and the pope were archenemies. He was crowned pope at Lyons in Philip's presence and lived the rest of his life in France. In 1309 he settled at Avignon, beginning the long,...

• Clement VI 1291-1352, pope (1342-52), a Frenchman named Pierre Roger; successor of Benedict XII. His court was at Avignon. He had been archbishop of Sens, archbishop of Rouen, and cardinal (1338). During his...

• Clement VII antipope (1378-94): see Robert of Geneva.

• Clement VII c.1475-1534, pope (1523-34), a Florentine named Giulio de' Medici; successor of Adrian VI. He was the nephew of Lorenzo de' Medici and was therefore first cousin of Pope Leo X. In 1513 he became a...

• Clement VIII 1536-1605, pope (1592-1605), a Florentine named Ippolito Aldobrandini; successor of Innocent IX. He reversed the policy of his predecessors by allying the Holy See with France rather than with...

• Clement XI 1649-1721, pope (1700-1721), an Italian (b. Urbino) named Giovanni Francesco Albani; successor of Innocent XII. He was known in his youth for his prodigious learning and brilliance. He became...

• Clement XIV 1705-74, pope (1769-74), an Italian (b. near Rimini) named Lorenzo Ganganelli; successor of Clement XIII. He was prominent for many years in pontifical affairs at Rome, and he was created cardinal...

• Cletus, Saint d. AD 88?, pope (AD 76?-AD 88?), martyr, a Roman; successor of St. Linus and predecessor of St. Clement I. Feast: Apr. 26.

• Cornelius, Saint d. 253, pope (251-253); successor of St. Fabian. His rule was marked by the support of St. Cyprian and the opposition of the antipope Novatian , and by the problem of readmitting to the church Christians...

• Cossa, Baldassare c.1370-1419, Neapolitan churchman, antipope (1410-15; see Schism, Great ) with the name John XXIII. He had a military career before entering the service of the church. He was made a cardinal by Boniface IX (1402) and proved himself able, especially in financial matters...

• Damasus I, Saint c.305-384, pope (366-84), a Spaniard; successor of Liberius. His election was opposed by the Arian Ursinus (antipope 366-67). The Roman emperor Valentinian I had Ursinus exiled and decreed that...

• Eugene III d. 1153, pope (1145-53), a Pisan named Bernard (probably in full Bernardo dei Paganelli di Montemagno); successor of Lucius II. Before his election he was called Bernard of Pisa. He was prominent...

• Eugene IV 1383-1447, pope (1431-47), a Venetian named Gabriele Condulmer; successor of Martin V. He was of exemplary character and ascetic habits. Gregory XII, his uncle, made him cardinal (1408). The first...

• Fabian, Saint pope (236-50), a Roman; successor of St. Anterus and predecessor of St. Cornelius. He recast the ecclesiastical organization in Rome. Fabian was martyred under Decius. Feast: Jan. 20.

• Felix Roman deacon, antipope (355-56). Emperor Constantius, an Arian, set him up to replace Liberius. He is wrongly known as Felix II.

• Felix V antipope: see Amadeus VIII.

• Formosus c.816-896, pope (891-96), probably a Roman; successor of Stephen VI. Under Pope Nicholas I he had been bishop in Bulgaria, where he pursued a rigorous Romanizing campaign. Recalled to his diocese of Porto, he became influential in the church. He was excommunicated by Pope John VIII for leading the party that opposed John's coronation of Charles the Bald. Later, he was restored and was subsequently elected pope. Involved in the dispute over the imperial power, he sided against...

• Gelasius I, Saint d. 496, pope (492-96); successor of St. Felix III (also known as Felix II). He was a firm upholder of the papal supremacy in a dispute with Anastasius, the Byzantine emperor. This contest was an...

• Gerbert see Sylvester II.

• Gregory I, Saint (Saint Gregory the Great), c.540-604, pope (590-604), a Roman; successor of Pelagius II. A Doctor of the Church, he was distinguished for his spiritual and temporal leadership. His feast is...

• Gregory II, Saint d. 731, pope (715-31), a Roman; successor of Constantine. When Byzantine Emperor Leo III tried to impose iconoclasm in Italy by an imperial edict, Gregory answered that the emperor could not decide tenets of faith. He was supported by a popular uprising directed at the exarch of...

