An antipope () is a person who claims to be Bishop of Rome, the pope and, depending on the time period, the leader of the Catholic Church. Between the 3rd and mid-15th centuries, antipopes were supported by factions within the church itself and secular rulers. While modern claimants to the papacy still take place, they are rarely given serious consideration by either the public or the church.
Sometimes it was difficult to distinguish which of two claimants should be called pope and which antipope, as in the case of Pope Leo VIII and Pope Benedict V.Of Pope Leo VIII, the Annuario Pontificio, the Holy See's yearbook, says: "At this point, as again in the mid-eleventh century, we come across elections in which problems of harmonizing historical criteria and those of theology and canon law make it impossible to decide clearly which side possessed the legitimacy whose factual existence guarantees the unbroken lawful succession of the Successors of Saint Peter. The uncertainty that in some cases results has made it advisable to abandon the assignation of successive numbers in the list of the Popes" (note 19 to the list of popes in the Annuario Pontificio). Of Pope Benedict V it says: "If Pope Leo VIII was lawful Pope, [...] Benedict V is an antipope" (note 20 to the list of popes).
History Hippolytus of Rome (d. 235) is commonly considered to be the earliest antipope, as he headed a separate group within the church in Rome against Pope Callixtus I. Hippolytus was reconciled to Callixtus's second successor, Pope Pontian, and both he and Pontian are honoured as saints by the Catholic Church with a shared feast day on 13 August. Whether two or more persons have been confused in this account of Hippolytus and whether Hippolytus actually declared himself to be the Bishop of Rome remains unclear, since no such claim by Hippolytus has been cited in the writings attributed to him.
Eusebius quotesHistoria Ecclesiastica, V, 28 from an unnamed earlier writer the story of Natalius, a 3rd-century priest who accepted the bishopric of the Adoptionists, a heretical group in Rome. Natalius soon repented and tearfully begged Pope Zephyrinus to receive him into communion.Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature: Zephyrinus
Novatian (d. 258), another third-century figure, certainly claimed the See of Rome in opposition to Pope Cornelius, and if Natalius and Hippolytus were excluded because of the uncertainties concerning them, Novatian could then be said to be the first antipope.
The period in which antipopes were most numerous was during the struggles between the popes and the Holy Roman Emperors of the 11th and 12th centuries. The emperors frequently imposed their own nominees to further their own causes. The popes, likewise, sometimes sponsored rival imperial claimants (anti-kings) in Germany to overcome a particular emperor.
The Western Schism – which began in 1378, when the French cardinals, claiming that the election of Pope Urban VI was invalid, elected antipope Clement VII as a rival to the Roman Pope – led eventually to two competing lines of antipopes: the Avignon line as Clement VII moved back to Avignon, and the Pisan line. The Pisan line, which began in 1409, was named after the town of Pisa, Italy, where the (Pisan) council had elected antipope Alexander V as a third claimant. To end the schism, in May 1415, the Council of Constance deposed antipope John XXIII of the Pisan line. Pope Gregory XII of the Roman line resigned in July 1415. In 1417, the council also formally deposed antipope Benedict XIII of Avignon, but he adamantly refused to resign. Afterwards, Pope Martin V was elected and was accepted everywhere except in the small and rapidly diminishing area of influence of Benedict XIII.
Historical antipopes
The following table gives the names of the antipopes included in the list of popes and antipopes in the Annuario Pontificio, with the addition of the names of Natalius (in spite of doubts about his historicity) and antipope Clement VIII (whose following was insignificant).
An asterisk marks those who were included in the conventional numbering of later popes who took the same name. More commonly, the antipope is ignored in later papal regnal numbers; for example, there was an antipope John XXIII, but the Pope John elected in 1958 is also called John XXIII. For the additional confusion regarding popes named John, see Pope John numbering.
The list of popes and antipopes in the Annuario Pontificio attaches the following note to the name of Pope Leo VIII (963–965):
At this point, as again in the mid-11th century, we come across elections in which problems of harmonising historical criteria and those of theology and canon law make it impossible to decide clearly which side possessed the legitimacy whose factual existence guarantees the unbroken lawful succession of the successors of Saint Peter. The uncertainty that in some cases results has made it advisable to abandon the assignation of successive numbers in the list of the popes.
