List of popes by country

This page is a list of popes by country of origin. They are listed in chronological order within each section.

As the office of pope has existed for almost two millennia, many of the countries of origin of popes no longer exist, and so they are grouped under their modern equivalents.

Overview

There have been 266 popes, of which:

• 217 from Italy
• 17 from France (Pope Sylvester II, Pope Stephen IX, Pope Urban II, Pope Callistus II, Pope Urban IV, Pope Clement IV, Pope Martin IV, Pope Clement V, Pope Nicholas II, Pope Innocent V, Pope John XXII, Pope Benedict XII, Pope Clement VI, Pope Innocent VI, Pope Urban V, Pope Gregory X)
• 6 from Germany (Pope Gregory V, Pope Clement II, Pope Damasus II, Pope Victor II, Pope Leo IX, and Pope Benedict XVI)
• 4 from Greece (Pope Anacletus, Pope Hyginus, Pope Eleutherius, and Pope Sixtus II)
• 5 from Syria (Pope Anicetus, Pope John V, Pope Sisinnius, Pope Constantine, and Pope Gregory III)
• 3 from the Holy Land (Pope Peter, Pope Evaristus, and Pope Theodore I)
• 3 from Africa proconsularis^[1] (Pope Victor I, Pope Miltiades, Pope Gelasius I)
• 2 from Dalmatia in modern-day Croatia (Pope Caius and Pope John IV)
• 2 from Spain (Pope Callixtus III and Pope Alexander VI)
• 2 from Portugal (Pope Damasus I and Pope John XXI)
• 1 from England (Pope Adrian IV)
• 1 from the Netherlands (Pope Adrian VI)
• 2 from Anatolia in modern-day Turkey (Pope John VI and Pope Conon)
• 1 from Poland (Pope John Paul II)
• 1 from Argentina (Pope Francis)

Statistics table

Popes from the Roman and Byzantine Empire

Roman Africa

These popes are from the Roman province of Africa, which corresponds to the northwest coast of the continent.

• Pope Victor I (189–199)
• Pope Miltiades (311–314)
• Pope Gelasius I (492–496)

Roman Dalmatia

Dalmatia was at the time part of the Roman and Byzantine Empires. It is now part of the modern Republic of Croatia.

• Pope Caius (283–296)
• Pope John IV (640–642)

Greeks

• Pope Telesphorus (126–137)
• Pope Hyginus (c. 138 – c. 140)
• Pope Eleuterus (174/175–189)
• Pope Anterus (235–236)
• Pope Sixtus II (257–258)
• Pope Dionysius (259–268)
• Pope Zosimus (417–418)
• Pope John VI (701–705)
• Pope John VII (705–707)

Roman Italy

• Pope Linus (64/67(?)–76/79 (?))
• Pope Anacletus (76/79(?)–88)
• Pope Clement I (88/92–97/101)
• Pope Alexander I (c.106–c.115)
• Pope Sixtus I (117/119(?)–126/128(?)
• Pope Pius I (c. 140 – c. 154)
• Pope Soter (c. 166 – 174/175)
• Pope Zephyrinus (199–217)
• Pope Callixtus I (c. 217 – 222)
• Pope Pontian (230–235)
• Pope Urban I (222–230)
• Pope Fabian (236–250)
• Pope Cornelius (251–253)
• Pope Lucius I (253–254)
• Pope Stephen I (254–257)
• Pope Felix I (269–274)
• Pope Marcellinus (296–304?)
• Pope Marcellus I (308–309)
• Pope Sylvester I (314–335)
• Pope Mark (336)
• Pope Julius I (337–352)
• Pope Liberius (352–366)
• Pope Siricius (384–399)
• Pope Anastasius I (399–401)
• Pope Innocent I (401–417)
• Pope Boniface I (418–422)
• Pope Celestine I (422–432)
• Pope Sixtus III (432–440)
• Pope Leo I (440–461)
• Pope Hilarius (461–468)
• Pope Simplicius (468–483)
• Pope Felix III (483–492)
• Pope Anastasius II (496–398)
• Pope Symmachus (498–514)

