Popes & Papal Documents
Papi, Antipapi, Documenti Pontifici · 342 articles · Principal contributors · All subjects-
Ab Ipsis
« AB IPSIS. - Opening words of the apostolic letter that Pius XI addressed on 15 June 1926 to the vicars and apostolic prefects of China… -
Acta Sanctae Sedis
ACTA SANCTAE SEDIS - Monthly periodical, begun in Rome in 1865 by the priest Pietro Avanzini, who was also its first director, under the… -
Ad Catholici Sacerdotii
« AD CATHOLICI SACERDOTII ». - Opening words of the encyclical with which Pius XI (Dec. 20, 1935: AAS, 28 [1936], pp. 5-53), on the… -
Adeodatus I (ADEODATO I)
ADEODATUS I. - Natural son of St. Augustine, born ca. 372 from his illicit relationship, while he was not yet baptized and only seventeen… -
Adeodatus I (Deusdedit), Pope, Saint (ADEODATO I (DEUSDEDIT), PAPA, SANTO)
ADEODATUS I (Deusdedit), Pope, Saint. - A Roman, son of the subdeacon Stephen, he had been a member of the Roman clergy for forty years… -
Adeodatus II (or I), Pope (ADEODATO II (O I), PAPA)
ADEODATUS II (OR I), POPE. - A Roman, he received the tiara in 672, died in 676. The son of Jovinian, he succeeded St. Vitalian. Elected,… -
Adrian III, Pope (ADRIANO III, PAPA)
ADRIAN III, pope - Silver denarius. to deny permission to ecclesiastics who wished to appeal to Rome. From that moment the alliance between… -
Adrian III, Pope, Saint (ADRIANO III, PAPA, SANTO)
ADRIAN III, Pope, Saint. - A Roman, son of Benedict, he was pope from 884 to 885, succeeding Marinus. We have neither his biography in the… -
Adrian II, Pope (ADRIANO II, PAPA)
ADRIAN II, POPE. - Born in Rome in 792 to one of the foremost families, which had already given the Church the popes Stephen IV (816-17)… -
Adrian I, Pope (ADRIANO I, PAPA)
ADRIAN I, POPE. - Pontiff from 1 (6) February 772 to 26 (25) December 795. Born in Rome of an aristocratic family, having lost his father… -
Adrian IV, Pope (ADRIANO IV, PAPA)
ADRIAN IV, POPE. - He is the only Englishman to have ascended the papal throne; his name was Nicholas Breakspear and he was the son of… -
Adrian VI, Pope (ADRIANO VI, PAPA)
ADRIAN VI, POPE. - Pontiff from 1522 to 1523. Born at Utrecht on 2 March 1459, he was the son of Florenz Boeyens and Gertruda. The family… -
Adrian V, Pope (ADRIANO V, PAPA)
ADRIAN V, POPE. - Pontiff in 1276. On the death of Innocent V a conclave followed in Rome, watched over by Charles of Anjou in his capacity… -
Aeterni Patris
"AETERNI PATRIS". - Opening words of the encyclical with which Leo XIII, on 4 August 1879, restored Thomistic philosophy to honor. Having… -
Agapetus II, Pope (AGAPITO II, PAPA)
AGAPETUS II, POPE. - A Roman, he succeeded Marinus II on 10 May 946, and died in December 955. We have no information about his family or… -
Agapetus I, Pope, Saint (AGAPITO I, PAPA, SANTO)
AGAPETUS I, Pope, Saint. - Pontiff from 535 to 536. He was descended from a noble Roman family. His father, Gordian, was a priest of the… -
Agatho, Pope, Saint (AGATONE, PAPA, SANTO)
AGATHO, Pope, Saint. - Sicilian, he succeeded Donus in 678, died on 10 January 681. For the gentleness and meekness of his character he… -
Albert, Antipope (ALBERTO, ANTIPAPA)
ALBERT, ANTIPOPE. - He was bishop of Sabina and was elected in February or March 1102 in St. Peter's by the supporters of Emperor Henry IV,… -
Alexander II, Pope (ALESSANDRO II, PAPA)
ALEXANDER II, POPE. - When Pope Nicholas II died in Florence on 27 July 1061, the election of his successor could not take place until the… -
Alexander I, Pope, Saint (ALESSANDRO I, PAPA, SANTO)
ALEXANDER I, Pope, Saint. - Pontiff from 109 to c. 119. St. Irenaeus (Adv. haer., III, 3: PG 7, 851) indicates A. as the successor of… -
Alexander IV, Pope (ALESSANDRO IV, PAPA)
ALEXANDER IV, POPE. - On the death of Innocent IV, which occurred at Naples, where he had gone to defend the rights of the Holy See over… -
Alexander V, Antipope (ALESSANDRO V, ANTIPAPA)
ALEXANDER V, ANTIPOPE. - Pietro Filargo, of very humble origin, was born in Crete in 1340. Protected by a > (from Serafini, Monete e bolle… -
Alexander VIII, Pope (ALESSANDRO VIII, PAPA)
ALEXANDER VIII, POPE. - Pietro Vito Ottoboni, of a noble Venetian family, b. 22 Oct. 1610, took his doctorate at Padua in both laws, and,… -
Alexander VII, Pope (ALESSANDRO VII, PAPA)
