List of popes

While the term "Pope" (Latin: papa "father'") is used in several churches to denote their high spiritual leaders, this title in English usage generally refers to the supreme earthly head of the Catholic Church. The title itself has been used officially by the head of the Catholic Church since the tenure of Pope Siricius.

Hermannus Contractus may have been the first historian to number the popes continuously. His list ends in 1049 with Pope Leo IX as the number 154. On that basis, the current Pope Benedict XVI would be the 267th pope.

There is no official list of popes, but the Annuario Pontificio, published every year by the Vatican, contains a list that is generally considered to be the most authoritative. Its list is the one given here. The Annuario Pontificio's list gives Benedict XVI as the 265th pope.

Several changes have been made in the list during the 20th century. Antipope Christopher was considered legitimate for a long time. Pope-elect Stephen was considered legitimate under the name Stephen II until the 1961 edition and erased then. Although these changes are no longer controversial, a number of modern lists still include this "first Pope Stephen II". It is probable that this is because they are based on the 1913 edition of the Catholic Encyclopaedia, which is in the public domain.