• Pope Silverius (536–537)

Byzantine Italy

• Pope Pelagius I (556–561)
• Pope John III (561–574)
• Pope Pelagius II (579–590)
• Pope Gregory I (590–604)
• Pope Sabinian (604–606)
• Pope Boniface III (607)
• Pope Boniface IV (608–615)
• Pope Adeodatus I (615–618)
• Pope Boniface V (619–625)
• Pope Honorius I (625–638)
• Pope Severinus (636–640)
• Pope Martin I (649–653)
• Pope Eugene I (654–657)
• Pope Vitalian (657–672)
• Pope Adeodatus II (672–676)
• Pope Donus (676–678)
• Pope Agatho (678–681)
• Pope Leo II (682–683)
• Pope Benedict I (575–579)
• Pope Benedict II (684–685)
• Pope Sergius I (687–701)
• Pope Gregory II (715–731)
• Pope Zachary (741–752)
• Pope Stephen III (768–772)
• Pope Stephen II (752–757)
• Pope Stephen IV (816–817)

Roman Galilee and Iudaea Province

• Saint Peter (c. 30 – c. 67)
• Pope Evaristus (c. 99 – c. 107)
• Pope Theodore I (642–649)

Roman Sardinia

• Pope Eusebius (309/310)
• Pope John V (685–686)
• Pope Sisinnius (708)
• Pope Constantine (708–715)
• Pope Gregory III (731–741)

Roman and Byzantine Syria

• Pope Anicetus (c. 154–167)
• Pope John V (685–686)
• Pope Sisinnius (708)
• Pope Constantine (708–715)
• Pope Gregory III (731–741)

Lusitania Province

Lusitania corresponds to present-day #Portugal.

• Pope Damasus I (366–384)

Byzantine Sicily

• Pope Conon (686–687)

Popes by nationality

The concept of nationality only arose during the middle ages.

Argentina

• Pope Francis (2013–present)

England

England is part of the modern United Kingdom.

• Pope Adrian IV (1154–1159)

France

French is the most common non-Italian papal ancestry. Seventeen popes have had French ancestry, all in the second half of the medieval era. The seven popes of the Avignon Papacy were French and are bolded. Since the end of the Avignon Papacy, no French person has been elected pope.

Kingdom of France (medieval)

• Pope Silvester II (999–1003): Gerbert of Aurillac
• Pope Urban II (1088–1099): Otho of Lagery (or Otto or Odo)
• Pope Urban IV (1261–1264): Jacques Pantaléon
• Pope Clement IV (1265–1268): Guy Foulques
• Pope Martin IV (1281–1285): Simon de Brie
• Pope Clement V (1305–1314): Bertrand de Got
• Pope John XXII (1316–1334): Jacques d'Euse
• Pope Benedict XII (1334–1342): Jacques Fournier
• Pope Clement VI (1342–1352): Pierre Roger
• Pope Innocent VI (1352–1362): Stephen Aubert
• Pope Urban V (1362–1370): Guillaume de Grimoard
• Pope Gregory XI (1370–1378): Pierre Roger de Beaufort

Holy Roman Empire

• Pope Leo IX (1049–1054) (Alsace, Duchy of Swabia): Bruno, Count of Dagsbourg
• Pope Stephen IX (1057–1058) (Duchy of Lorraine): Frederick of Lorraine
• Pope Nicholas II (1059–1061) (Kingdom of Arles): Gerard of Burgundy
• Pope Callixtus II (1119–1124) (County of Burgundy): Guido of Vienne
• Pope Innocent V (1276) (Kingdom of Arles): Pierre de Tarentaise

Germany

Holy Roman Empire

• Pope Stephen VIII (939–942)
• Pope Gregory V (996–999) (Duchy of Saxony)
• Pope Clement II (1046–1047) (Duchy of Saxony)
• Pope Damasus II (1048) (Duchy of Bavaria)
• Pope Victor II (1055–1057)

Netherlands

The Netherlands were at the time part of the Holy Roman Empire.