ALEXANDER VII, POPE. - Fabio Chigi, b. at Siena on 13 Feb. 1599. He was in Rome from Dec. 1626 to Oct. 1629; vice-legate at Ferrara until… -
Alexander VI, Pope (ALESSANDRO VI, PAPA)
ALEXANDER VI, POPE. - Rodrigo Borgia (Borja), b. in 1430 or '31 at Xativa, in the province of Valencia, to Jofré and Isabella, sister of… -
Anacletus (Cletus), Pope, Saint (ANACLETO (CLETO), PAPA, SANTO)
ANACLETUS (Cletus), Pope, Saint. - According to the papal list preserved for us by St. Irenaeus (Adv. haer., III, 3: PG 7, 849), A.… -
Anacletus II, Antipope (ANACLETO II, ANTIPAPA)
ANACLETUS II, ANTIPOPE. - A member of one of the most famous families of Rome, Pietro Pierleoni, nephew of a Jew converted at the time of… -
Anastasius III, Pope (ANASTASIO III, PAPA)
ANASTASIUS III, POPE. - A Roman, son of Lucianus, he succeeded Sergius III and was consecrated around the month of June 911. During his… -
Anastasius II, Pope (ANASTASIO II, PAPA)
ANASTASIUS II, POPE. - Successor of Gelasius I, he was consecrated on 24 November 496 and died on 19 November 498. His first concern was to… -
Anastasius I, Pope, Saint (ANASTASIO I, PAPA, SANTO)
ANASTASIUS I, Pope, Saint. - Roman by birth, he succeeded Siricius and was pope from 26 November 399 to 19 December 401. His brief… -
Anastasius IV, Pope (ANASTASIO IV, PAPA)
ANASTASIUS IV, POPE. - Conrad "de Suburra," a Roman, from 1126 cardinal and bishop of Sabina; during the schism between Innocent II and… -
Anicetus, Pope, Saint (ANICETO, PAPA, SANTO)
ANICETUS, Pope, Saint. - According to the list of popes preserved by Irenaeus (Adv. haer., III, 3: PG 7, 851; cf. also Eusebius, Hist.… -
Anterus (Anterote), Pope, Saint (ANTÈRO (ANTÈROTE), PAPA, SANTO)
ANTERUS (Anterote), Pope, Saint. - His pontificate was very brief: from the end of November 235 to 3 January 236. He succeeded Pontian,… -
Antipope (ANTIPAPA)
ANTIPOPE. - He is one who, elevated to the Papacy in a non-canonical manner, claims for himself its dignity and authority. He is therefore… -
Apostolicae Sedis
APOSTOLICAE SEDIS. - These are the first words of the celebrated constitution promulgated by Pius IX on 12 Oct. 1869 for the purpose of… -
Arcanum Divinae Sapientiae Consilium
ARCANUM DIVINAE SAPIENTIAE CONSILIUM. - Opening words of the encyclical with which Leo XIII (18 Feb. 1880: Acta Leonis XIII, II, Rome 1880,… -
Ausculta Fili
"AUSCULTA FILI". - Bull that Pope Boniface VIII addressed on 5 Dec. 1301 to Philip the Fair, king of France. It begins with the same words… -
Benedict III, Pope (BENEDETTO III, PAPA)
BENEDICT III, POPE. - Roman, son of Peter, he succeeded St. Leo IV (d. July 17, 855). Having been ordained cardinal priest of St. Callixtus… -
Benedict II, Pope, Saint (BENEDETTO II, PAPA, SANTO)
BENEDICT II, Pope, Saint. - On the death of St. Leo II (3 July 683) B., a Roman, was called to succeed him; but he was not consecrated… -
Benedict I, Pope (BENEDETTO I, PAPA)
BENEDICT I, POPE. - He is believed to have been elected shortly after the death of John III (d. July 13, 574), but he was not consecrated… -
Benedict IV, Pope (BENEDETTO IV, PAPA)
BENEDICT IV, POPE. - Roman, son of Mammolus, he succeeded John IX (d. at the beginning of 900) and continued his prudent and discreet… -
Benedict IX, Pope (BENEDETTO IX, PAPA)
BENEDICT IX, POPE. - Theophylact was the son of Alberic III of the counts of Tusculum and nephew of the two last pontiffs, Benedict VIII… -
Benedict VIII, Pope (BENEDETTO VIII, PAPA)
BENEDICT VIII, POPE. - The death of Sergius IV (May 12, 1012) gave the two parties that held the upper hand in the Roman nobility the… -
Benedict VII, Pope (BENEDETTO VII, PAPA)
BENEDICT VII, POPE. - After Benedict VI had been strangled in Castel Sant'Angelo, where Crescentius, or Cencius, son of the second… -
Benedict VI, Pope (BENEDETTO VI, PAPA)
BENEDICT VI, POPE. - Son of Hildebrand, he was elected by the imperial faction shortly after the death of John XIII (6 Oct. 972), but was… -
Benedict V, Pope (BENEDETTO V, PAPA)
BENEDICT V, POPE. - Elected upon the death of John XII (d. 14 May 964) by the Roman people, who only a few months earlier (6 Dec. 963) had… -
Benedict X, Antipope (BENEDETTO X, ANTIPAPA)
BENEDICT X, ANTIPOPE. - Stephen IX, foreseeing that his end was near, had made the Roman clergy and people swear not to proceed to the… -
Benedict XIII, Antipope (BENEDETTO XIII, ANTIPAPA)
