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The Papacy
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What is The Pope?

The word 'pope' means 'father'. In ancient Greek it was a child's term of affection but was borrowed by later Latin as an honorific. Both Greek- speaking Eastern and Latin-speaking Western Christians then applied it to priest and bishops and patriarchs ('head of the family'); and still today priest of the Orthodox Churches of Greece, Russia and Serbia call their parish priest 'pope'. Gradually, however, Latin started to restrict its usage. At the beginning of the 3rd century, papa was a term of respect for churchmen in high positions; by the 5th century, it was applied particularly to the Bishop of Rome; and after the 8th, as far the West was concerned, the title was exclusively his.


As the Council of Florence affirmed in 1439, defined as a matter of faith by the First Vatican Council in 1870, and endorsed by the Second Vatican Council in 1964, Jesus Christ conferred the position of primacy in the church upon Peter alone. In solemnly defining the Petrine primacy, the First Vatican Council cited the three classical New Testament texts long associated with it: John 1:42, John 21:15 ff., and, above all, Matthew 16:18 ff. The council understood these texts, along with Luke 22:32, to signify that Christ himself constituted Saint Peter as prince of the apostles and visible head of the church, possessed of a primacy of jurisdiction that was to pass down in perpetuity to his papal successors, along with the authority to pronounce infallibly on matters of faith or morals

Chronology of Popes
264.John Paul II (1978-)

263.John Paul I (1978)

262.Paul VI (1963-78)

261.John XXIII (1958-63)

260. Pius XII (1939-58)

259.Pius XI (1922-39)

258.Benedict XV (1914-22)

257.St. Pius X (1903-14)

256. Leo XIII (1878-1903)

255 Ven.Pius IX (1846-78)

254.Gregory XVI (1831-46)

253.Pius VIII (1829-30)

252. Leo XII (1823-29)

251. Pius VII (1800-23)

250.Pius VI (1775-99)

249.Clement XIV (1769-74)

248.Clement XIII (1758-69)

247.Benedict XIV (1740-58)

246.Clement XII (1730-40)

245.Benedict XIII (1724-30)

244.Innocent XIII (1721-24)

243.Clement XI (1700-21)

242.Innocent XII (1691-1700)

241.Alexander VIII (1689-91)

240.Blessed Innocent XI (1676-89)

239.Clement X (1670-76)

238.Clement IX (1667-69)

237.Alexander VII (1655-67)

236.Innocent X (1644-55)

235.Urban VIII (1623-44)

234.Gregory XV (1621-23)

233.Paul V (1605-21)

232.Leo XI (1605)

231.Clement VIII (1592-1605)

230.Innocent IX (1591)

229.Gregory XIV (1590-91)

228.Urban VII (1590)

227.Sixtus V (1585-90)

226.Gregory XIII (1572-85)

225. St. Pius V (1566-72)

224.Pius IV (1559-65)

223.Paul IV (1555-59)

222.Marcellus II (1555)

221.Julius III (1550-55)

220.Paul III (1534-49)

219.Clement VII (1523-34)

218.Adrian VI (1522-23)

217.Leo X (1513-21)

216.Julius II (1503-13)

215.Pius III (1503)

214.Alexander VI (1492-1503)

213.Innocent VIII (1484-92)

212.Sixtus IV (1471-84)

211.Paul II (1464-71)

210.Pius II (1458-64)

209.Callistus III (1445-58)

208.Nicholas V (1447-55)

207.Eugene IV (1431-47)

206.Martin V (1417-31)

205.Gregory XII (1406-15)

204.Innocent VII (1406-06)

203.Boniface IX (1389-1404)

202.Urban VI (1378-89)

201.Gregory XI (1370-78)

200.Blessed Urban V (1362-70)

199.Innocent VI (1352-62)

198.Clement VI (1342-52)

197.Benedict XII (1334-42)

196.John XXII (1316-34)

195.Clement V (1305-14)

194.Blessed Benedict XI (1303-04)

193.Boniface VIII (1294-1303)

192.St. Celestine V (1294)

191.Nicholas IV (1288-92)

190.Honorius IV (1285-87)

189.Martin IV (1281-85)

188.Nicholas III (1277-80)

187. John XXI (1276-77)

186.Adrian V (1276)

185.Blessed Innocent V (1276)

184.Blessed Gregory X (1271-76)

183.Clement IV (1265-68)

182.Urban IV (1261-64)

