Pope

The head of the Roman Catholic church; the representative of Christ on earth in Catholic theology. As of 2005 (when Benedict XVI was elected, there have been 266 popes; the first being Peter in 31 AD.

Number Name Year
1 Peter 31
54 Saint Felix IV 526-30
55 Boniface II 530-32
56 John II 533-35
57 Saint Agapetus 1 535-36
58 Saint Silverius 536-37
59 Vigilius 537-55

Popes since the wounding in 1798:

Number Name Year
251 Pius VI 1775-99
252 Pius VII 1800-23
253 Leo XII 1823-29
254 Pius VIII 1829-30
255 Gregory XVI 1831-46
256 Blessed Pius IX 1846-78
257 Leo XIII 1878-1903
258 Saint Pius X 1903-14
259 Benedict XV 1914-22
260 Pius XI 1922-39
261 Pius XII 1939-58
262 Blessed John XXIII 1958-63
263 Paul VI 1963-78
264 John Paul 1 1978
265 John Paul II 1978-2005
266 Benedict XVI 2005-