The Roman Catholic Church has been led by many man over the last two millenia. Some of their names are familiar to us, most of them have been cannonized as saints. The list of popes is as follows:
Apostle of Jesus Christ. Died as a martyr in Rome
2.ST. LINUS (67-76) 9 years
3.ST. ANACLETUS (CLETUS) (76-88) 12 years
4.ST. CLEMENT I (88-97) (9 years) Wrote on the importance of the Bishop of Rome. Died a martyr 5.ST. EVARISTUS (97-105) 8 years
6.ST. ALEXANDER I (105-115)10 yars
7.ST. SIXTUS I (115-125) 10 years
8.ST. TELESPHORUS (125-136) 11 years
9.ST. HYGINUS (136-140) 14 years
10.ST. PIUS I (140-155) 15 years
11.ST. ANICETUS (155-166) 11 years
12.ST. SOTER (166-175) 9 years
13.ST. ELEUTHERIUS (175-189) 14 years
14.ST. VICTOR I (189-199) 10 years
15.ST. ZEPHYRINUS (199-217) 10 years
16.ST. CALLISTUS I (217-22) 5 years
17.ST. URBAN I (222-30) 8 years
18.ST. PONTAIN (230-35) 5 years
19.ST. ANTERUS (235-36) 1 year
20.ST. FABIAN (236-50) 14 years
21.ST. CORNELIUS (251-53) 2 years
22.ST. LUCIUS I (253-54) 1 year
23.ST. STEPHEN I (254-257) 3 years
24.ST. SIXTUS II (257-258) 1 year
25.ST. DIONYSIUS (260-268) 8 years
26.ST. FELIX I (269-274) 5 years
27.ST. EUTYCHIAN (275-283) 8 years
28.ST. CAIUS (283-296) 13 years
29.ST. MARCELLINUS (296-304) 8 years
30.ST. MARCELLUS I (308-309) 1 year
31.ST. EUSEBIUS unclear-309 or 310less than one year
32.ST. MILTIADES (311-14) approx 3 years
33.ST. SYLVESTER I (314-35) 21 years
34.ST. MARCUS (336) less than 1 year
35.ST. JULIUS I (337-52) 15 years
36.LIBERIUS (352-66) 14 years
37.ST. DAMASUS I (366-83) 17 years
38.ST. SIRICIUS (384-99) 15 years
39.ST. ANASTASIUS I (399-401) 2 years
40.ST. INNOCENT I (401-17) 16 years
41.ST. ZOSIMUS (417-18) 1 year
42.ST. BONIFACE I (418-22) 4 years
43.ST. CELESTINE I (422-32) 10 years
44.ST. SIXTUS III (432-40) 8 years
45.ST. LEO I THE GREAT (440-61) 21 years
46.ST. HILARIUS (461-68) 7 years
47.ST. SIMPLICIUS (468-83) 15 years
48.ST. FELIX III (II) (483-92) 9 years
49.ST. GELASIUS I (492-96) 4 years
50.ANASTASIUS II (496-98) 2 years
51.ST. SYMMACHUS (498-514) 16 years
52.ST. HORMISDAS (514-23) 9 years
53.ST. JOHN I (523-26) 3 years
54.ST. FELIX IV (III) (526-30) 4 years
55.BONIFACE II (530-32) 2 years
56.JOHN II (533-35) 2 years
57.ST. AGAPETUS I (535-36) 1 year
58.ST. SILVERIUS (536-37) 1 year
59.VIGILIUS (537-55) 18 years
60.PELAGIUS I (556-61) 6 years
61.JOHN III (561-74) 7 years
62.BENEDICT I (575-79) 4 years
63.PELAGIUS II (579-90) 11 years
64.ST. GREGORY I THE GREAT (590-604) 14 years
65.SABINIAN (604-606) 2 years
66.BONIFACE III (607) less than 1 year
67.ST. BONIFACE IV (608-15) 7 years
68.ST. DEUSDEDIT (ADEODATUS I) (615-18) 3 years
69.BONIFACE V (619-25) 6 years
70.HONORIUS I (625-38) 13 years
71.SEVERINUS (640) less than 1 year
72.JOHN IV (640-42) 2 years
73.THEODORE I (642-49) 7 years
74.ST. MARTIN I (649-55) 6 years
75.ST. EUGENE I (655-57) 2 years
76.ST. VITALIAN (657-72) 15 years
77.ADEODATUS (II) (672-76) 14 years
78.DONUS (676-78) 2 years
79.ST. AGATHO (678-81) 3 years
80.ST. LEO II (682-83) 1year
81.ST. BENEDICT II (684-85) 1 year
82.JOHN V (685-86) 1 year
83.CONON (686-87) 1 year
84.ST. SERGIUS I (687-701) 14 years
85.JOHN VI (701-05) 4 years
86.JOHN VII (705-07) 2 years
87.SISINNIUS (708) less than 1 year
88.CONSTANTINE (708-15) 7 years
89.ST. GREGORY II (715-31) 16 years
90.ST. GREGORY III (731-41) 10 years
91.ST. ZACHARY (741-52) 11 years
92.STEPHEN II (752) 1month
93.STEPHEN III (752-57) 5 years
94.ST. PAUL I (757-67) 10 years
95.STEPHEN IV (767-72)5 years
96.ADRIAN I (772-95) 23 years
97.ST. LEO III (795-816) 21 years
98.STEPHEN V (816-17) 1 year