BENEDICT XIII, ANTIPOPE. - Peter of Luna, b. at Illueca near Calatayud in Aragon, to one of the noblest and wealthiest families of the… -
Benedict XIII, Pope (BENEDETTO XIII, PAPA)
BENEDICT XIII, POPE. - Pierfrancesco Orsini, b. at Gravina on 2 Feb. 1649 to Ferdinando, duke of Gravina, and Giovanna Frangipane. As a… -
Benedict XII, Pope (BENEDETTO XII, PAPA)
BENEDICT XII, POPE. - He is the third Avignon pope, succeeding John XXII (d. 4 Dec. 1334) on 20 Dec. and crowned on the following 8 Jan. by… -
Benedict XI, Pope, Blessed (BENEDETTO XI, PAPA, BEATO)
BENEDICT XI, Pope, Blessed. - Niccolò Boccasini, born in Treviso in 1240 to a notary, entered the Dominican Order in 1254; and was… -
Benedict XIV (BENEDETTO XIV)
BENEDICT XIV - Autograph concession of the Pontiff (7 May 1745) - Vatican City, archive of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, Positiones… -
Benedict XV, Pope (BENEDETTO XV, PAPA)
BENEDICT XV, POPE. - Giacomo Della Chiesa, b. in Genoa on 21 Nov. 1854 to Giuseppe and Giovanna Migliorati. Of a marquisal family,… -
Boniface III, Pope (BONIFACIO III, PAPA)
BONIFACE III, POPE. - After the death of Pope Sabinianus, a year later the Roman B. was given to him as successor; he was consecrated on 19… -
Boniface II, Pope (BONIFACIO II, PAPA)
BONIFACE II, POPE. - Of Germanic stock but born in Rome, consecrated on 22 Sept. 530, died on 17 Oct. 532. Before dying, Felix IV, to avoid… -
Boniface I, Pope, Saint (BONIFACIO I, PAPA, SANTO)
BONIFACE I, Pope, Saint. - The funeral rites of Pope Zosimus had not yet ended when the archdeacon Eulalius, eager to succeed him, returned… -
Boniface IV, Pope, Saint (BONIFACIO IV, PAPA, SANTO)
BONIFACE IV, POPE, SAINT. - A native of the Abruzzi, after a vacancy of ten months he succeeded Boniface III and governed the Church for… -
Boniface IX, Pope (BONIFACIO IX, PAPA)
BONIFACE IX, POPE. - When Urban VI died in Rome on 15 Oct. 1389, he left the papacy in a very difficult position; Clement VII sat as… -
Boniface VII, Antipope (BONIFACIO VII, ANTIPAPA)
BONIFACE VII, ANTIPOPE. - Died in 985, antipope in June-July 974, and again from Aug. 984 to July 985. Taking advantage of the absence of… -
Boniface VIII, Pope (BONIFACIO VIII, PAPA)
BONIFACE VIII, POPE. - Benedetto Caetani, Supreme Pontiff from 1294 to 1303, b. at Anagni between 1220 and 1230, of noble parents. Having… -
Boniface VI, Pope (BONIFACIO VI, PAPA)
BONIFACE VI, POPE. - La morte di papa Formoso, avvenuta il 4 apr. 896, segnò l'inizio di lunghi gravi tumulti in Roma, causati dai due… -
Boniface V, Pope (BONIFACIO V, PAPA)
BONIFACE V, POPE. - Born in Naples, he succeeded Deusdedit or Adeodatus in the pontificate on 8 Nov. 618, and was consecrated on 23 Dec.… -
Brief (BREVE)
BRIEF. - A name given in the Middle Ages to various types of documents, still used today to indicate a special form of pontifical document.… -
Bulla In Coena Domini
BULLA IN COENA DOMINI. - This bull, which enumerates a series of excommunications reserved to the Pope, took its name from being read every… -
Cadal (Cadaloo) (CADALO (CADALOO))
CADAL (CADALOO). - Antipope under the name of Honorius II (1061-72), born at Verona to a family of German origin. Bishop of Parma from… -
Callistus III, Pope (CALLISTO III, PAPA)
CALLISTUS III, POPE. - Alfonso di Borgia (Borja), b. at Canals near Xàtiva (Valencia) on 31 Dec. 1378, studied at the University of Lérida… -
Callistus II, Pope (CALLISTO II, PAPA)
CALLISTUS II, POPE. - For many years (from 1088) archbishop of Vienne in the Dauphiné, Guido, son of William count of Burgundy, carried on… -
Callistus I, Pope, Saint (CALLISTO I, PAPA, SANTO)
CALLISTUS I, Pope, Saint. - The Lib. Pont. and the Liberian Catalogue call him a Roman of the Transtiberine region ("de regione Urbe… -
Caritate Christi Compulsi
« CARITATE CHRISTI COMPULSI ». - Encyclical of Pius XI, of 3 May 1932, on the painful calamities that continued to press upon the human… -
Casti Connubii
« CASTI CONNUBII ». - Encyclical of Pius XI, of 29 Dec. 1930, on Christian marriage (AAS, 22 [1930], pp. 539-90). The subject, always of… -
Celestine III, Pope (CELESTINO III, PAPA)
CELESTINE III, POPE. - Giacinto Bobo-Orsini, b. ca. 1106 from the noble Roman family that in the 13th century gave illustrious cardinals to… -
Celestine II, Pope, Elected (CELESTINO II, PAPA, ELETTO)
CELESTINE II, Pope, Elected. - Teobaldo Buccapeus or Buccapecorini, from a Roman family that had risen to some authority toward the end of… -
