In Catholic belief and faith, the pope is the successor of Saint Peter, the first bishop of Rome and a key devotee of Jesus. This role gives him the highest spiritual authority in the Church to supervise the matters of faith, morals, and leadership.
Beyond leading ritual and spirituality at St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope engages with world leaders and serves as the bishop of Rome, regularly meeting with thousands of bishops to guide the Church’s direction.
Pope Leo XIV explains his choice of name:
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) May 10, 2025
"... I chose to take the name Leo XIV. There are different reasons for this, but mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution.… pic.twitter.com/bI4F1EBIS8
The chronological list of popes of the Catholic Church shows the leadership of the Catholic Church. In this article, we will explore the list of popes in the 20th and 21st centuries.
List of Popes in the 20th Century | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiff Number | Pontificate Dates | Name (English / Latin) | Personal Name | Age at Start/End | Key Notes | Motto |
| 257 | 4 Aug 1903 – 20 Aug 1914 | St. Pius X / PIVS Decimus | Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto | 68 / 79 | Renewed emphasis on the Eucharist, combated Modernism, promoted Gregorian Chant, and reformed the Roman Breviary. | To restore all things in Christ |
| 258 | 3 Sep 1914 – 22 Jan 1922 | Benedict XV / BENEDICTVS Quintus Decimus | Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa | 59 / 67 | Intervened for peace during WWI, issued the 1917 Code of Canon Law, and supported missionaries. | In Thee, o Lord, have I trusted; let me not be confounded forevermore |
| 259 | 6 Feb 1922 – 10 Feb 1939 | Pius XI / PIVS Undecimus | Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti | 64 / 81 | Signed Lateran Treaty (Vatican City), inaugurated Vatican Radio, refounded Pontifical Academy of Sciences, instituted feast of Christ the King, opposed Nazism and Communism. | The Peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ |
| 260 | 2 Mar 1939 – 9 Oct 1958 | Ven. Pius XII / PIVS Duodecimus | Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli | 63 / 82 | Intervened for peace during WWII (controversial reactions to the Holocaust), eliminated the Italian majority of cardinals, defined the dogma of the Assumption, and issued the encyclical Humani generis on evolution. | The work of justice [shall be] peace |
| 261 | 28 Oct 1958 – 3 Jun 1963 | St. John XXIII / IOANNES Vicesimus Tertius | Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli | 76 / 81 | Opened the Second Vatican Council, intervened for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and encyclical Pacem in terris. | Obedience and peace |
| 262 | 21 Jun 1963 – 6 Aug 1978 | St. Paul VI / PAVLVS Sextus | Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini | 65 / 80 | The last pope was crowned, travelled outside Italy, closed the Second Vatican Council, fostered relations with Eastern Churches, issued the encyclical Humanae vitae, and revised the Crisis and Roman Missal. | With Him on the mountain |
| 263 | 26 Aug 1978 – 28 Sep 1978 | Bl. John Paul I / IOANNES PAVLVS Primus | Albino Luciani | 65 / 65 | The most recent Italian pope, the first pope born in the 20th century, abolished papal coronation, first with "the First" in name, the last to use the sedia gestatoria before the popemobile, and died after 33 days. | Humility |
| 264 | 16 Oct 1978 – 2 Apr 2005 | St. John Paul II / IOANNES PAVLVS Secundus | Karol Józef Wojtyła | 58 / 84 | First Polish/Slavic pope, first non-Italian since the 16th century, one of the longest papacies, extensive travel, founded World Youth Day, signed Joint Declaration on Justification, canonised/popularised many saints, popularised the popemobile. | Totally yours |
Also Read: What Is A Papal Conclave? Who Usually Becomes Pope, And What's Its Election Process?
List of Popes in the 21st Century | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiff Number | Pontificate Dates | Name (English / Latin) | Personal Name | Age at Start/End | Key Notes | Motto |
| 265 | 19 Apr 2005 – 28 Feb 2013 | Benedict XVI / BENEDICTVS Sextus Decimus | Joseph Alois Ratzinger | 78 / 85 | First German pope in centuries, promoted Latin, reintroduced papal garments, elevated the Tridentine Mass, authorised Anglican ordinariates, and resigned from the papacy (Pope Emeritus). | Cooperators of the truth |
| 266 | 13 Mar 2013 – 21 Apr 2025 | Francis / FRANCISCVS | Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J. | 76 / 88 | First pope from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere and a religious institute (Jesuit), new papal name, encyclical Laudato si', facilitated the Cuban thaw, shifted the cardinal majority, first pope to celebrate Mass on the Arabian Peninsula, and restricted Tridentine Mass. | By having mercy and by choosing |
| 267 | 8 May 2025 – Present | Leo XIV / LEO Quartus Decimus | Robert Francis Prevost, O.S.A. | 69 / - | The first pope was born in the United States and North America, and the first was the Augustinian pope. | In the One, [we are] one |
Conclusion
The papacy embodies the spiritual authority and leadership of the Catholic Church, rooted in Saint Peter's legacy. From St. Pius X to Leo XIV, each pope has shaped the Church’s path through doctrinal, moral, and global engagement, reflecting evolving challenges while upholding timeless faith and tradition.
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