Pope Saint Pontian

Pope Saint Pontian, who reigned from 230-235, holds the distinction of being the first pontiff to abdicate.

Pope Saint Hormisdas

Pope St. Hormisdas, once married with a son who also became Pope, ended the Laurentian schism and strongly backed St. Symmachus against antipope Lawrence.

Pope Saint Benedict XI

He was the author of a volume of sermons and commentaries on a part of the Gospel of Saint Matthew, the Psalms, the Book of Job and the Apocalypse.

Pope Saint Celestine V

Pope Saint Celestine V reigned a mere five months. The primary objective of his pontificate was to reform clergy. He abdicated on 13 December 1294, the last pope to do so until Pope Benedict XVI.

Pope Saint John I

Little is known of Pope Saint John I's life before he took office as pope, except that he was born in Tuscany. After a journey to Constantinople concerning Ariansism, he was arrested by Theordric, Arian king of the Ostrogoths. Worn out by his journey and probably starved, John died in prison soon after. Pope St. John I is honored as a martyr.

Pope Saint Pius V

Pope Saint Pius V (1566-1572) was a Domincan. He called the Council of Trent, Excommunicated Elizabeth I of England for schism, was the patron Palestrina, and organized the Holy League for the defense against the Ottomans at the Battle of Lepanto.

Pope Saint Cletus

Pope Saint Cletus, the third Pope, governed the Roman Church from about 76 to about 88 during the reigns of the Emperor Vespasian and of Domitian.

Pope Saint Sylvester

Pope Saint Sylvester surely was appointed by God to govern his holy church in the first years of her temporal prosperity and triumph over her persecuting enemies. His pontificate was one of the most important, crucial and eventful of all Popes.

Pope Saint Cornelius

Pope Saint Cornelius (251-253) whose feast day is September 16th. A Roman priest, Cornelius was elected Pope to succeed Fabian in an election delayed fourteen months by Decius' persecution of the Christians. The main issue of his pontificate was the treatment to be accorded Christians who had been apostasized during the persecution.
Pope St. Soter

Pope St. Soter

Pope Saint Soter (died 174) was the Bishop of Rome, succeeding Pope St. Anicetus, during the latter half of the 2nd Century with his pontificate,...