Celestine I, Pope, Saint (CELESTINO I, PAPA, SANTO)
CELESTINE I, Pope, Saint. - He was a native of Campania. He was elected and consecrated on September 10, 422, six days after the death of… -
Celestine IV, Pope (CELESTINO IV, PAPA)
CELESTINE IV, POPE. - Goffredo Castiglioni, Milanese, son of Giovanni and of Cassandra Crivelli, sister of Urban III (d. 1187). A disciple… -
Celestine V, Pope, Saint (CELESTINO V, PAPA, SANTO)
CELESTINE V, Pope, Saint. - Pietro di Morrone, b. at Isernia (Campobasso) in 1215, d. at the Castle of Fumone (Frosinone) on 19 May 1296.… -
Christopher, Antipope (CRISTOFORO, ANTIPAPA)
CHRISTOPHER, ANTIPOPE. - A Roman, son of Leo, priest of the title of St. Damasus, he rose up against Leo V, and having seized him, threw… -
Clement I (CLEMENTE I)
CLEMENT I - Epistola ad Corinthios, v. 2 - vi. 3, contained in the well-known Codex Alexandrinus of the Bible (5th cent.). The passage… -
Clement III, Pope (CLEMENTE III, PAPA)
CLEMENT III, POPE. - The Roman Paolo Scolari, cardinal from 1179 and bishop of Palestrina from 1181, was elected pope at Pisa on 19 Dec.… -
Clement II, Pope (CLEMENTE II, PAPA)
CLEMENT II, POPE. - After the forced abdication of Gregory VI, on Dec. 24, 1046 Suitger, bishop of Bamberg, was named pontiff by the will… -
Clement IV, Pope (CLEMENTE IV, PAPA)
CLEMENT IV, POPE. - Guido Fulcodi, b. at St-Gilles near Nîmes in Provence at the beginning of the 13th century, was in the service of the… -
Clement IX, Pope (CLEMENTE IX, PAPA)
CLEMENT IX, POPE. - Giulio Rospigliosi was born in Pistoia, of a noble family, on 28 January 1600; created cardinal in 1657, elected pope… -
Clement VIII, Pope (CLEMENTE VIII, PAPA)
CLEMENT VIII, POPE. - Ippolito, son of Silvestro Aldobrandini, an illustrious jurist, and of Lisa Deti, b. at Fano on 24 Feb. 1536, was… -
Clement VII, Pope (CLEMENTE VII, PAPA)
CLEMENT VII, POPE. - Giulio de' Medici, b. in Florence on 26 May 1478, a month after the Pazzi conspiracy, of which his father Giuliano had… -
Clement VI, Pope (CLEMENTE VI, PAPA)
CLEMENT VI, POPE. - Pierre Roger, b. in 1291 at Maumont (Corrèze) to Guillaume, lord of Rosière, and to Guillemette de Mestre. At the age… -
Clement V, Pope (CLEMENTE V, PAPA)
CLEMENT V, POPE. - Bertrand de Got, b. in Gascony, was bishop of Comminges (1295-97), then archbishop of Bordeaux (1297-1305). His… -
Clement XIII, Pope (CLEMENTE XIII, PAPA)
CLEMENT XIII, POPE. - Carlo Rezzonico, b. in Venice on 7 March 1693 to a family originally from Como and only recently inscribed in the… -
Clement XII, Pope (CLEMENTE XII, PAPA)
CLEMENT XII, POPE. - Lorenzo Corsini, b. in Florence on 7 April 1652; d. in Rome on 6 Feb. 1740. He studied in Rome at the Roman College,… -
Clement XI, Pope (CLEMENTE XI, PAPA)
CLEMENT XI, POPE. - Giovanni Francesco Albani, b. at Urbino on 23 July 1649, was educated in Rome and was not unconnected with the circle… -
Clement XIV, Pope (CLEMENTE XIV, PAPA)
CLEMENT XIV, POPE. - Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio, son of Lorenzo Ganganelli, b. 31 Oct. 1705 at Sant'Arcangelo di Romagna in the district of… -
Clement X, Pope (CLEMENTE X, PAPA)
CLEMENT X, POPE. - Emilio Altieri, b. in Rome of the ancient Altieri family on 12 July 1590; a doctor of both laws, he was in 1623 auditor… -
Conon, Pope (CONONE, PAPA)
CONON, POPE. - When John V died in August 686, the Romans found themselves divided over the election of his successor: the clergy wanted… -
Constantine I (COSTANTINO I)
CONSTANTINE I. - Armenian katholikos, b. in 1220, d. 9 April 1267, called Bartarberdtzi, praised as a virtuous and wise man by his… -
Constantine II, Antipope (COSTANTINO II, ANTIPAPA)
CONSTANTINE II, ANTIPOPE. - On the death of Paul I (28 June 767), Toto, duke of Nepi, by force had his own brother C., still a simple… -
Constantine I, Pope (COSTANTINO I, PAPA)
CONSTANTINE I, POPE. - After the very brief pontificate of Sisinnius, C. was elected as his successor, a Syrian by origin, who was… -
Cossa (Coscia), Baldassare, Antipope (COSSA (COSCIA), BALDASSARE, ANTIPAPA)
COSSA (Coscia), Baldassare, Antipope. - From a noble Neapolitan family. Hostile legends circulated about his youth; it is known for certain… -
Cum Sicut Maiestas