• Gregory IX 1143?-1241, pope (1227-41), an Italian named Ugolino di Segni, b. Anagni; successor of Honorius III. As cardinal under his uncle, Innocent III, he became, at St. Francis' request, the first...

• Gregory VII, Saint d. 1085, pope (1073-85), an Italian (b. near Rome) named Hildebrand (Ital. Ildebrando); successor of Alexander II. He was one of the greatest popes. Feast: May 25.

• Gregory X d. 1276, pope (1271-76), an Italian named Tebaldo Visconti, b. Piacenza; successor of Clement IV. After Clement IV's death the cardinals took 34 months to elect a pope. Gregory was archdeacon of...

• Gregory XI 1330-78, pope (1370-78), a Frenchman named Pierre Roger de Beaufort. He was the successor of Urban V, who had made an unsuccessful attempt to remove the papacy from Avignon to Rome (1367-70). From...

• Gregory XII c.1327-1417, pope (1406-15), a Venetian named Angelo Correr; successor of Innocent VII. As a condition of election, Gregory promised to do everything possible to end the Great Schism , including the...

• Gregory XIII 1502-85, pope (1572-85), an Italian named Ugo Buoncompagni, b. Bologna; successor of St. Pius V. He is best known for his work on the calendar , and the reformed calendar, the Gregorian, is named for him. He was prominent at the Council of Trent (1545, 1559-63; see Trent, Council of ) and in the work of reform thereafter. He was created (1564) cardinal and later was legate to Spain. As pope, Gregory's absorbing interests were the education of the clergy and the conversion of...

• Gregory XVI 1765-1846, pope (1831-46), an Italian named Bartolomeo Alberto Capellari, b. Belluno; successor of Pius VIII. In 1783 he became a Camaldolite and was (1825) created cardinal. Gregory was a...

• Guibert of Ravenna d. 1100, Italian churchman, antipope (1080-1100) Clement III, b. Parma. As imperial chancellor of Italy (1057-63), he consistently supported the Holy Roman emperor's opposition to papal reform...

• Hildebrand see Gregory VII, Saint.

• Hippolytus, Saint [Gr.,=loosed horse], d. c.236, first antipope (c.217-235), theologian, and martyr. Probably a disciple of St. Irenaeus, he became the most astute theologian in the Roman Church of his time—his work...

• Honorius I pope (625-38), an Italian; successor of Boniface V. He showed great interest in the church in Spain and the British Isles, and he did a great deal to reform the education of the clergy. In the...

• Honorius II d. 1130, pope (1124-30), an Italian named Lamberto, b. Bologna; successor of Calixtus II. Before becoming pope he spent several years in Germany adjusting the quarrel over investiture between Holy...

• Honorius III d. 1227, pope (1216-27), a Roman named Cencio Savelli; successor of Innocent III. He was created cardinal in 1197 and was an able administrator of the papal treasury. He authored the official tax...

• Innocent I, Saint d. 417, pope (401-17), an Italian; successor of St. Anastasius I. A powerful champion of papal supremacy in the entire Church, he upheld St. John Chrysostom and condemned Pelagius. His 36 surviving...

• Innocent II d. 1143, pope (1130-43), a Roman named Gregorio Papareschi; successor of Honorius II. He was created cardinal by Paschal II. On the death of Honorius II , a faction of the cardinals elected him pope. However, the others elected Cardinal Pietro Pierleoni as Anacletus II, and Innocent had to leave Rome. He was soon recognized in France at the instance...

• Innocent III b. 1160 or 1161, d. 1216, pope (1198-1216), an Italian, b. Anagni, named Lotario di Segni; successor of Celestine III. Innocent III was succeeded by Honorius III.

• Innocent IV d. 1254, pope (1243-54), a Genoese named Sinibaldo Fieschi, a distinguished jurist who studied and later taught law at the Univ. of Bologna; successor of Celestine IV. He was of a noble family...

• Innocent V d. 1276, pope (1276), a Savoyard named Peter of Tarentaise; successor of Gregory X. He was a Dominican and studied at Paris under St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Albertus Magnus. He became an eminent theologian...