Thus, because of the obscurities about mid-11th-century canon law and the historical facts, the Annuario Pontificio lists Sylvester III as a pope, without thereby expressing a judgement on his legitimacy. The Catholic Encyclopedia places him in its List of Popes, but with the annotation: "Considered by some to be an antipope". Other sources classify him as an antipope.
As Celestine II resigned before being consecrated and enthroned in order to avoid a schism, Oxford's A Dictionary of Popes (2010) considers he "... is classified, unfairly, as an antipope", an opinion historian Salvador Miranda also shares.
Those with asterisks (*) were counted in subsequent papal numbering.
Pontificate Common English name Regnal (Latin) name Personal name Place of birth Age at election/resignation or death Time as antipope (days) Notes In opposition to Natalius Natalius Natalius Rome, Roman Empire 38 / 48 () Later reconciled (see above) Zephyrinus 20 Dec 217 – 28 Sep 235 Saint Hippolytus Hippolytus Hippolytus 170 Rome, Roman Empire 45 / 65 (66) () Later reconciled with Pope Pontian (see above) Callixtus IUrban IPontian Mar 251 – Aug 258 Novatian Novatianus Novatian c. 200 Rome, Roman Empire 51 / 58 (†93) () Founder of Novatianism CorneliusLucius IStephen ISixtus II20 Apr 309 – 16 Aug 310 Heraclius Heraclius Heraclius c. 265 Rome, Roman Empire 45 / 46 () Eusebius355 – 26 Nov 365 Felix II* Felix secundus Felix c. 270 Rome, Roman Empire 80 / 90 () Installed by Roman Emperor Constantius II Liberius1 Oct 366 – 16 Nov 367 Ursicinus Ursicinus Ursinus c. 300 Rome, Roman Empire 66 / 67 () Damasus I27 Dec 418 – 3 Apr 419 Eulalius Eulalius Eulalius c. 370 Rome, Roman Empire 38 / 39 (†42) Boniface I22 Nov 498 – Aug 506/08 Laurentius Laurentius Lorenzo Celio c. 460 Rome, Roman Empire 38 / 46 (†48) () Supported by Byzantine emperor Anastasius I Symmachus22 Sep 530 – 14 Oct 530 Dioscorus Dioscurus Dióskoros c. 450 Alexandria 70 / 70 Boniface II16 Jun 687 – 21 Sep 687 Theodore Theodorus Theodore c. 599 Rome, Duchy of Rome 88 / 88 (†92) Sergius I21 Sep 687 – 27 Dec 687 Paschal (I) Paschalis Pascale c. 598 Rome, Duchy of Rome 89 / 89 (†94) 28 Jun 767 – 6 Aug 768 Constantine II Constantinus secundus Konstantinus c. 700 Rome, Duchy of Rome 67 / 68 (†69) () Between Paul I and Stephen III31 Jul 768 Philip Philippus Philip c. 701 Rome, Duchy of Rome 68 / 68 (†99) Installed by envoy of Lombard King Desiderius Stephen III25 Jan – 31 May 844 John VIII Joannes octavus Giovanni c. 800 Rome, Papal States 44 / 44 (†91) Elected by acclamation Sergius IIJan 855 – 31 Mar 855 Anastasius III Bibliothecarius Anastasius tertius Anastasius c. 810 Rome, Papal States 45 / 45 (†68) Benedict III3 Oct 903 – 27 Jan 904 Christopher Christophorus Christoforo c. 850 Rome, Papal States 53 / 54 Between Leo V and Sergius III6 December 963 – 26 February 964 Leo VIII* Leo octavus Leone c. 915 Rome, Papal States 48 / 49 Installed by emperor Otto the Great, opposed to John XII, later succeeded Benedict V as a legitimate Pope John XIIJul 974 Boniface VII* Bonifacius Franco Ferrucci c. 900 Rome, Papal States 73 / 73 and 84 / 85 and (364 total) Between Benedict VI and Benedict VII20 Aug 984 – 20 Jul 985 Between John XIV and John XVApr 997 – Feb 998 John XVI* Joannes John Filagatto c. 941 Rossano, Calabria, Papal States (Italy) 56 / 56 (†59) () Supported by Byzantine emperor Basil II Gregory VJun 1012 Gregory VI