List of popes who died violently

A collection of popes have had violent deaths through the centuries. The circumstances have ranged from martyrdom (Pope Stephen I)^[1] to war (Lucius II),^[2] to a beating by a jealous husband (Pope John XII). A number of other popes have died under circumstances that some believe to be murder, but for which definitive evidence has not been found.

Martyr popes

Saint Peter (c. 67), traditionally martyred by upside-down crucifixion^[3]
Pope Linus (Saint) (c. 67 – c. 76)^[4]^[5]
Pope Anacletus or Cletus (Saint) (c. 79 – c. 92)^[6]^[4]
Pope Clement I (Saint) (c. 92 – c. 99), thrown into sea with anchor around his neck^[4]
Pope Evaristus (c. 99 – c. 108),^[4]^[5] not listed in the Roman Martyrology but executed^[7]
Pope Sixtus I (Saint) (c. 119 – c. 128)^[4]^[5]
Pope Telesphorus (Saint) (c. 128 – c. 138)^[4]^[8]
Pope Anicetus (Saint) (155–166), traditionally martyred^[4]
Pope Soter (Saint) (166–175), died a martyr ^[4]
Pope Eleuterus (Saint) (175–189), died a martyr^[4]
Pope Victor I (Saint) 189–199, died a martyr^[4]
Pope Calixtus I (Saint) (217–222), died a martyr^[4]
Pope Urban I (Saint) 222–230, died a martyr^[4]
Pope Pontian (Saint) 230–235, condemned to mines in Sardinia and died on island of Tavolara^[4]
Pope Anterus (Saint), elected 21 November 235, martyred at hands of Emperor Maximus^[4]
Pope Fabian (Saint), elected 10 January 236 and died a martyr during persecution and decapitated by Decius^[4]
Pope Cornelius (Saint), elected March 251 and died a martyr June 253^[4]
Pope Lucius I (Saint), elected 25 June 253 and martyred 5 March 254^[4]
Pope Stephen I (Saint), elected 12 May 254 and martyred 2 August 257^[4]^[1]
Pope Sixtus II (Saint), elected 30 August 257 and martyred 6 August 258^[4]
Pope Dionysius (Saint), elected 22 July 259 after year of persecutions and died 26 December 268, martyred^[4]
Pope Felix I (Saint), elected 5 January 269 and died 30 December 274, martyred^[4]
Pope Eutychian (Saint), elected 4 January 275 and martyred 7 December 283^[4]
Pope Caius (Saint), elected 17 December 283 and martyred 22 April 296 but not at hands of his uncle Diocletian^[4]
Pope Marcellinus (Saint), elected 30 June 296 and martyred 25 October 10 during persecution of Diocletian^[4]
Pope Marcellus I (Saint), elected 27 May 308 after 4-year vacancy and martyred 16 January 309^[4]
Pope Eusebius (Saint), elected 18 April 309 and martyred in Sicily 17 August 309.^[4]^[9]
Pope John I (Saint), elected 13 August 523, during the Ostrogothic occupation of the Italian peninsula. Was sent as an envoy by Ostrogoth king Theodoric the Great to Constantinople. Upon return, Theodoric accused John I of conspiracy with the Byzantine empire. Imprisoned and starved to death on 18 May 526.^[4]
Pope Martin I (Saint) Elected in 649. Died in exile 16 September 655.

Murdered popes

John VIII (872–882), poisoned and then clubbed to death^[10]
Stephen VI (896–897), strangled^[11]
Leo V (903), allegedly strangled^[12]
John X (914–928), allegedly smothered with a pillow^[13]
John XII (955–964), allegedly murdered by the jealous husband of the woman with whom he was in bed^[14]
Benedict VI (973–974), strangled^[15]
John XIV (983–984), died either by starvation, ill-treatment, or direct murder^[16]

Dubious

Pope Alexander I (Saint) (c. 106 – c. 119),^[4]^[5] recognition as the martyred Saint Alexander (feast day May 3) rescinded in 1960
Pope Hyginus (Saint) (c. 138 – c. 142),^[4] martyrdom^[17]
Pope Pius I (Saint) (c. 142 – c. 154), martyred by the sword according to old sources.^[18] Claim of martyrdom removed from the 1969 General Roman Calendar after recent revisions.^[19]
Clement II (1046–1047), allegedly poisoned^[20]
Celestine V (1294–1296), allegedly murdered while in post-abdication captivity. Allegations blame his successor, Pope Boniface VIII.^[21]
Boniface VIII (1294–1303), Was in conflict with Philip IV of France and allegedly (though unlikely) died from the effects of ill-treatment one month before.^[22]