• Innocent VI d. 1362, pope (1352-62), a Frenchman named Étienne Aubert; successor of Clement VI. He was a well-known jurist and was created cardinal in 1342. He lived at Avignon. He was one of the few reforming...

• Innocent VIII 1432-92, pope (1484-92), a Genoese named Giovanni Battista Cibo; successor of Sixtus IV. He was made a cardinal in 1473. His close friend, Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere (later Pope Julius II),...

• Innocent XI 1611-89, pope (1676-89), an Italian named Benedetto Odescalchi, b. Como; successor of Clement X. He was elected because of his great saintliness and desire for reform. His election had been opposed...

• Innocent XII 1615-1700, pope (1691-1700), a Neapolitan named Antonio Pignatelli; successor of Alexander VIII. He was frequently employed by his predecessors as a nuncio, and Innocent XI created him cardinal...

• John Paul I 1912-78, pope (1978), an Italian (b. Canale d'Agordo) named Albino Luciani; successor of Paul VI. Born into a poor, working-class family, he trained at local seminaries and at the Gregorian Univ. in Rome. He was patriarch of Venice (1969-78) and was made a cardinal in 1973. He was present at...

• John Paul II 1920-2005, pope (1978-2005), a Pole (b. Wadowice) named Karol Józef Wojtyła; successor of John Paul I. He was the first non-Italian pope elected since the Dutch Adrian VI (1522-23) and the first Polish and Slavic pope. Ordained a priest in 1946, he earned doctorates in philosophy (1948) and theology (1953), taught ethics at Kraków and Lublin universities, and...

• John VIII d. 882, pope (872-82), a Roman; successor of Adrian II. John strenuously opposed the activities of St. Ignatius of Constantinople in Bulgaria. When Ignatius died, John recognized Photius as patriarch and called the council (879-80) that momentarily reconciled the differences between East and West. John was deeply involved in imperial politics. He crowned Charles II (Charles the Bald) emperor and excommunicated the future Pope Formosus for opposition to his policy. When Charles II lost his power, John favored Charles the Fat, who became emperor as Charles III...

• John XII c.937-964, pope (955-64), a Roman (count of Tusculum) named Octavian; successor of Agapetus II and predecessor of either Leo VIII or Benedict V. His father, Alberic, secured John's election before...

• John XXI d. 1277, pope (1276-77), a Portuguese named Pedro Giuliano; successor of Adrian V. Known generally as Peter of Spain (Petrus Hispanus), he is the only Portuguese pope. Peter's reputation as a...

• John XXII 1244-1334, pope (1316-34), a Frenchman (b. Cahors) named Jacques Duèse; successor of Clement V. Formerly, he was often called John XXI. He reigned at Avignon. John was celebrated as a canon lawyer...

• John XXIII antipope: see Cossa, Baldassare.

• John XXIII 1881-1963, pope (1958-63), an Italian (b. Sotto il Monte, near Bergamo) named Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli; successor of Pius XII. He was of peasant stock. Educated at Bergamo and the Seminario Romano (called the Apollinare), Rome, he was ordained in 1904. While secretary to the bishop of Bergamo (1904-14) he wrote scholarly...

• Julius I, Saint pope (337-52), a Roman; successor of St. Marcus. In the controversy over Arianism , when both sides appealed to him for support, he convened a synod at Rome (340), at which were present St. Athanasius , Marcellus of Ancyra, and many other Catholic exiles from the East. The Arians of the East seem to have refused his invitation. The principal result of the entire incident was a letter from the...

• Julius II 1443-1513, pope (1503-13), an Italian named Giuliano della Rovere, b. Savona; successor of Pius III. His uncle Sixtus IV gave him many offices and created him cardinal. Innocent VIII, successor to...

• Leo I, Saint (Saint Leo the Great), c.400-461, pope (440-61), an Italian; successor of St. Sixtus III. A Doctor of the Church, he was one of the greatest pontiffs of the early years of the church. He waged a...

• Leo III, Saint pope (795-816), a Roman; successor of Adrian I. He was attacked about the face and eyes by members of Adrian's family, who hoped to render him unfit for the papacy. Leo recovered and fled (799) to...