• Pope Adrian VI (1522–1523) (Bishopric of Utrecht)

Federal Republic of Germany

• Pope Benedict XVI (2005–2013)

Italian peninsula

Ostrogothic Kingdom

• Pope Hormisdas (514–523)
• Pope John I (523–526)
• Pope Felix IV (526–530)
• Pope Boniface II (530–532)
• Pope John II (533–535)
• Pope Agapetus I (535–536)
• Pope Vigilius (537–555)

Papal States

• Pope Paul I (757–767)
• Pope Adrian I (772–795)
• Pope Leo III (795–816)
• Pope Paschal I (817–824)
• Pope Eugene II (824–827)
• Pope Valentine (827)
• Pope Gregory IV (827–844)
• Pope Sergius II (844–847)
• Pope Leo IV (847–855)
• Pope Benedict III (855–858)
• Pope Nicholas I (858–867)
• Pope Adrian II (867–872)
• Pope John VIII (872–882)
• Pope Marinus I (882–884)
• Pope Adrian III (884–885)
• Pope Stephen V (885–891)
• Pope Formosus (891–896)
• Pope Boniface VI (896)
• Pope Stephen VI (896–897)
• Pope Romanus (897)
• Pope Theodore II (897)
• Pope John IX (898–900)
• Pope Benedict IV (900–903)
• Pope Leo V (903)
• Pope Sergius III (904–911)
• Pope Anastasius III (911–913)
• Pope Lando (913–914)
• Pope John X (914–928)
• Pope Leo VI (928)
• Pope Stephen VII (928–931)
• Pope John XI (931–935)
• Pope Leo VII (936–939)
• Pope Marinus II (942–946)
• Pope Agapetus II (946–955)
• Pope John XII (955–964)
• Pope Benedict V (964)
• Pope Leo VIII (963–965)
• Pope John XIII (965–972)
• Pope Benedict VI (973–974)
• Pope Benedict VII (974–983)
• Pope John XV (985–996)
• Pope John XVII (1003)
• Pope John XVIII (1004–1009)
• Pope Sergius IV (1009–1012)
• Pope Benedict VIII (1012–1024)
• Pope John XIX (1024–1032)
• Pope Benedict IX (1032–1048)
• Pope Sylvester III (1045)
• Pope Gregory VI (1045–1046)
• Pope Gregory VII (1073–1085)
• Pope Victor III (1086–1087)
• Pope Paschal II (1099–1118)
• Pope Gelasius II (1118–1119)
• Pope Honorius II (1124–1130)
• Pope Innocent II (1130–1143)
• Pope Celestine II (1143–1144)
• Pope Lucius II (1144–1145)
• Pope Eugene III (1145–1153)
• Pope Anastasius IV (1153–1154)
• Pope Alexander III (1159–1181)
• Pope Lucius III (1181–1185)
• Pope Gregory VIII (1187)
• Pope Clement III (1187–1191)
• Pope Celestine III (1191–1198)
• Pope Innocent III (1198–1216)
• Pope Honorius III (1216–1227)
• Pope Gregory IX (1227–1241)
• Pope Celestine IV (1241)
• Pope Alexander IV (1254–1261)
• Pope Gregory X (1271–1276)
• Pope Nicholas III (1277–1280)
• Pope Honorius IV (1285–1287)
• Pope Nicholas IV (1288–1292)
• Pope Celestine V (1294)
• Pope Boniface VIII (1294–1303)
• Pope Benedict XI (1303–1304)
• Pope Urban VI (1378–1389)
• Pope Boniface IX (1389–1404)
• Pope Martin V (1417–1431)
• Pope Nicholas V (1447–1455)
• Pope Pius II (1458–1464)
• Pope Paul II (1464–1471)
• Pope Sixtus IV (1471–1484)
• Pope Innocent VIII (1484–1492)
• Pope Pius III (1503)
• Pope Julius II (1503–1513)
• Pope Paul III (1534–1549)
• Pope Julius III (1550–1555)
• Pope Marcellus II (1555)
• Pope Paul IV (1555–1559)
• Pope Pius IV (1559–1565)
• Pope Pius V (1566–1572)
• Pope Gregory XIII (1572–1585)
• Pope Sixtus V (1585–1590)
• Pope Urban VII (1590)
• Pope Gregory XIV (1590–1591)
• Pope Innocent IX (1591)
• Pope Paul V (1605–1621)
• Pope Gregory XV (1621–1623)
• Pope Innocent X (1644–1655)
• Pope Alexander VII (1655–1667)
• Pope Clement IX (1667–1669)
• Pope Clement X (1670–1676)
• Pope Innocent XI (1676–1689)
• Pope Innocent XII (1691–1700)
• Pope Clement XI (1700–1721)
• Pope Innocent XIII (1721–1724)
• Pope Benedict XIII (1724–1730)
• Pope Benedict XIV (1740–1758)
• Pope Clement XIII (1758–1769)
• Pope Clement XIV (1769–1774)
• Pope Pius VI (1775–1799)
• Pope Pius VII (1800–1823)
• Pope Leo XII (1823–1829)
• Pope Pius VIII (1829–1830)
• Pope Gregory XVI (1831–1846)
• Pope Pius IX (1846–1878)
• Pope Leo XIII (1878–1903)

