How Many Popes?

The unbroken line of Popes from the Disciple Peter to John XXIII underlies the Roman Catholic claim to be the one true church of Christ. But it is a complex line to trace--as is demonstrated in the Vatican's just-published, red-covered, 1,784-page Pontifical Yearbook for 1961. Missing from the new edition is Pope Stephen II, making Pope John the 261st Pope instead of the 262nd.

Stephen, an obscure Roman presbyter, was elected Pope on March 2-3, 752, but two days later, before he could be crowned, died of apoplexy. His fierce face still stares down at worshipers in the central nave of Rome's St. Paul's Basilica, but the current Yearbook's compiler, Msgr. Angelo Lanzoni, decided that papal coronation should be the criterion.

Most recent previous correction of the papal succession was in 1947, when the Yearbook's compiler decided that Athenian Pope St. Anacletus (circa 100-112) and Roman Pope St. Cletus (circa 78-90) were really the same man; therefore he dropped Anacletus. Confusions and discrepancies abound in ancient records. St. Felix, who died in 365, is erroneously listed as Pope Felix II (355-365); scholars still are not sure whether Dioscorus, who died in 530 and is listed as an antipope,* was not in fact legitimate, or whether Leo VIII (963-965), the candidate of Emperor Otto I who deposed his predecessor, is legitimate after all.

A 12th century error inserted a nonexistent John XV into the reign of John XIV (983-984). This error was compounded by 1) the inclusion of Antipope John XVI (997-998) in the legitimate succession, and 2) the fact that no John XV ever existed. According to these calculations, the present Pope John XXIII is really John XXI.

*A false claimant to the Holy See in opposition to a canonically elected Pope.

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