• Leo IV, Saint d. 855, pope (847-55), a Roman; successor of Sergius II. He had seen the Saracen attack on Rome (846), and to prevent its recurrence he fortified the city and its suburbs. He built a wall around...

• Leo IX, Saint 1002-54, pope (1049-54), a German named Bruno of Toul, b. Alsace; successor of Damasus II. A relative of Holy Roman Emperor Henry III, he was educated at Toul and was made bishop there in 1027. Leo...

• Leo X 1475-1521, pope (1513-21), a Florentine named Giovanni de' Medici; successor of Julius II. He was the son of Lorenzo de' Medici, was made a cardinal in his boyhood, and was head of his family...

• Leo XIII 1810-1903, pope (1878-1903), an Italian (b. Carpineto, E of Rome) named Gioacchino Pecci; successor of Pius IX. Ordained in 1837, he earned an excellent reputation as archbishop of Perugia...

• Liberius d. 366, pope (352-66), a Roman; successor of St. Julius I. At the beginning of his pontificate, the status of Athanasius was still disputed, and Liberius requested Emperor Constantius II to call the Council of Arles (353). Subdued by imperial favor toward Arianism , the papal legates signed against Athanasius, but Liberius refused to be coerced or bribed. He was banished to Thrace by Constantius, who set up an antipope, Felix. In 358, Liberius was permitted to return to Rome after signing a vaguely worded creed and repudiating communion with Athanasius. Felix was forced to retire. After Constantius died, Liberius openly...

• Linus, Saint d. AD 76?, pope (AD 67?-AD 76?), martyr, an Italian; successor of St. Peter and predecessor of St. Cletus (or Anacletus). Nothing is known of his life, but he has been (as early as 189) identified...

• Lucius III d. 1185, pope (1181-85), a native of Lucca named Ubaldo Allucingoli; successor of Alexander III. He was a Cistercian with St. Bernard and was created a cardinal in 1141 by Innocent II. He was a...

• Luna, Pedro de 1328?-1423?, Aragonese churchman, antipope (1394-1417) with the name Benedict XIII. He was a doctor of canon law and as cardinal (1375) became an outstanding member of the Curia Romana. He...

• Martin I, Saint d. 655?, pope (649-55?), an Italian, b. Todi; successor of Theodore I. On his accession he summoned a great council at the Lateran, as St. Maximus had urged, to deal with Monotheletism , discussion of which had been forbidden by Byzantine Emperor Constans II. The council condemned all Monothelete utterances, including the imperial edicts of Heraclius ( Ecthesis ) and Constans ( Typus ) and the private letter of Pope Honorius I. It also enunciated the Catholic dogma of two natures, two wills, and two energies in one Person in Jesus. Martin issued an encyclical confirming the council's acts. To punish his defiance Constans...

• Martin IV d. 1285, pope (1281-85), a Frenchman named Simon de Brie; successor of Nicholas III. He was chancellor under Louis IX of France and was created cardinal by Urban IV. He was thus a supporter of the Angevin dynasty in S Italy and Sicily. In supporting the design of Charles of Anjou (see Charles I ) to restore the Latin Empire of Constantinople, and in his excommunication of Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII , Martin sacrificed (1281) the recent union of East and West made at Lyons (1274). After the revolt known as the Sicilian Vespers he turned all his powers against Peter III of Aragón. Martin adopted the title Martin IV because it was believed then that the two popes named Marinus were named Martin. He is actually only the second pope named Martin. He was succeeded by...

• Martin V 1368-1431, pope (1417-31), a Roman named Oddone Colonna; successor of Gregory XII. He was created cardinal by Innocent VII, and in the schism (see Schism, Great ) he attended and supported the decisions of the Council of Pisa (see Pisa, Council of ). His election (Nov. 11, 1417) by the conclave at the Council of Constance (see Constance, Council of ) as pope ended the schism. The election was greeted with almost universal joy and relief. Declining invitations to settle elsewhere, Martin made his way slowly to Rome (1420) and set about...

• Medici, Giovanni de' 1475-1521: see Leo X.

• Medici, Giulio de' see Clement VII.

