This page is a list of popes by country of origin and nationality. There have been 265 popes, from the continents of

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

, and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. Since the office of

pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

has existed for almost two millennia, many of the countries of origin of popes no longer exist, and so they are grouped under three periods: the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

period, the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

modernity Modernity, a topic in the humanities and social sciences, is both a historical period (the modern era) and the ensemble of particular Society, socio-Culture, cultural Norm (social), norms, attitudes and practices that arose in the wake of the ...

, and since the creation of

Vatican City Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (; ), is a Landlocked country, landlocked sovereign state and city-state; it is enclaved within Rome, the capital city of Italy and Bishop of Rome, seat of the Catholic Church. It became inde ...

with the 1929 Lateran Treaty. Countries are listed in chronological order within each section.

Statistical overview

As of 2025, 265 men have been pope, with at least one pope hailing (in chronological order) from Asia (9), Europe (251), Africa (3), or

the Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.'' Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sin ...

(2). Every pope since Pope Pius XI has been a citizen of

(established in the 1929 Lateran Treaty). *217 popes are from contemporary

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, starting with the second Pope Linus, including all popes with the names Pius, Boniface, and Paul, Pope Benedict IX, and most recently Pope John Paul I. **Most of these were ethnic Italians, but 5 were ethnic Greeks ( Pope Telesphorus, Pope Anterus, Pope Zosimus,

Pope John VI Pope John VI (; 65511 January 705) was the bishop of Rome from 30 October 701 to his death on 11 January 705. John VI was a Greeks, Greek from Ephesus who reigned during the Byzantine Papacy. His papacy was noted for military and political break ...

, and Pope John VII), while Pope Clement XI was an ethnic Albanian. **4 Italian citizens later became naturalized citizens of

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...

, Pope John XXIII,

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

, and Pope John Paul I. *17 from

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and from the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

in contemporary France, including

Savoy Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...

: Pope Sylvester II, Pope Leo IX, Pope Stephen IX,

Pope Nicholas II Pope Nicholas II (; c. 990/995 – 27 July 1061), otherwise known as Gerard of Burgundy, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 January 1059 until his death in 27 July 1061. At the time of his election, he was bish ...

, Pope Urban II, Pope Callistus II, Pope Urban IV, Pope Clement IV, Pope Innocent V, Pope Martin IV,

Pope Clement V Pope Clement V (; – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his death, in April 1314. He is reme ...

Pope John XXII Pope John XXII (, , ; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death, in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Papacy, Avignon Pope, elected by ...

, Pope Benedict XII, Pope Clement VI, Pope Innocent VI, Pope Urban V, and

Pope Gregory XI Pope Gregory XI (; born Pierre Roger de Beaufort; c. 1329 – 27 March 1378) was head of the Catholic Church from 30 December 1370 to his death, in March 1378. He was the seventh and last Avignon pope and the most recent French pope. In 1377, ...

. *9 ethnic

Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...

, with 4 each from contemporary

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

and Italy, while

was from contemporary

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. **4 from contemporary Greece: Pope Anacletus, Pope Hyginus, Pope Eleutherius, Pope Sixtus II. **4 from contemporary Italy: Pope Telesphorus, Pope Anterus, Pope Zosimus , and Pope John VII. **1 from contemporary Turkey:

*6 from Provincia Syria or Bilad al-Sham, contemporary

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

and

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

: the first pope commonly known as Saint Peter,

Pope Anicetus Pope Anicetus ( Greek: Ανίκητος) was the bishop of Rome from c. 157 to his death in April 168.Campbell, Thomas (1907). "Pope St. Anicetus" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company. According to the '' A ...

, Pope John V, Pope Sergius I, Pope Constantine, and Pope Gregory III. *4 from the

in contemporary

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

: Pope Clement II, Pope Damasus II, Pope Victor II, and

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...

. *3 from

Africa Proconsularis Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

, contemporary

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

, western

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

, and eastern

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

Pope Victor I Pope Victor I (died 199) was a Roman African prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Rome in the late second century. The dates of his tenure are uncertain, but one source states he became pope in 189 and gives the year of h ...