«CUM SICUT MAIESTAS». - Opening words of the bull of Alexander VI (26 March 1500), in which the first organization of the Church for the… -
Damasus II, Pope (DAMASO II, PAPA)
DAMASUS II, POPE. - On the death of Clement II, on 9 October 1047, Benedict IX returned to Rome and succeeded in reoccupying the apostolic… -
Decretum Ad Armenos
DECRETUM AD ARMENOS. - Bull Exultate Deo, for the union of the Armenians with the Catholic Church, published at the Council of Florence on… -
Deus Scientiarum Dominus
« DEUS SCIENTIARUM DOMINUS ». - Apostolic constitution, which begins with words taken from I Sam. 2, 3, promulgated on the day of… -
Dioscorus, Pope (DIOSCORO, PAPA)
DIOSCORUS, POPE. - Deacon of the church of Alexandria, forced by the Monophysite controversies to go into exile, he took refuge in Rome,… -
Diuturnum Illud
« DIUTURNUM ILLUD ». - Encyclical of Leo XIII, of 29 June 1881 (Acta Leonis XIII, 2 [1882], pp. 269-87), on the correct concept of… -
Divini Illius Magistri
«DIVINI ILLIUS MAGISTRI». - Encyclical of Pius XI, of 31 Dec. 1929 (AAS, 22 [1930], pp. 49-86), on the Christian education of youth. The… -
Divini Redemptoris
«DIVINI REDEMPTORIS». - Encyclical of Pius XI, of 19 March 1937 (AAS, 29 [1937], pp. 65-106), against atheistic communism, whose principles… -
Divino Afflante Spiritu
«DIVINO AFFLANTE SPIRITU». - Encyclical of Pius XII, of 30 Sept. 1943 (AAS, 35 [1943], pp. 297-325) on the most fitting way to promote… -
Divinum Illud
« DIVINUM ILLUD ». - Encyclical of Leo XIII, of 9 May 1897 (Acta Leonis XIII, 17 [1898], pp. 125-48) concerning the Holy Spirit, his… -
Dono, Pope (DONO, PAPA)
DONO, POPE. - Son of the Roman Maurizio, he succeeded Adeodatus II on 2 Nov. 676. Under him the schism that had been opened in Ravenna by… -
Eleutherius, Pope, Saint (ELEUTERIO, PAPA, SANTO)
ELEUTHERIUS, Pope, Saint. - In the Lib. Pont. he is described as a Greek, born at Nicopolis to a certain Abundius. Hegesippus reports that… -
Eugene II, Pope (EUGENIO II, PAPA)
EUGENE II, POPE. - He was a Roman priest of the title of St. Sabina when, upon the death of Paschal I, he was elected pontiff (May 11, 824)… -
Eugene I, Pope, Saint (EUGENIO I, PAPA, SANTO)
EUGENE I, Pope, Saint. - Son of the Roman Ruffinianus, he was elected by the clergy and people of Rome following the violent removal of… -
Eugenius IV, Pope (EUGENIO IV, PAPA)
EUGENIUS IV, POPE. - Gabriele Condulmer, b. in Venice around 1383, came from a noble Venetian family and was on his mother's side a nephew… -
Eulalius, Antipope (EULALIO, ANTIPAPA)
EULALIUS, ANTIPOPE. - On the death of Zosimus, which occurred on 27 Dec. 418, the Roman deacons seized the Lateran basilica, preventing the… -
Eusebius, Pope, Saint (EUSEBIO, PAPA, SANTO)
EUSEBIUS, POPE, saint. - Cubiculum where Pope E. was laid (4th century) with the fragments of the Damasian field - Rome, cemetery of St.… -
Eusebius, Saint (EUSEBIO, SANTO)
EUSEBIUS, Saint. - Bishop of Laodicea, who lived in the 3rd century. As deacon of Alexandria, he accompanied his bishop before the… -
Eutychian, Pope, Saint (EUTICHIANO, PAPA, SANTO)
EUTYCHIAN, Pope, Saint. - By the anonymous author of the Liber Pontificalis he is called a Tuscan, the son of a certain Marinus. It is not… -
Evaristus, Pope, Saint (EVARISTO, PAPA, SANTO)
EVARISTUS, Pope, Saint. - The reports concerning his pontificate are uncertain or false; he did, however, govern the Church between the end… -
Fabian, Pope, Saint, Martyr (FABIANO, PAPA, SANTO, MARTIRE)
FABIAN, Pope, Saint, Martyr. - He was elected in Jan. 236 immediately after the death of Pope Anterus. After the death of Maximinus Thrax… -
Felix II, Antipope (FELICE II, ANTIPAPA)
FELIX II, ANTIPOPE. - Archdeacon of the Roman church, after the Arian Council of Milan in 355, despite the promise of fidelity to the… -
Felix III, Pope (FELICE III, PAPA)
FELIX III, POPE. - Strictly speaking he should be called F. II, because the preceding one was an antipope. He reigned from 483 to 492. His… -
Felix I, Pope (FELICE I, PAPA)
FELIX I, POPE. - In the Liber Pontificalis he is called a Roman, the son of a certain Constantius. He was pope from 269 to 274. He… -
Felix IV, Pope (FELICE IV, PAPA)
FELIX IV, POPE. - Reigning from 526 to 530. Born in Samnium to a certain Castorius, he was elevated to the supreme pontificate through the… -
Felix V, Antipope (FELICE V, ANTIPAPA)