• Nicholas I, Saint c.825-867, pope (858-67), a Roman; successor of Benedict III. He was a vigorous and politically active pope who arbitrated both temporal and religious disputes. His decisions often set important...

• Nicholas II (c.1010-61), pope (1058-61), a Roman named Gerard, b. Lorraine, France; successor to Pope Stephen IX. A strong proponent of papal reform, he issued (1059) the Papal Election Decree in an effort to...

• Nicholas III d. 1280, pope (1277-80), a Roman named Giovanni Gaetano Orsini; successor of John XXI. As a cardinal he made a great reputation in diplomacy, and he was a close confidant of popes for 30 years. He was elected pope after a six-month delay. Nicholas's principal efforts were directed...

• Nicholas V antipope (1328-30); see Rainalducci, Pietro.

• Nicholas V 1397-1455, pope (1447-55), an Italian named Tommaso Parentucelli, b. probably Sarzana, Liguria; successor of Eugene IV. From Eugene IV he inherited the antipapal enactments of the Council of Basel...

• Paschal II [Lat.,=of Easter], d. 1118, pope (1099-1118), an Italian (b. near Ravenna) named Ranieri; successor of Urban II. He was a monk and, as a reformer, was made a cardinal by Pope Gregory VII. He was a...

• Paul II 1417-71, pope (1464-71), a Venetian named Pietro Barbo; successor of Pius II. He was a nephew of Eugene IV. A Renaissance pope, he patronized printing, beautified and improved Rome, and collected...

• Paul III 1468-1549, pope (1534-49), a Roman named Alessandro Farnese; successor of Clement VII. He was created cardinal by Alexander VI, and his influence increased steadily. A very astute church diplomat,...

• Paul IV 1476-1559, pope (1555-59), a Neapolitan named Gian Pietro Carafa; successor of Marcellus II. First superior of the Theatines (see Cajetan, Saint ), he was sternly ascetic. A leading reformer, he organized the Inquisition set up by Paul III. As pope, he labored to purify the clergy and abolish corruption and worldliness from the papal curia,...

• Paul V 1552-1621, pope (1605-21), a Roman named Camillo Borghese; successor of Leo XI. He was created cardinal (1596) by Clement VIII and was renowned for his knowledge of canon law. On his election as...

• Paul VI 1897-1978, pope (1963-78), an Italian (b. Concesio, near Brescia) named Giovanni Battista Montini; successor of John XXIII.

• Piccolomini, Enea Silvio de' see Pius II.

• Pius II 1405-64, pope (1458-64), an Italian named Enea Silvio de' Piccolomini (often in Latin, Aeneas Silvius), renamed Pienza after him, b. Corsigniano; successor of Calixtus III. He attended the Council...

• Pius IV 1499-1565, pope (1559-65), a Milanese named Giovanni Angelo de' Medici; successor of Paul IV. He was probably not related to the great Medici family. His career in Rome began in 1527, and he held...

• Pius IX 1792-1878, pope (1846-78), an Italian named Giovanni M. Mastai-Ferretti, b. Senigallia; successor of Gregory XVI. He was cardinal and bishop of Imola when elected pope. For two years he pursued a progressive policy in governing the Papal States and granted a constitution. However, in 1848 rioting drove him from Rome to Gaeta, and he returned (1850) to be supported in power only by the forces of Napoleon III. The Italian nationalists were...

• Pius V, Saint 1504-72, pope (1566-72), an Italian named Michele Ghislieri, b. near Alessandria; successor of Pius IV. He was ordained in the Dominicans (1528) and became celebrated for his austerity. Paul IV...

• Pius VI 1717-99, pope (1775-99), an Italian named G. Angelo Braschi, b. Cesena; successor of Clement XIV. He was created cardinal in 1774. Early in his reign he was faced with the attempts of Holy Roman...

• Pius VII 1740-1823, pope (1800-1823), an Italian named Barnaba Chiaramonti, b. Cesena; successor of Pius VI, who had created him cardinal in 1785. He conducted himself ably during the period of the French...

• Pius X, Saint 1835-1914, pope (1903-14), an Italian named Giuseppe Sarto, b. near Treviso; successor of Leo XIII and predecessor of Benedict XV. Ordained in 1858, he became bishop of Mantua (1884), a cardinal...