, Pope Miltiades, Pope Gelasius I. *2 from the

Holy Land The term "Holy Land" is used to collectively denote areas of the Southern Levant that hold great significance in the Abrahamic religions, primarily because of their association with people and events featured in the Bible. It is traditionall ...

, contemporary

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

, and

: Pope Evaristus and Pope Theodore I. *2 from

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

in contemporary

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

: Pope Caius and Pope John IV. *2 from

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

: Pope Callixtus III and Pope Alexander VI. *2 from

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

: Pope Damasus I and

Pope John XXI Pope John XXI (, , ; – 20 May 1277), born Pedro Julião (), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 September 1276 to his death in May 1277. He is the only ethnically Portuguese pope in history.Richard P. McBrien, ...

. *2 from

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

, contemporary

: Pope Conon and

. *1 from the

in contemporary

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

: Pope Gregory V. *1 from the

in the contemporary

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

: Pope Adrian VI. *1 from

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

: Pope Adrian IV. *1 from

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

. *1 from

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

. *1 from the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

who obtained dual citizenship with

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

Pope Leo XIV Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prevost, September 14, 1955) has been head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State since May 2025. He is the first pope to have been born in the United States and North America, the fir ...

Table of popes by country

Popes from the Roman Empire

These subsections of popes from the Western and Eastern Roman Empires are listed in chronological order.

Syria

These popes are from the Roman and Byzantine province of

, or the

Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a member o ...

province of Bilad al-Sham, corresponding to the contemporary country of

. Pope Peter (c. 30 – c. 67) was a native of Bethsaida, in the contemporary Golan Heights, and became the first pope. Pope Sergius I (687–701) was born to a Syrian family in

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, and is also listed under Byzantine Italy. Pope Constantine (708–715) was from Tyre, Jund al-Urdunn, Bilad al-Sham,

, in contemporary

. Pope Gregory III (731–741) was the last pope from outside Europe until

(2013–2025). * Pope Peter (64–68) *

(c. 154–167) * Pope John V (685–686) * Pope Sergius I (687–701) * Pope Sisinnius (708) * Pope Constantine (708–715) * Pope Gregory III (731–741)

Italy

Roman Italy

Pope Linus (64/67(?)–76/79 (?)) succeeded Peter as the second pope, becoming the first European pope.

Byzantine Italy

Byzantine Sicily

Pope Sergius I (687–701) was born to a Syrian family in

, and is also listed under Syria. * Pope Conon (686–687) * Pope Sergius I (687–701)

Greece

These popes were considered ethnic Greeks, though some came from Italy. * Pope Anacletus (80–92), a native of Rome * Pope Telesphorus (126–137), from

Calabria Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...

, Italy * Pope Hyginus (c. 138 – c. 142), from

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

Pope Eleuterus Pope Eleutherius (; died 24 May 189), also known as Eleutherus (), was the bishop of Rome from c. 174 until his death in 189. His pontificate is alternatively dated to 171–185 or 177–193. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. H ...

(174/175–189), from

Epirus Epirus () is a Region#Geographical regions, geographical and historical region, historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay ...

* Pope Anterus (235–236), from Calabria * Pope Sixtus II (257–258), from Greece * Pope Zosimus (417–418), from Calabria *

(701–705), from

Ephesus Ephesus (; ; ; may ultimately derive from ) was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, in present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of Apasa, the former Arzawan capital ...

(in modern

) * Pope John VII (705–707), from Calabria

Roman Judaea

Pope Peter (c. 30 – c. 67) was born in Bethsaida, Roman Syria before the creation of Judaea Province, in the contemporary Golan Heights. Pope Evaristus (c. 99 – c. 107) was born in Bethlehem, in the contemporary

West Bank The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

. Pope Theodore I (642–649) was born in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

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

Roman Africa

These popes are from the Roman province of

, which corresponds to the coastal parts of

and

(189–199) was the first African pope and was of

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

origin. *

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

Roman Dalmatia

Dalmatia was at the time part of the Roman and

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

s. It is now part of the contemporary Republic of Croatia. * Pope Caius (283–296) * Pope John IV (640–642)