181. Alexander IV (1254-61)

180. Innocent IV (1243-54)

179. Celestine IV (1241)

178. Gregory IX (1227-41)

177. Honorius III (1216-27)

176. Innocent III (1198-1216)

175. Celestine III (1191-98)

174. Clement III (1187-91)

173. Gregory VIII (1187)

172. Urban III (1185-87)

171. Lucius III (1181-85)

170. Alexander III (1159-81)

169. Adrian IV (1154-59)

168. Anastasius IV (1153-54)

167. Blessed Eugene III (1145-53)

166. Lucius II (1144-45)

165. Celestine II (1143-44)

164. Innocent II (1130-43)

163. Honorius II (1124-30)

162. Callistus II (1119-24)

161. Gelasius II (1118-19)

160. Paschal II (1099-1118)

159. Blessed Urban II (1088-99)

158. Blessed Victor III (1086-87)

157. St. Gregory VII (1073-85)

156. Alexander II (1061-73)

155. Nicholas II (1058-61)

154. Stephen X (1057-58)

153. Victor II (1055-57)

152. St. Leo IX (1049-54)

151. Damasus II (1048)

150. Benedict IX (1047-48)

149. Clement II (1046-47)

148. Gregory VI (1045-46)

147. Benedict IX (1045)

146. Sylvester III (1045)

145. Benedict IX (1032-45)

144. John XIX (1024-32)

143. Benedict VIII (1012-24)

142. Sergius IV (1009-12)

141. John XVIII (1003-09)

140. John XVII (1003)

139. Sylvester II (999-1003)

138. Gregory V (996-99)

137. John XV (985-96)

136. John XIV (983-84)

135. Benedict VII (974-83)

134. Benedict VI (973-74)

133. John XIII (965-72)

132. Benedict V (964)

131. Leo VIII (963-64)

130. John XII (955-63)

129. Agapetus II (946-55)

128. Marinus II (942-46)

127. Stephen IX (939-42)

126. Leo VII (936-39)

125. John XI (931-35)

124. Stephen VIII (929-31)

123. Leo VI (928)

122. John X (914-28)

121. Lando (913-14)

120. Anastasius III (911-13)

119. Sergius III (904-11)

118. Leo V (903)

117. Benedict IV (900-03)

116. John IX (898-900)

115. Theodore II (897)

114. Romanus (897)

113. Stephen VII (896-97)

112. Boniface VI (896)

111. Formosus (891-96)

110. Stephen VI (885-91)

109. St. Adrian III (884-85)

108. Marinus I (882-84)

107. John VIII (872-82)

106. Adrian II (867-72)

105. St. Nicholas I (858-67)

104. Benedict III (855-58)

103. St. Leo IV (847-55)

102. Sergius II (844-47)

101. Gregory IV (827-44)

100. Valentine (827)

99. Eugene II (824-27)

98. St. Paschal I (817-24)

97. Stephen V (816-17)

96. St. Leo III (795-816)

95. Adrian I (772-95)

94. Stephen IV (767-72)

93. St. Paul I (757-67)

92.Stephen (II) III (752-57)

91. St. Zachary (741-52)

90. St. Gregory III (731-41)

89. St. Gregory II (715-31)

88. Constantine (708-15)

87 .Sisinnius (708)

86. John VII (705-07)

85.John VI (701-05)

84.St. Sergius I (687-701)

83.Conon (686-87)

82.John V (685-86)

81.St. Benedict II (684-85)

80.St. Leo II (682-83)

79.St. Agatho (678-81)

78.Donus (676-78)

77.Adeodatus (II) (672-76)

76.St. Vitalian (657-72)

75.St. Eugene I (655-57)

74.St. Martin I (649-55)

73.Theodore I (642-49)

72.John IV (640-42)

71.Severinus (640)

70.Honorius I (625-38)

69.Boniface V (619-25)

68.St. Deusdedit (615-18)

67.St. Boniface IV (608-15)

66.Boniface III (607)

65.Sabinian (604-606)

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

63.Pelagius II (579-90)

62.Benedict I (575-79)

61.John III (561-74)

60.Pelagius I (556-61)

59.Vigilius (537-55)

58.St. Silverius (536-37)

57.St. Agapetus I (535-36)

56.John II (533-35)

55.Boniface II (530-32)

54.St. Felix IV (III) (526-30)

53.St. John I (523-26)

52.St. Hormisdas (514-23)

51.St. Symmachus (498-514)

50.Anastasius II (496-98)

49.St. Gelasius I (492-96)

48.St. Felix III (II) (483-92)