^ ^a ^b Jacobus de Voragine; William Granger Ryan (1993). The golden legend: readings on the saints. Princeton University Press. p. 39. ISBN 9780691001548.
^ Foul Play Suspected in Popes Death? Baltimore Afro-American - October 10, 1978
^ Kirsch, Johann Peter (1911), "St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles", Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 11, New York: Robert Appleton Company, retrieved 2013-06-03
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac I Sommi Pontifici Romani ^{[full citation needed]}
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Liber Pontificalis ^{[full citation needed]}
^ Annuario Pontificio ^{[full citation needed]}
^ Alexis-François Artaud de Montor (1911). The lives and times of the popes : including the complete gallery of the portraits of the pontiffs reproduced from "Effigies pontificum romanorum Dominici Basae": being a series of volumes giving the history of the world during the Christian era. p. 21. Archived from the original on October 15, 2019 – via archive.org. Quote: "Ignatius died of the wounds that were inflicted by ferocious beasts; Evaristus died under the hands of executioners, more cruel than the wild beasts themselves."
^ First pope listed as a martyr by Irenaeus' Against Heresies
^ Catholic Encyclopedia: Pope St. Eusebius
^ Mann, H. (1910). Pope John VIII. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved February 14, 2010 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08423c.htm
^ Pope Stephen (VI) VII New Advent.org
^ Pope Leo V NewAdvent.org
^ Pope John X NewAdvent.org
^ Mann, Horace K. (1910). The Lives of the Popes in the Early Middle Ages, Vol. IV: The Popes in the Days of Feudal Anarchy, 891–999. p. 264
^ Pope Benedict VI New Advent.org
^ Pope John XIV NewAdvent.org
^ Kirsch, Johann Peter (1911), "Pope St. Hyginus", Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 7, New York: Robert Appleton Company, retrieved 2013-06-03
^ Butler, Alban (1866). "July 11: St. Pius I., Pope and Martyr". The Lives of the Saints. Vol. 7. Dublin: James Duffy. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
^ "Calendarium Romanum" (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 129
^ Pope Clement II NewAdvent.org
^ Gregorovius, Ferdinand (1906) History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages vol. 5 part 2
^ Pope Boniface VIII NewAdvent.org

[stepheni-1] Jacobus de Voragine; William Granger Ryan (1993). The golden legend: readings on the saints. Princeton University Press. p. 39. ISBN 9780691001548.

[2] Foul Play Suspected in Popes Death? Baltimore Afro-American - October 10, 1978

[3] Kirsch, Johann Peter (1911), "St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles", Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 11, New York: Robert Appleton Company, retrieved 2013-06-03

[isommi-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac I Sommi Pontifici Romani ^{[full citation needed]}

[liberponti-5] Liber Pontificalis ^{[full citation needed]}

[annuario-6] Annuario Pontificio ^{[full citation needed]}

[7] Alexis-François Artaud de Montor (1911). The lives and times of the popes : including the complete gallery of the portraits of the pontiffs reproduced from "Effigies pontificum romanorum Dominici Basae": being a series of volumes giving the history of the world during the Christian era. p. 21. Archived from the original on October 15, 2019 – via archive.org. Quote: "Ignatius died of the wounds that were inflicted by ferocious beasts; Evaristus died under the hands of executioners, more cruel than the wild beasts themselves."

[8] First pope listed as a martyr by Irenaeus' Against Heresies

[9] Catholic Encyclopedia: Pope St. Eusebius

[10] Mann, H. (1910). Pope John VIII. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved February 14, 2010 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08423c.htm

[11] Pope Stephen (VI) VII New Advent.org

[12] Pope Leo V NewAdvent.org

[13] Pope John X NewAdvent.org

[14] Mann, Horace K. (1910). The Lives of the Popes in the Early Middle Ages, Vol. IV: The Popes in the Days of Feudal Anarchy, 891–999. p. 264

[15] Pope Benedict VI New Advent.org

[16] Pope John XIV NewAdvent.org

[17] Kirsch, Johann Peter (1911), "Pope St. Hyginus", Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 7, New York: Robert Appleton Company, retrieved 2013-06-03

[18] Butler, Alban (1866). "July 11: St. Pius I., Pope and Martyr". The Lives of the Saints. Vol. 7. Dublin: James Duffy. Retrieved 2013-06-03.

[19] "Calendarium Romanum" (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 129

[20] Pope Clement II NewAdvent.org

[21] Gregorovius, Ferdinand (1906) History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages vol. 5 part 2

[22] Pope Boniface VIII NewAdvent.org

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List of popes who died violently

Martyr popes

Murdered popes

Dubious

See also

Lists

Related topics

References