FELIX V, ANTIPOPE. - After the deposition of Pope Eugene IV, the Council of Basel (v.) elected, on 5 Nov. 1439, Duke Amadeus VIII of Savoy… -
Formosus, Pope (FORMOSO, PAPA)
FORMOSUS, POPE. - Perhaps a native of Rome. Nicholas I (858-67) in 864 or 865 made him cardinal bishop of Porto and in the autumn of 866… -
Gelasius II, Pope (GELASIO II, PAPA)
GELASIUS II, POPE. - Giovanni of Gaeta, son of Crescenzio, duke of Fondi, was educated at Montecassino and was a monk there. Around 1082,… -
Gelasius I, Pope, Saint (GELASIO I, 7APA, SANTO)
GELASIUS I, Pope, Saint. - He deserves the first place in the series of popes of the 5th century, after Leo I. He governed the Church from… -
Graziano, Giovanni
GRAZIANO, GIOVANNI: V. GREGORIO VI, ANTI-PAPA. -
Gregory, Antipope (GREGORIO, ANTIPAPA)
GREGORY, ANTIPOPE. - Eletto dalla fazione dei Crescenzi alla morte di Sergio IV (m. il 12 maggio 1012) in contrapposizione a l'eofilatto… -
Gregory III, Pope, Saint (GREGORIO III, PAPA, SANTO)
GREGORY III, Pope, Saint. - A Syrian, learned and active, he was pope from 731 to 741; he continued the struggle against the iconoclasts,… -
Gregory II, Pope, Saint (GREGORIO II, PAPA, SANTO)
GREGORY II, Pope, Saint. - He reigned from 715 to 731. Born in 669 in Rome, he accompanied Pope Constantine I (709-11) to Constantinople… -
Gregory I, Pope, Called the Great (GREGORIO I, PAPA, DETTO MAGNO)
GREGORY I, Pope, Called the Great. - Born in Rome around 540, he ascended to the pontificate on 3 September 590, died on 12 March 604.… -
Gregory I, Pope, Summary (GREGORIO I, PAPA, SUNTO)
GREGORY I, POPE, summary - Marble table of the Roman age which tradition holds served St. G. for the meal of the poor - Rome, S. Gregorio… -
Gregory IV, Pope (GREGORIO IV, PAPA)
GREGORY IV, POPE. - A Roman nobleman, priest of the title of St. Mark, elected pontiff without the intervention of the Emperor Louis the… -
Gregory IX, Pope (GREGORIO IX, PAPA)
GREGORY IX, POPE. - A descendant of the family of the counts of Segni, born at Anagni (probably in 1170 and not, as many assert, in 1140)… -
Gregory VII (Hildebrand), Pope, Saint (GREGORIO VII (ILDEBRANDO), PAPA, SANTO)
GREGORY VII (Hildebrand), Pope, Saint. - I. LIFE OF HILDEBRAND BEFORE HIS PONTIFICATE. - The tradition concerning G.'s family, place and… -
Gregory VIII, Antipope (GREGORIO VIII, ANTIPAPA)
GREGORY VIII, ANTIPOPE. - Maurice Burdino (a nickname meaning donkey), a native of southern France, first a monk at Limoges, having gone to… -
Gregory VIII, Pope (GREGORIO VIII, PAPA)
GREGORY VIII, POPE. - Alberto de Morra, di Benevento, m. a Pisa il 17 dic. 1187, canonico regolare di S. Agostino, del quale istituto fondò… -
Gregory VI, Pope (GREGORIO VI, PAPA)
GREGORY VI, POPE. - Giovanni Graziano; he reigned from 5 May 1045 to 20 Dec. 1046. Archpriest of St. John before the Latin Gate, one of the… -
Gregory V, Pope (996-99) (GREGORIO V, PAPA (996-99))
GREGORY V, POPE (996-99). - Bruno of Carinthia was the first German pope in the Middle Ages. B. in 972, son of Duke Otto of Carinthia, he… -
Gregory XIII, Pope (GREGORIO XIII, PAPA)
GREGORY XIII, POPE. - Ugo Boncompagni, fourth son of Cristoforo, a Bolognese merchant, and of Angela Marescalchi, was born on January 1,… -
Gregory XII, Pope (GREGORIO XII, PAPA)
GREGORY XII, POPE. - Angelo Correr, of an ancient Venetian family, b. in Venice around 1325, patriarch of Constantinople, then cardinal… -
Gregory XI, Pope (GREGORIO XI, PAPA)
GREGORY XI, POPE. - Pierre Roger de Beaufort, son of Guillaume de Beaufort and Marie Chambon, b. in 1329. At the age of 42, elected pope… -
Gregory XIV, Pope (GREGORIO XIV, PAPA)
GREGORY XIV, POPE. - Niccolò Sfondrato, of an ancient Cremonese family, b. at Somma on 11 Feb. 1535. He studied law at Perugia and Padua,… -
Gregory XVI, Pope (GREGORIO XVI, PAPA)
GREGORY XVI, POPE. - Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, b. at Belluno on 18 Sept. 1765 to the nobles Giovanni Battista and Giulia Cesa-Pagani,… -
Gregory XV, Pope (GREGORIO XV, PAPA)
GREGORY XV, POPE. - Alessandro Ludovisi, b. in Bologna on 9 Jan. 1554, was in Rome for two years at the German College, directed by the… -
Guibert of Ravenna, Antipope (GUIBERTO DI RAVENNA, ANTIPAPA)
GUIBERT OF RAVENNA, ANTIPOPE. - He was imperial chancellor for Italy and adhered to the antipope Cadalus in the election of October 1061;… -
Heraclius, Antipope (?) (ERACLIO, ANTIPAPA (?))