47.St. Simplicius (468-83)

46.St. Hilarius (461-68)

45.St. Leo I (the Great) (440-61)

44.St. Sixtus III (432-40)

43.St. Celestine I (422-32)

42.St. Boniface I (418-22)

41.St. Zosimus (417-18)

40.St. Innocent I (401-17)

39.St. Anastasius I (399-401)

38.St. Siricius (384-99)

37.St. Damasus I (366-83)

36.Liberius (352-66)

35.St. Julius I (337-52)

34.St. Marcus (336)

33.St. Sylvester I (314-35)

32.St. Miltiades (311-14)

31.St. Eusebius (309 or 310)

30.St. Marcellus I (308-309)

29.St. Marcellinus (296-304)

28.St. Caius (283-296)

27.St. Eutychian (275-283)

26.St. Felix I (269-274)

25.St. Dionysius (260-268)

24.St. Sixtus II (257-258)

23.St. Stephen I (254-257)

22.St. Lucius I (253-54)

21.St. Cornelius (251-53)

20.St. Fabian (236-50)

19.St. Anterus (235-36)

18.St. Pontain (230-35)

17.St. Urban I (222-30)

16.St. Callistus I (217-22)

15.St. Zephyrinus (199-217)

14.St. Victor I (189-199)

13.St. Eleutherius (175-189)

12.St. Soter (166-175)

11.St. Anicetus (155-166)

10.St. Pius I (140-155)

9.St. Hyginus (136-140)

8.St. Telesphorus (125-136)

7.St. Sixtus I (115-125)

6.St. Alexander I (105-115)

5.St. Evaristus (97-105)

4.St. Clement I (88-97)

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

2.St. Linus (67-76)

1.St. Peter (32-67)
The Longevity of the Pope
The classification of Popes, according to the duration of their pontificates is as follows:

1. St. Peter (30 to 64/67 AD): 34 or 37 years, of which, according to tradition, he spent 25 in Rome.

2. Pius IX (1846-1878): 31 years and 7 months.

3. Leo XIII (1878-1903): 25 years and 5 months.

4. Pius VI (1775-1799): 24 years and 6 months.

5. Adrian I (772-795): 23 years and 10 months.

6. Pius VII (1800-1823): 23 years and 5 months.

7. John Paul II (1978-): 22 years on October 16, 2000.

8. Alexander III (1159-1181): 21 years, 11 months, and 23 days.

9. St. Sylvester I (314-335): 21 years and 11 months.

10. St. Leo I (440-461): 21 years and 1 month.
1978: The Year Of The Three Popes
The year 1978 will long be remembered as the year of the three popes. The not unexpected death of Pope Paul VI on August 6th, 1978 was followed on August 26th by the election of the "Smiling Pope," John Paul I. Reigning only 33 days, the length in years of Our Lord's earthy life, he died in his sleep of a heart attack on September 28th. Only a few weeks later on October 16th, 1978 the College of Cardinals elected the "Polish Pope" John Paul II to the chair of Peter
Papal Flag
Yellow (or golden) is associated with golden keys - the symbol of Saint Peter. The keys represent the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven
Coat of Arms of John Paul II
John-Paul II has a blue shield with golden cross off-centered towards dexter chief, with a golden 'M' in sinister base field. Above the shield there is a papal tiara (three times crowned hat), and behind shield are crossed golden and silver keys
Papal Titles:
- His Holiness The Pope;

- Bishop Of Rome And Vicar Of Jesus Christ;

- Successor Of St. Peter, Prince Of The Apostles;

- Supreme Pontiff Of The Universal Church;

- Patriarch Of The West;

- Servant Of The Servants Of God;

- Primate Of Italy;

- Archbishop And Metropolitan Of The Roman Province;

- Sovereign Of Vatican City State;
Keys
The key is the symbol of the authority of the vizier (the major domo/ prime minister/ treasurer/ vicar) of a royal household. He literally carried the keys attached to his belt, with which to open the storehouses and other treasuries on behalf of the king. In Scripture only the Messiah and the Apostle Peter are spoken of as having this authority. The Messiah is the Vizier of the great King, the Eternal Father, bringing to earth the treasure of Redemption from the Storehouse of the Father's mercy. Peter is the Messiah's Vizier, the Vicar of Christ, who through his successors in every age is head of the Church on earth which distributes those treasures in the name of the Lord.(Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mt 16:19) To the other apostles is given the power to bind and to loose, but not the supreme power of the keys (Mt 18:18).