List of popes
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Why this is trending
Interest in “List of popes” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-07-19.
Categorised under Arts & Culture, this article fits a familiar pattern. wt.cat.arts.1
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Key Takeaways
- This chronological list of the popes of the Catholic Church corresponds to that given in the Annuario Pontificio under the heading " I Sommi Pontefici Romani " (The Roman Supreme Pontiffs), excluding those that are explicitly indicated as antipopes.
- The 2001 edition of the Annuario Pontificio introduced "almost 200 corrections to its existing biographies of the popes, from St Peter to John Paul II".
- The term pope (Latin: papa , lit.
- This title is usually used in English to refer to the head of the Catholic Church.
- Each title has been added by unique historical events, and unlike other papal prerogatives, may be modified.
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Source summary
WikipediaThis chronological list of the popes of the Catholic Church corresponds to that given in the Annuario Pontificio under the heading "I Sommi Pontefici Romani" (The Roman Supreme Pontiffs), excluding those that are explicitly indicated as antipopes. Published every year by the Roman Curia, the Annuario Pontificio no longer identifies popes by regnal number, stating that it is impossible to decide which pope represented the legitimate succession at various times. The 2001 edition of the Annuario Pontificio introduced "almost 200 corrections to its existing biographies of the popes, from St Peter to John Paul II". The corrections concerned dates, especially in the first two centuries, birthplaces and the family name of one pope.
The term pope (Latin: papa, lit. 'father') is used in several churches to denote their high spiritual leaders (for example Coptic pope). This title is usually used in English to refer to the head of the Catholic Church. The Catholic pope uses various titles by tradition, including Summus Pontifex, Pontifex Maximus, and Servus servorum Dei. Each title has been added by unique historical events, and unlike other papal prerogatives, may be modified.
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