Roman Lusitania

Lusitania Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province encompassing most of modern-day Portugal (south of the Douro River) and a large portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and Province of Salamanca). Romans named the region after th ...

corresponds to present-day

and the southwest part of

. * Pope Damasus I (366–384)

Byzantine Anatolia

, or Asia Minor, was at the time part of the Roman and

s. All popes from here were born during the Byzantine period, in areas now part of the contemporary

Republic of Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. * Pope Conon (686–687) *

(655–705)

Popes from the Middle Ages to modernity

The current concept of

sovereignty Sovereignty can generally be defined as supreme authority. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within a state as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the person, body or institution that has the ultimate au ...

emerged after the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, collectively known as Westphalian sovereignty. However, some historians have argued against this, suggesting that such views emerged during the nineteenth and twentieth century in relation to concerns about sovereignty during that time. These Westphalian states are listed below in chronological order.

Italy

, from the beginning of the Middle Ages until the proclamation of the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

, was divided into numerous city-states and other political entities. Among these, the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy from the 8th c ...

were the birthplace of most of the popes. Other Italian states where more popes were born were the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...

, the

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples (; ; ), officially the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was established by the War of the Sicilian Vespers (1282–1302). Until ...

, the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( ; ; ) was a medieval and early modern Maritime republics, maritime republic from the years 1099 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italy, Italian coast. During the Late Middle Ages, it was a major commercial power in ...

, the

Duchy of Milan The Duchy of Milan (; ) was a state in Northern Italy, created in 1395 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then the lord of Milan, and a member of the important Visconti of Milan, Visconti family, which had been ruling the city since 1277. At that time, ...

and the Florentine Republic and its successor the

Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (; ) was an Italian monarchy located in Central Italy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1860, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In the 19th century the population ...

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

Italy, Holy Roman Empire

* Pope John XIV (983–984) * Pope Alexander II (1061–1073) *

Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII (; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana (), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. One of the great ...

(1073–1085) * Pope Eugene III (1145–1153) * Pope Alexander III (1159–1181) * Pope Lucius III (1181–1185) * Pope Urban III (1185–1187) * Pope Celestine IV (1241) * Pope Gregory X (1271–1276) *

Pope Benedict XI Pope Benedict XI (; 1240 – 7 July 1304), born Nicola Boccasini (Niccolò of Treviso), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 October 1303 to his death on 7 July 1304. Boccasini entered the Order of Preachers i ...

(1303–1304)

Former Italian states with one pope

* Pope Victor III (1086–1087) ''( Duchy of Benevento)'' * Pope Gelasius II (1118–1119) ''( Duchy of Gaeta)'' * Pope Celestine V (1294) ''(

Kingdom of Sicily The Kingdom of Sicily (; ; ) was a state that existed in Sicily and the southern Italian peninsula, Italian Peninsula as well as, for a time, in Kingdom of Africa, Northern Africa, from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 until 1816. It was ...

)'' * Pope Benedict XV (1914–1922) ''( Kingdom of Sardinia)''

Republic of Genoa

* Pope Innocent IV (1243–1254) * Pope Adrian V (1276) * Pope Nicholas V (1447–1455) * Pope Sixtus IV (1471–1484) * Pope Innocent VIII (1484–1492) *

Pope Julius II Pope Julius II (; ; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death, in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope, the Battle Pope or the Fearsome ...

(1503–1513)

Kingdom of Naples

Pope Urban VI Pope Urban VI (; ; c. 1318 – 15 October 1389), born Bartolomeo Prignano (), was head of the Catholic Church from 8 April 1378 to his death, in October 1389. He was the last pope elected from outside the College of Cardinals. His pontificate be ...

(1378–1389) * Pope Boniface IX (1389–1404) * Pope Innocent VII (1404–1406) * Pope Paul IV (1555–1559) * Pope Innocent XII (1691–1700) * Pope Benedict XIII (1724–1730)

Republic of Venice

* Pope Gregory XII (1406–1415) * Pope Eugene IV (1431–1447) * Pope Paul II (1464–1471) * Pope Alexander VIII (1689–1691) * Pope Clement XIII (1758–1769) * Pope Gregory XVI (1831–1846)

Republic of Siena

* Pope Pius II (1458–1464) * Pope Pius III (1503)

Republic of Florence, Duchy of Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany

* Pope Leo X (1513–1521) *

Pope Clement VII Pope Clement VII (; ; born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the most unfortunate o ...