99.ST. PASCHAL I (817-24) 7 years
100.EUGENE II (824-27) 3 years
101.VALENTINE (827) less than 1 year
102.GREGORY IV (827-44) 17 years
103.SERGIUS II (844-47) 3 years
104.ST. LEO IV (847-55) 8 yars
105.BENEDICT III (855-58) 3 years
106.ST. NICHOLAS ITHE GREAT (858-67) 9 years
107.ADRIAN II (867-72) 5 years
108.JOHN VIII (872-82) 10 years
109.MARINUS I (882-84) 2 years
110.ST. ADRIAN III (884-85) 1 year
111.STEPHEN VI (885-91) 6 years
112.FORMOSUS (891-96) 5 years
113.BONIFACE VI (APRIL 896) 1 month
114.STEPHEN VII (896-97) 1 year
115.ROMANUS (897) less than 1 year
116.THEODORE II (897) less than 1 year
117.JOHN IX (898-900) 2 years
118.BENEDICT IV (900-03) 3 years
119.LEO V (903) less than 1 year
120.SERGIUS III (904-11) 7 years
121.ANASTASIUS III (911-13) 2 years
122.LANDO (913-14) 1 year
123.JOHN X (914-28) 14 years
124.LEO VI (MAY-DECEMBER 928)less than 1 year
125.STEPHEN VIII (929-31) 2 years
126.JOHN XI (931-35) 4 years
127.LEO VII (936-39) 3 years
128.STEPHEN IX (939-42) 3 years
129.MARINUS II (942-46) 4 years
130.AGAPETUS II (946-55) 9 years
131.JOHN XII (955-63) 8 years
132.LEO VIII (963-64) 1 year
133.BENEDICT V (MAY-JUNE 964) less than 1 year
134.JOHN XIII (965-72) 13 years
135.BENEDICT VI (973-74) 1 year
136.BENEDICT VII (974-83) 9 years
137.JOHN XIV (983-84) 1 year
138.JOHN XV (985-96) 11 years
139.GREGORY V (996-99) 3 years
140.SYLVESTER II (999-1003) 4 years
141.JOHN XVII (JUNE-DECEMBER 1003) less than 1 year
142.JOHN XVIII (1003-09) 6 years
143.SERGIUS IV (1009-12) 3 years
144.BENEDICT VIII (1012-24) 12 years
145.JOHN XIX (1024-32) 8 years
146.BENEDICT IX (1032-45) 13 years
147.SYLVESTER III (JANUARY-MARCH 1045) less than 1 year
148.BENEDICT IX (APRIL-MAY 1045) less than 1 year
149.GREGORY VI (1045-46) 1 year
150.CLEMENT II (1046-47) 1 year
151.BENEDICT IX (1047-48) 1 year
152.DAMASUS II (JULY-AUGUST 1048) less than 1 year
153.ST. LEO IX (1049-54) 5 years
154.VICTOR II (1055-57) 2 years
155.STEPHEN X (1057-58) 1 year
156.NICHOLAS II (1058-61) 3 years 157.ALEXANDER II (1061-73) 12 years
158.ST. GREGORY VII (1073-85) 12 years
159.BL. VICTOR III (1086-87) 1 year
160.BL. URBAN II (1088-99) 1 year
161.PASCHAL II (1099-1118) 19 years
162.GELASIUS II (1118-19) 1 year
163.CALLISTUS II (1119-24) 5 years
164.HONORIUS II (1124-30) 6 years
165.INNOCENT II (1130-43) 13 years
166.CELESTINE II (1143-44) 1 year
167.LUCIUS II (1144-45)1 year
168.BL. EUGENE III (1145-53) 12 years
169.ANASTASIUS IV (1153-54) 1 year 170.ADRIAN IV (1154-59) 5 years
171.ALEXANDER III (1159-81) 22 years
172.LUCIUS III (1181-85) 4 years
173.URBAN III (1185-87) 2 years
174.GREGORY VIII (1187) less than one year
175.CLEMENT III (1187-91) 4 years
176.CELESTINE III (1191-98) 7 years
177.INNOCENT III (1198-1216) 18 years
178.HONORIUS III (1216-27) 11 years
179.GREGORY IX (1227-41) 14 years
180.CELESTINE IV (OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 1241)less than 1 year
181.INNOCENT IV (1243-54) 11 years
182.ALEXANDER IV (1254-61) 7 years
183.URBAN IV (1261-64) 3 years
184.CLEMENT IV (1265-68) 3 years
185.BL. GREGORY X (1271-76) 5 years
186.BL. INNOCENT V (JANUARY-JUNE 1276) less than 1 year
187.ADRIAN V (JULY-AUGUST 1276) less than 1 year
188.JOHN XXI (1276-77) 1 year
189.NICHOLAS III (1277-80) 3 years
190.MARTIN IV (1281-85) 4 years
191.HONORIUS IV (1285-87) 2 years
192.NICHOLAS IV (1288-92) 4 years
193.ST. CELESTINE V (JULY-DECEMBER 1294) less than 1 year
194.BONIFACE VIII (1294-1303) 9 years
195.BL. BENEDICT XI (1303-04) 1 year
196.CLEMENT V (1305-14) 9 years This Frenchman established the Papacy in Avignon, France where he was made Pope.