• Pius XI 1857-1939, pope (1922-39), an Italian named Achille Ratti, b. Desio, near Milan; successor of Benedict XV.

• Pius XII 1876-1958, pope (1939-58), an Italian named Eugenio Pacelli, b. Rome; successor of Pius XI. Ordained a priest in 1899, he entered the Vatican's secretariat of state. He became (1912) undersecretary...

• Rainalducci, Pietro d. 1333, Italian churchman (b. Corvaro, near Rieti), antipope (1328-30) with the name Nicholas V. Having separated from his wife, he became a Franciscan (1310) and was made a penitentiary in Rome...

• Robert of Geneva d. 1394, Genevan churchman, antipope (1378-94; see Schism, Great ) with the name Clement VII. He was archbishop of Cambrai (1368) and was created (1371) a cardinal. He was subsequently papal legate in Italy, and he put down a rebellion at Cesena with great...

• Silverius, Saint d. 537, pope (536-37), an Italian; successor of St. Agapetus I. The son of Pope Hormisdas, who had been married before taking orders, St. Silverius was elected pope at the instance of the...

• Silvester see Sylvester.

• Sixtus IV 1414-84, pope (1471-84), an Italian named Francesco della Rovere (b. near Savona); successor of Paul II. He was made general of his order, the Franciscans, in 1464 and became (1467) a cardinal...

• Sixtus V 1521-90, pope (1585-90), an Italian (b. near Montalto) named Felice Peretti; successor of Gregory XIII. He entered the Franciscan order in early youth. After ordination (1547) he became a famous...

• Stephen II d. 757, pope (752-57), successor of Pope St. Zacharias. When Rome was threatened by the Lombard king Aistulf, Stephen went to Gaul and appealed to Pepin the Short for help. He became the first pope to cross the Alps. Pepin responded and defeated (754 and 756) Aistulf and restored the lost papal territories. Pepin rejected the demands of the Byzantine emperor...

• Sylvester I, Saint pope (314-35), a Roman; successor of St. Miltiades (St. Melchiades). He was pope under the reign of Emperor Constantine I, who built for him the Lateran and other churches. St. Sylvester sent...

• Sylvester II c.945-1003, pope (999-1003), a Frenchman (b. Auvergne) named Gerbert; successor of Gregory V. In his youth he studied at Muslim schools in Spain and became learned in mathematics and astronomy...

• Urban II c.1042-1099, pope (1088-99), a Frenchman named Odo (or Eudes) of Lagery; successor of Victor III. He studied at Reims and became a monk at Cluny. He went to Rome, as prior of Cluny, early in the...

• Urban IV d. 1264, pope (1261-64), a Frenchman (b. Troyes) named Jacques Pantaléon; successor of Alexander IV. In the pontifical service he was sent on missions into N Germany; then he was made bishop of...

• Urban V 1310-70, pope (1362-70), a Provençal named Guillaume de Grimoard; successor of Innocent VI. He was a Benedictine renowned for his knowledge of canon law. The great event of Urban's pontificate was...

• Urban VI 1318?-1389, pope (1378-89), whose election was the immediate cause of the Great Schism ; a Neapolitan named Bartolomeo Prignano; successor of Gregory XI. He was made archbishop of Acerenza (1364) and of Bari (1377). On the death of Gregory, the conclave, with French cardinals in the...

• Urban VIII 1568-1644, pope (1623-44), a Florentine named Maffeo Barberini; successor of Gregory XV. Throughout his pontificate the Thirty Years War raged in Germany. For various political reasons, Urban gave little help to the Catholics. The old story that Urban rejoiced at Protestant victories because he hated the Hapsburgs is, however,...

• Vigilius pope (537-55), a Roman; successor of St. Silverius. Empress Theodora exiled Silverius and made Vigilius pope in the expectation that he would compromise with the Monophysites. After Silverius' death Vigilius' pontificate was legalized. Vigilius at first resisted...

• Wibert see Guibert of Ravenna.

• Zacharias, Saint pope (741-52), a Calabrian Greek; successor of St. Gregory III. He was the first pope after Gregory the Great not to seek confirmation of his election from the Byzantine emperor. By his personal...