Gregorius Sextus Gregorio c. 960 Rome, Papal States 52 / 52 (†60) Benedict VIII4 Apr 1058 – 24 Jan 1059 Benedict X* Benedictus Decimus Giovanni Mincio dei Conti di Tusculo Rome, Papal States, 58 / 59 (†80) Supported by the Counts of Tusculum Nicholas IIJuly 1061 – 31 May 1064 Honorius II Honorius Secundus Pietro Cadalus 1010 Verona, Papal States 51 / 54 (†62) () Supported by Agnes, regent of the Holy Roman Empire Alexander II 25 Jun 1080, 21 Mar 1084 – 8 Sep 1100Clement III Clemens Tertius Guibert of Ravenna Parma, Papal States 51 / 51, 54 / 71 () Supported by Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor Gregory VIIVictor IIIUrban IIPaschal II8 Sep 1100 – Jan 1101 Theodoric Theodoricus Theodoro Rome, Papal States, 70 / 71 (†72) Successor to Clement III Paschal IIJan 1101 – Feb 1102 Adalbert or Albert Adalbertus Albert Atella, Campania, Papal States, 55 / 56 (†85) Successor to Theodoric8 Nov 1105 – 11 Apr 1111 Sylvester IV Sylvester Quartus Maginulf c. 1050 Rome, Papal States 49 / 55 (†56) () Supported by Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor10 Mar 1118 – 22 Apr 1121 Gregory VIII Gregorius Octavus Maurice Burdain c. 1057 Limousin, Occitania, France 61 / 65 (†72) () Gelasius IICallixtus II16 Dec 1124 Celestine II Cœlestinus Secundus Teobaldo Boccapecci c. 1050 Rome, Papal States 74 / 74 (†86) Honorius II14 Feb 1130 – 25 Jan 1138 Anacletus II Anacletus Secundus Pietro Pierleoni c. 1090 Rome, Papal States 48 / 48 () Innocent II25 Jan 1138 – 28 Mar 1138 Victor IV Victor Quartus Gregorio Conti c. 1057 Ceccano, Papal States 81 / 81 (†90) Successor to Anacletus II7 Sep 1159 – 20 Apr 1164 Victor IV Victor Quartus Ottavio di Montecelio c. 1095 Tivoli, Papal States 64 / 69 () Supported by Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor Alexander III22 Apr 1164 – 28 Sep 1168 Paschal III Paschalis Tertius Guido di Crema c. 1110 Crema, Lombardy, Papal States 54 / 58 ()Sep 1168 – 29 Aug 1178 Callixtus III Callixtus Tertius Giovanni of Struma c. 1090 Arezzo, Papal States 78 / 88 (†90) ()29 Sep 1179 – Jan 1180 Innocent III Innocentius Tertius Lanzo of Sezza c. 1120 Sezze, Papal States 59 / 60 (†63) 12 May 1328 – 12 Aug 1330 Nicholas V Nicolaus Quintus Pietro Rainalducci c. 1258 Corvaro, Papal States 70 / 74 () Supported by Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor John XXII 20 Sep 1378 – 16 Sep 1394 Clement VII Clemens Robert of Geneva 1342 Annecy, France 36 / 52 () Avignon Urban VI Boniface IX 28 Sep 1394 – 23 May 1423 Benedict XIII Benedictus Pedro de Luna 25 November 1328 Illueca, Aragon 65 / 94 () AvignonInnocent VIIGregory XIIMartin V25 Jun 1409 – 3 May 1410 Alexander V* Alexander Pietro Philarghi c. 1339 Crete, Republic of Venice 70 / 71 () Pisa Gregory XII25 May 1410 – 29 May 1415 John XXIII Ioannes Vicecimus Tertius Baldassare Cossa c. 1365 45 / 50 (†54) () Pisa10 Jun 1423 – 26 Jul 1429 Clement VIII Clemens Octavus Gil Sánchez Muñoz y Carbón 1370 Teruel, Aragon 52 / 59 (†77) () Avignon Martin V1424–1430 Benedict XIV Benedictus Quartus Decimus Bernard Garnier 1370 France 54 / 59 (†89) () Claimed successor to Benedict XIII – aka the hidden pope1430–1437 Benedict XIV Benedictus Quartus Decimus Jean Carrier c. 1370 France 59 / 66 () 5 Nov 1439 – 7 Apr 1449 Felix V Fœlix Duke Amadeus VIII of Savoy 4 September 1383 Chambéry, Savoy 56 / 65 (†67) () Elected by the Council of Basel Eugene IVNicholas V
Pseudocardinals