Italy in the Holy Roman Empire

• Pope John XIV (983–984)
• Pope Alexander II (1061–1073)
• Pope Urban III (1185–1187)

Republic of Genoa

• Pope Innocent IV (1243–1254)
• Pope Adrian V (1276)
• Pope Innocent VII (1404–1406)

Republic of Venice

• Pope Gregory XII (1406–1415)
• Pope Eugene IV (1431–1447)
• Pope Alexander VIII (1689–1691)

Republic of Florence/Duchy of Florence/Grand Duchy of Tuscany

• Pope Eutychian (275–283)
• Pope Leo X (1513–1521)
• Pope Clement VII (1523–1534)
• Pope Clement VIII (1592–1605)
• Pope Leo XI (1605)
• Pope Urban VIII (1623–1644)
• Pope Clement XII (1730–1740)

Kingdom of Italy (modern) and Italian Republic

• Pope Pius X (1903–1914)
• Pope Benedict XV (1914–1922)
• Pope Pius XI (1922–1939)
• Pope Pius XII (1939–1958)
• Pope John XXIII (1958–1963)
• Pope Paul VI (1963–1978)
• Pope John Paul I (1978)

Poland

• Pope John Paul II (1978–2005)

Portugal

• Pope John XXI (1276–1277)

Spain

Valencia

The Kingdom of Valencia was then part of the possessions of the Crown of Aragon; it is now part of modern Spain.

• Pope Callixtus III (1455–1458)
• Pope Alexander VI (1492–1503)

Bibliography

• Saints and Sinners, a History of the Popes. Yale University Press. 1997. ISBN 0-300-07332-1.
• The Incredible Book of Vatican Facts and Papal Curiosities – a treasury of trivia, Gramercy Books, New York, 1998 ISBN 0-517-22083-0

References

External links

• "Every Pope ever: the full list". at The Guardian
• "Lista de los Papas: y comentarios triviales". rcadena.net (in Spanish). Translated by R. Cadena Cepeda. Archived from the original on April 15, 2002. Retrieved Aug 13, 2018. San Pedro (32 AD-67). Judío, Pescador. Nació en 4 A.C. Casado, con una hija: Petronila. Nombre arameo: Simón Bar- Jona. * The list of Popes is based on the following bibliography:

1. "Crónica de los Papas": of P.G. Maxwell Stuart,
2. "Vatican facts": of Nino Lo Bello,
3. "Saints and Sinners": of historician Eamon Duffy
4. Liber Pontificalis