HERACLIUS, ANTIPOPE (?). - He is remembered in the Damasan poem in honor of Pope Eusebius. E. was the head of the laxist party that… -
Hilarus (Hilarus), Pope, Saint (ILARO (HILARUS), PAPA, SANTO)
HILARUS (Hilarus), Pope, Saint. - Born in Sardinia, he was archdeacon of the Roman clergy at the time of St. Leo I. In 449 he was sent by… -
Honorius III, Pope (ONORIO III, PAPA)
HONORIUS III, POPE. - Cencio Savelli, cardinal camerarius, author of the liber censuum (v.), succeeded Innocent III in July 1216. He died… -
Honorius II, Pope (ONORIO II, PAPA)
HONORIUS II, POPE. - He reigned from 1124 to 1130. The Sacred College, casting its votes (Dec. 21, 1124), not without difficulty, in favor… -
Honorius I, Pope (ONORIO I, PAPA)
HONORIUS I, POPE. - He was consecrated eight days after the death of his predecessor Boniface V, on 3 November 625, without waiting for the… -
Honorius IV, Pope (ONORIO IV, PAPA)
HONORIUS IV, POPE. - Giacomo Savelli, cardinal deacon of the title of S. Maria in Cosmedin, pope from 1285 to 1287. He was elected… -
Hormisdas, Pope Saint (ORMISDA, PAPA, SANTO)
HORMISDAS, Pope Saint. - Son of Justus, born at Frosinone; already a deacon of Pope Symmachus, he succeeded him in the pontificate on 20… -
Humani Generis
«HUMANI GENERIS». - Encyclical of Pius XII, of Aug. 12, 1950, concerning false opinions that threaten to subvert the foundations of… -
Hyginus, Pope, Saint (IGINO, PAPA, SANTO)
HYGINUS, Pope, Saint. - He is commemorated in the Roman Martyrology on January 11 as a martyr, but no ancient source knows of or recalls… -
Immortal Dei (IMMORTALE DEI)
"IMMORTALE DEI". - It is one of the great encyclicals of Leo XIII (19 Nov. 1885), in which, taking up again the principles of Gregory XVI… -
Ineffabilis Deus
« INEFFABILIS DEUS ». - With these words begins the apostolic letter (dogmatic bull) by which Pius IX defined, on 8 December 1854, the… -
Innocent III, Pope (INNOCENZO III, PAPA)
INNOCENT III, POPE. - Born Lotario, b. at Gavignano (Segni) in 1160 or 1161 to Trasmondo, a member of the local nobility (whence the family… -
Innocent II, Pope (INNOCENZO II, PAPA)
INNOCENT II, POPE. - Gregory, of the Roman family — indeed Trastevere family — of the Papareschi, was perhaps a monk in his youth, then for… -
Innocent IX, Pope (INNOCENZO IX, PAPA)
INNOCENT IX, POPE. - Giovanni Antonio Facchinetti de Nuce, born on July 20, 1519, into a Veronese family that had moved to Bologna. He was… -
Innocent VIII, Pope (INNOCENZO VIII, PAPA)
INNOCENT VIII, POPE. - Born in Genoa in 1432, died in Rome between 25 and 26 July 1492. On the death of the pontiff Sixtus IV, in 1484,… -
Innocent VII, Pope (INNOCENZO VII, PAPA)
INNOCENT VII, POPE. - Cosimo Gentile de' Migliorati, b. at Sulmona around 1336, d. at Rome on 6 Nov. 1406. He entered the Curia, where he… -
Innocent VI, Pope (INNOCENZO VI, PAPA)
INNOCENT VI, POPE. - A native of Limousin, Stephen Aubert was elected pope on 18 Dec. 1352 and crowned on the 30th. He was an esteemed… -
Innocent V, Pope, Blessed (INNOCENZO V, PAPA, BEATO)
INNOCENT V, Pope, Blessed. - Dominican religious, known under the name of Fr. Petrus de Tarantasia, b. in Tarantasia proper (upper Isère… -
Innocent XIII, Pope (INNOCENZO XIII, PAPA)
INNOCENT XIII, POPE. - Michelangiolo Conti, of the dukes of Poli, b. at Poli on 13 May 1655, d. at Rome on 7 March 1724. He was governor of… -
Innocent XII, Pope (INNOCENZO XII, PAPA)
INNOCENT XII, POPE. - Antonio Pignatelli, b. 13 March 1615 near Spinazzola, of a princely Neapolitan family, d. in Rome on 27 Sept. 1700.… -
Innocent XI, Pope (INNOCENZO XI, PAPA)
INNOCENT XI, POPE. - B. at Como on 19 May 1611, d. at Rome on 12 Aug. 1689. Benedetto Odelscalchi, from a wealthy family of merchants, had… -
Innocent X, Pope (INNOCENZO X, PAPA)
INNOCENT X, POPE. - Born in Rome on 7 May 1574, died there on 7 Jan. 1655. G. B. Pamphili, a descendant of a family that had come to Rome… -
Inter Caetera
«INTER CAETERA». - Thus begin two bulls that Alexander VI sent on 3 and 4 May 1493: the first called the bull of donation, the second of… -
John, Abbot of Strumí (GIOVANNI, ABATE DI STRUMÍ)
JOHN, ABBOT OF STRUMÍ. - Died on Sept. 20, 1168, the imperial antipope Paschal III, during the struggle between Frederick Barbarossa and… -
John, Antipope (GIOVANNI, ANTIPAPA)
JOHN, ANTIPOPE. - On the death of Pope Gregory IV (25 Jan. 844) the populace, with violent demonstrations, succeeded in having the deacon… -
John III, Pope (GIOVANNI III, PAPA)
JOHN III, POPE. - He belonged to the Roman aristocracy, being the son of the vir illustris Anastasius; he appears to have been nicknamed… -
John II, Pope (GIOVANNI II, PAPA)
JOHN II, POPE. - He was Roman and his name was Mercurius. Before his pontificate he held the title of St. Clement and carried out notable… -
John I, Pope, Saint (GIOVANNI I, PAPA, SANTO)
JOHN I, Pope, Saint. - Of Tuscan origin, he succeeded Pope Hormisdas in August 523 and died at Ravenna on 18 May 526. Following an inquiry… -