(1523–1534) * Pope Leo XI (1605) *

Pope Urban VIII Pope Urban VIII (; ; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death, in July 1644. As pope, he expanded the papal terri ...

(1623–1644) * Pope Alexander VII (1655–1667) * Pope Clement IX (1667–1669) * Pope Clement XII (1730–1740)

Duchy of Milan

* Pope Pius IV (1559–1565) * Pope Pius V (1566–1572) * Pope Gregory XIV (1590–1591) * Pope Innocent XI (1676–1689)

Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia

* Pope Pius X (1903–1914) * Pope Pius XI (1922–1939)

Austria

The medieval Duchy of Carinthia was part of the

. It is now largely part of contemporary

. The Salian, Pope Gregory V is sometimes referred to as "the first German pope" or as "the only Austrian pope". However, German or Austrian national identities did not exist yet during the

High Middle Ages The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history between and ; it was preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended according to historiographical convention ...

. * Pope Gregory V (996–999) ''( Duchy of Carinthia)''

France

France is the most common non-Italian papal country of origin. Seventeen

s were born in present-day

, all in the second half of the

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

era. The indicated seven popes of the

Avignon Papacy The Avignon Papacy (; ) was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven successive popes resided in Avignon (at the time within the Kingdom of Arles, part of the Holy Roman Empire, now part of France) rather than in Rome (now the capital of ...

were all from France. Since the end of the Avignon Papacy, no French person has been elected pope.

Kingdom of France (medieval)

* Pope Sylvester 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 *

(1305–1314): Bertrand de Got^(A) *

(1316–1334): Jacques d'Euse^(A) * Pope Benedict XII (1334–1342): Jacques Fournier^(A) * Pope Clement VI (1342–1352): Pierre Roger^(A) * Pope Innocent VI (1352–1362): Stephen Aubert^(A) * Pope Urban V (1362–1370): Guillaume de Grimoard^(A) *

(1370–1378): Pierre Roger de Beaufort^(A)

Holy Roman Empire

and Pope Innocent V were from

before it was annexed to France. * Pope Leo IX (1049–1054) ''(

Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...

, Duchy of Swabia''): Bruno, Count of Dagsburg (sometimes referred to as German) * Pope Stephen IX (1057–1058) ''( Duchy of Lorraine)'': Frederick of Lorraine (sometimes referred to as German) *

(1059–1061) ''(

Kingdom of Burgundy Kingdom of Burgundy was a name given to various successive Monarchy, kingdoms centered in the historical region of Burgundy during the Middle Ages. The heartland of historical Burgundy correlates with the border area between France and Switze ...

)'': Gerard of Burgundy * Pope Callixtus II (1119–1124) ''( County of Burgundy)'': Guido of Vienne * Pope Innocent V (1276) ''( Kingdom of Arles)'': Pierre de Tarentaise

Napoleonic France

Pope Leo XIII was born in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

while it was under Napoleonic French occupation and is also listed under Italy. * Pope Leo XII (1823–1829)

Germany

There are up to nine popes who, for various reasons, have been historically referred to as "German" – including the

Ostrogothic The Ostrogoths () were a Roman-era Germanic peoples, Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Goths, Gothic kingdoms within the Western Roman Empire, drawing upon the large Gothic populatio ...

Boniface II, the Austrian Gregory V and the Dutch Adrian VI. However, only three of those were born within present-day Germany; the exact place of birth of Victor II is unknown. * Pope Clement II (1046–1047) ''(

Duchy of Saxony The Duchy of Saxony () was originally the area settled by the Saxons in the late Early Middle Ages, when they were subdued by Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars from 772 CE and incorporated into the Carolingian Empire (Francia) by 804. Upon the 84 ...