197.JOHN XXII (1316-34) 18 years In Avignon
198.BENEDICT XII (1334-42) 8 years In Avignon
199.CLEMENT VI (1342-52) 10 years In Avignon
200.INNOCENT VI (1352-62) 10 years In Avignon
201.BL. URBAN V (1362-70) 8 years In Avignon
202.GREGORY XI (1370-78) 8 years Returned Papacy to Rome in 1377
203.URBAN VI (1378-89) 11 years 204.BONIFACE IX (1389-1404) 15 years
205.INNOCENT VII (1405-06) 1 year
206.GREGORY XII (1406-15) 9 years
207.MARTIN V (1417-31) 14 years
208.EUGENE IV (1431-47) 16 years
209.NICHOLAS V (1447-55) 8 years
210.CALLISTUS III (1445-58) 13 years
211.PIUS II (1458-64) 6 years
212.PAUL II (1464-71) 7 years
213.SIXTUS IV (1471-84) 13 years
214.INNOCENT VIII (1484-92) 12 years
215.ALEXANDER VI (1492-1503) 11 years
216.PIUS III (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1503) less than 1 year
217.JULIUS II (1503-13) 10 years
218.LEO X (1513-21) 8 years
219.ADRIAN VI (1522-23) 1 year
220.CLEMENT VII (1523-34) 11 years
221.PAUL III (1534-49) 15 years
222.JULIUS III (1550-55) 5 years
223.MARCELLUS II (APRIL 1555) less than 1 year
224.PAUL IV (1555-59) 4 years
225.PIUS IV (1559-65) 6 years
226.ST. PIUS V (1566-72) 6 years 227.GREGORY XIII (1572-85) 13 years
228.SIXTUS V (1585-90) 5 years
229.URBAN VII (SEPTEMBER 1590) less than 1 year
230.GREGORY XIV (1590-91) 1 year
231.INNOCENT IX (OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 1591) less than 1 year
232.CLEMENT VIII (1592-1605) 13 years
233.LEO XI (APRIL 1605) less than 1 year
234.PAUL V (1605-21) 16 years
235.GREGORY XV (1621-23) 2 years
236.URBAN VIII (1623-44) 21 years
237.INNOCENT X (1644-55) 11 years
238.ALEXANDER VII (1655-67) 12 years
239.CLEMENT IX (1667-69) 2 years
240.CLEMENT X (1670-76) 6 years
241.BL. INNOCENT XI (1676-89) 13 years
242.ALEXANDER VIII (1689-91) 2 years
243.INNOCENT XII (1691-1700) 9 years
244.CLEMENT XI (1700-21) 21 yearrs
245.INNOCENT XIII (1721-24) 3 years
246.BENEDICT XIII (1724-30) 6 years
247.CLEMENT XII (1730-40) 10 years
248.BENEDICT XIV (1740-58) 18 years
249.CLEMENT XIII (1758-69) 11 years
250.CLEMENT XIV (1769-74) 5 years
251.PIUS VI (1775-99) 24 years
252.PIUS VII (1800-23) 23 years
253.LEO XII (1823-29) 6 years
254.PIUS VIII (1829-30) 1 year
255.GREGORY XVI (1831-46) 15 years
256.VEN. PIUS IX (1846-78) 32 years
257.LEO XIII (1878-1903) 25 years
258.ST. PIUS X (1903-14) 11 years
259.BENEDICT XV (1914-22) 8 years
260.PIUS XI (1922-39) 17 years
261.PIUS XII (1939-58) 19 years
262.JOHN XXIII (1958-63) 5 years
263.PAUL VI (1963-78) 15 years
264.JOHN PAUL I (AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 1978) less than 1 year
265.JOHN PAUL II (1978-)
199.CLEMENT VI (1342-52) 10 years
215.ALEXANDER VI (1492-1503) 11 years
217.JULIUS II (1503-13) 10 years
218.LEO X (1513-21) 8 years
262.JOHN XXIII (1958-63) 5 years