John IV, Pope (GIOVANNI IV, PAPA)
JOHN IV, POPE. - Of a Dalmatian family, the son of a scholasticus, he succeeded the aged pontiff Severinus in 640, while relations between… -
John IX, Pope (GIOVANNI IX, PAPA)
JOHN IX, POPE. - Born at Tivoli, elected in January 898, died in the early years of the 900s. A Benedictine, he was elected by the… -
John VIII, Pope (GIOVANNI VIII, PAPA)
JOHN VIII, POPE. - A Roman, elected on 14 December 872, died on 16 December 882. Archdeacon of the Roman Church for twenty years and a… -
John VII, Pope (GIOVANNI VII, PAPA)
JOHN VII, POPE. - Elected on 1 March 705, d. 18 Oct. 707. A Greek, the son of an imperial official, in 687 he was rector of a "pontifical… -
John VI, Pope (GIOVANNI VI, PAPA)
JOHN VI, POPE. - He succeeded Sergius I and was consecrated on 30 Oct. 701. A Greek by origin, with him Greek influence continued in the… -
John V, Pope (GIOVANNI V, PAPA)
JOHN V, POPE. - Of a Syrian family originally from Antioch, he was elected after the death of the aged pontiff Benedict II and consecrated… -
John XIII, Pope (GIOVANNI XIII, PAPA)
JOHN XIII, POPE. - A Roman, elected on 1 Oct. 965, d. 6 Sept. 972. Born of a certain John "bishop," perhaps of the Crescenzi family, and… -
John XII, Pope (GIOVANNI XII, PAPA)
JOHN XII, POPE. - A Roman, elected on 16 Dec. 955, d. 14 May 964. Octavian, son of Alberic, had been designated at a very young age, by the… -
John XI, Pope (GIOVANNI XI, PAPA)
JOHN XI, POPE. - A Roman, elected in February-March 931, died in December 935. Born of Marozia and, according to a highly questionable… -
John XIV, Pope (GIOVANNI XIV, PAPA)
JOHN XIV, POPE. - N. a Pavia, eletto nel dic. 983, m. il 20 ag. 984. Pietro Canepanova, vescovo di Pavia dal 978 ca. e cancelliere del… -
John XIX, Pope (GIOVANNI XIX, PAPA)
JOHN XIX, POPE. - Elected in April, May 6, 1024, d. in 1032. A Roman of the counts of Tusculum, brother of Benedict VIII, he had been,… -
John X, Pope (GIOVANNI X, PAPA)
JOHN X, POPE. - Elected in March (?) 914, deposed in June 928, d. in 929 (?). Historical tradition, resting above all on Liutprand's… -
John XVI, Antipope (GIOVANNI XVI, ANTIPAPA)
JOHN XVI, ANTIPOPE. - Born at Rossano in Calabria, died in 1013 (?). G. Filagato, a Greek of obscure family who became abbot of Nonantola… -
John XVIII, Pope (GIOVANNI XVIII, PAPA)
JOHN XVIII, POPE. - A Roman, elected in Jan. 1004, d. in July 1009. Named Fasano, cardinal "Sancti Petri", after his elevation to the… -
John XVII, Pope (GIOVANNI XVII, PAPA)
JOHN XVII, POPE. - A Roman, elected in June 1003, d. in December of the same year. John Siccone was given as successor to Sylvester II… -
John XV, Pope (GIOVANNI XV, PAPA)
JOHN XV, POPE. - A Roman, elected in August 985, died in March 996. He is remembered in some lists of popes as John XVI, since another John… -
John XXII, Pope (GIOVANNI XXII, PAPA)
JOHN XXII, POPE. - He reigned from 7 Aug. 1316 to 4 Dec. 1334. Born at Cahors around 1245 ca., James Duèse owed his brilliant career to his… -
John XXI, Pope (GIOVANNI XXI, PAPA)
JOHN XXI, POPE. - Born in Lisbon, probably between 1210 and 1220, elected on 8 September 1276, died on 20 May 1277. Peter of Julian, a… -
John XX, Pope (GIOVANNI XX, PAPA)
JOHN XX, POPE. - A non-existent pontiff, resulting from the splitting in two of the pontificate of John XIV. Cf. the critical note by A.… -
Julius III, Pope (GIULIO III, PAPA)
JULIUS III, POPE. - Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte, b. in Rome on 10 Sept. 1487, d. there on 23 March 1555. He studied letters under the… -
Julius II, Pope (GIULIO II, PAPA)
JULIUS II, POPE. - Giuliano della Rovere, b. at Albissola near Savona in 1445 of an obscure family. His youth was poor; he was, probably… -
Julius I, Pope, Saint (GIULIO I, PAPA, SANTO)
JULIUS I, Pope, Saint. - Elected on 6 February 337, died on 12 April 352. According to the Liber Pontificalis he was Roman, the son of a… -
Lamentabili Sane Exitu
« LAMENTABILI SANE EXITU ». - Decree of the Holy Office of 3-4 July 1907 condemning 65 modernist propositions. After the condemnation of… -
Lando di Sezze, Antipope (LANDO DI SEZZE, ANTIPAPA)
LANDO DI SEZZE, ANTIPOPE. - From a family of German origin, he was elected to the pontificate in Sept. 1179 by the counts of the Roman… -
Landone, Pope (LANDONE, PAPA)
LANDONE, PAPA. - Almost nothing is known about this Pontiff. He was the son of a rich Lombard count of Sabina, named Taino or Raino,… -
Lawrence, Antipope (LORENZO, ANTIPAPA)
LAWRENCE, ANTIPOPE. - After the death of Pope Anastasius I, he was acclaimed pontiff by a part of the clergy and by the majority of the… -
Leo III, Pope (LEONE III, PAPA)
LEO III, pope, saint - The justification of L. III (depicted with the features of L. X). Fresco by G. Romano and P. Del Vaga (16th century)… -
Leo III, Pope, Saint (LEONE III, PAPA, SANTO)
LEO III, Pope, Saint. - Elected on 26 Dec. 795, d. 12 June 816. On the very day of the death of Adrian I, L. was elected, who held the high…