)'' * Pope Damasus II (1048) ''( Duchy of Bavaria)'' * Pope Victor II (1055–1057) ''( Duchy of Swabia)''

England

is part of the contemporary

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. * Pope Adrian IV (1154–1159)

Portugal

(1276–1277) (''

Kingdom of Portugal The Kingdom of Portugal was a Portuguese monarchy, monarchy in the western Iberian Peninsula and the predecessor of the modern Portuguese Republic. Existing to various extents between 1139 and 1910, it was also known as the Kingdom of Portugal a ...

'')

Spain

The

Kingdom of Valencia The Kingdom of Valencia (; ; ), located in the eastern shore of the Iberian Peninsula, was one of the component realms of the Crown of Aragon. The Kingdom of Valencia was formally created in 1238 when the Moorish taifa of Valencia was taken in ...

was then part of the possessions of the

Crown of Aragon The Crown of Aragon (, ) ;, ; ; . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona (later Principality of Catalonia) and ended as a consequence of the War of the Sp ...

; it is now part of contemporary

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

Netherlands

Pope Adrian VI was from the Burgundian Netherlands within the Holy Roman Empire and was the last non-Italian elected pope until

in 1978. * Pope Adrian VI (1522–1523) ''( Bishopric of Utrecht)''

Popes since the creation of Vatican City

The Lateran Pacts of 1929 between the

under King Victor Emmanuel III and

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...

and the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

under Pope Pius XI settled the long-standing Roman question brought about by the

unification of Italy The unification of Italy ( ), also known as the Risorgimento (; ), was the 19th century Political movement, political and social movement that in 1861 ended in the Proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, annexation of List of historic states of ...

. Italy agreed to recognize

as an independent state under the sovereignty of the

. Italy also agreed to give the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

financial compensation for the loss of the

. There have been nine popes since the legal creation of

in the 1929 Lateran Treaty: Pope Pius XI,

, Pope John XXIII,

, Pope John Paul I,

, and the current

. All are naturalized citizens of

and are listed below in chronological order.

Italy

Since Pope Pius XI's 1929 Lateran Pacts, all his Italian papal successors were born citizens of the

; no Italian born since Italy became a republic in 1946 has been elected pope. * Pope Pius XI (1922–1939) ''( Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia)'' *

(1939–1958) * Pope John XXIII (1958–1963) *

(1963–1978) * Pope John Paul I (1978)

Poland

was the first non-Italian pope since Adrian VI in the 16th century and was born in the

Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 7 October 1918 and 6 October 1939. The state was established in the final stage of World War I ...

. *

(1978–2005)

Germany

was the second non-Italian pope since Adrian VI in the 16th century and was born in Weimar Germany. *

(2005–2013)

Argentina

was the first pope from the

Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

, and the Southern Hemisphere, and the first born or raised outside Europe since the Syrian Pope Gregory III (731-741). *

(2013–2025)

United States & Peru

is the first pope from

. He was born in the

and became a citizen of

in 2015. *

(2025–present)

Bibliography

* * ''The Incredible Book of Vatican Facts and Papal Curiosities – a treasury of trivia'', Gramercy Books, New York, 1998

Notes

References

External links

* at ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' * * The list of popes is based on the following bibliography: # "Crónica de los Papas": of P.G. Maxwell Stuart, # "Vatican facts": of Nino Lo Bello, # "Saints and Sinners": of historian Eamon Duffy # ''

'' {{Catholic Church footer *

Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

Popes

Statistical overview

Table of popes by country

Popes from the Roman Empire

Syria

Italy

Roman Italy

Byzantine Italy

Byzantine Sicily

Greece

Roman Judaea

Roman Africa

Roman Dalmatia

Roman Lusitania

Byzantine Anatolia

Popes from the Middle Ages to modernity

Italy

Ostrogothic Kingdom

Papal States

Italy, Holy Roman Empire

Former Italian states with one pope

Republic of Genoa

Kingdom of Naples

Republic of Venice

Republic of Siena

Republic of Florence, Duchy of Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany

Duchy of Milan

Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia

Austria

France

Kingdom of France (medieval)

Holy Roman Empire

Napoleonic France

Germany

England

Portugal

Spain

Netherlands

Popes since the creation of Vatican City

Italy

Poland

Germany

Argentina

United States & Peru

See also

Lists

Bibliography

Notes

References

External links