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

[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (June 2013)

|

In tradition, the first pope, Saint Peter, was crucified upside-down.

* 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

[edit]

* 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

[edit]

* 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]

## See also

[edit]

This section may contain information not important or relevant to the article's subject. Please help improve this section. (April 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

### Lists

[edit]

* List of canonised popes
* List of popes
* List of popes by length of reign
* List of popes from the Borgia family
* List of popes from the Conti family
* List of popes from the Medici family
* List of popes sorted alphabetically
* List of Sovereigns of the Vatican City State

### Related topics

[edit]

* Annuario Pontificio
* Attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II
* History of the papacy
* Index of Vatican City–related articles
* Legends surrounding the papacy
* Liber Pontificalis
* Pope John Paul I conspiracy theories
* Prophecy of the Popes

|

Portals:

* Catholic Church
* Christianity

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b 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
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]
5. ^ a b c d Liber Pontificalis [full citation needed]
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

* v
* t
* e

Popes of the Catholic Church

* List of popes
* graphical
* canonised
* Papal names
* Tombs
* extant
* non-extant
* Antipope
* Pope emeritus
* papal resignation
* Pope-elect

1st–4th centuries|

* Peter
* Linus
* Anacletus
* Clement I
* Evaristus
* Alexander I
* Sixtus I
* Telesphorus
* Hyginus
* Pius I
* Anicetus
* Soter
* Eleutherius
* Victor I
* Zephyrinus
* Callixtus I
* Urban I
* Pontian
* Anterus
* Fabian
* Cornelius
* Lucius I
* Stephen I
* Sixtus II
* Dionysius
* Felix I
* Eutychian
* Caius
* Marcellinus
* Marcellus I
* Eusebius
* Miltiades
* Sylvester I
* Mark
* Julius I
* Liberius
* Damasus I
* Siricius
* Anastasius I

5th–8th centuries|

* Innocent I
* Zosimus
* Boniface I
* Celestine I
* Sixtus III
* Leo I
* Hilarius
* Simplicius
* Felix III
* Gelasius I
* Anastasius II
* Symmachus
* Hormisdas
* John I
* Felix IV
* Boniface II
* John II
* Agapetus I
* Silverius
* Vigilius
* Pelagius I
* John III
* Benedict I
* Pelagius II
* Gregory I
* Sabinian
* Boniface III
* Boniface IV
* Adeodatus I
* Boniface V
* Honorius I
* Severinus
* John IV
* Theodore I
* Martin I
* Eugene I
* Vitalian
* Adeodatus II
* Donus
* Agatho
* Leo II
* Benedict II
* John V
* Conon
* Sergius I
* John VI
* John VII
* Sisinnius
* Constantine
* Gregory II
* Gregory III
* Zachary
* Stephen II
* Paul I
* Stephen III
* Adrian I
* Leo III

9th–12th centuries|

* Stephen IV
* Paschal I
* Eugene II
* Valentine
* Gregory IV
* Sergius II
* Leo IV
* Benedict III
* Nicholas I
* Adrian II
* John VIII
* Marinus I
* Adrian III
* Stephen V
* Formosus
* Boniface VI
* Stephen VI
* Romanus
* Theodore II
* John IX
* Benedict IV
* Leo V
* Sergius III
* Anastasius III
* Lando
* John X
* Leo VI
* Stephen VII
* John XI
* Leo VII
* Stephen VIII
* Marinus II
* Agapetus II
* John XII
* Benedict V
* Leo VIII
* John XIII
* Benedict VI
* Benedict VII
* John XIV
* John XV
* Gregory V
* Sylvester II
* John XVII
* John XVIII
* Sergius IV
* Benedict VIII
* John XIX
* Benedict IX
* Sylvester III
* Gregory VI
* Clement II
* Damasus II
* Leo IX
* Victor II
* Stephen IX
* Nicholas II
* Alexander II
* Gregory VII
* Victor III
* Urban II
* Paschal II
* Gelasius II
* Callixtus II
* Honorius II
* Innocent II
* Celestine II
* Lucius II
* Eugene III
* Anastasius IV
* Adrian IV
* Alexander III
* Lucius III
* Urban III
* Gregory VIII
* Clement III
* Celestine III
* Innocent III

13th–16th centuries|

* Honorius III
* Gregory IX
* Celestine IV
* Innocent IV
* Alexander IV
* Urban IV
* Clement IV
* Gregory X
* Innocent V
* Adrian V
* John XXI
* Nicholas III
* Martin IV
* Honorius IV
* Nicholas IV
* Celestine V
* Boniface VIII
* Benedict XI
* Clement V
* John XXII
* Benedict XII
* Clement VI
* Innocent VI
* Urban V
* Gregory XI
* Urban VI
* Boniface IX
* Innocent VII
* Gregory XII
* Martin V
* Eugene IV
* Nicholas V
* Callixtus III
* Pius II
* Paul II
* Sixtus IV
* Innocent VIII
* Alexander VI
* Pius III
* Julius II
* Leo X
* Adrian VI
* Clement VII
* Paul III
* Julius III
* Marcellus II
* Paul IV
* Pius IV
* Pius V
* Gregory XIII
* Sixtus V
* Urban VII
* Gregory XIV
* Innocent IX
* Clement VIII

17th–21st centuries|

* Leo XI
* Paul V
* Gregory XV
* Urban VIII
* Innocent X
* Alexander VII
* Clement IX
* Clement X
* Innocent XI
* Alexander VIII
* Innocent XII
* Clement XI
* Innocent XIII
* Benedict XIII
* Clement XII
* Benedict XIV
* Clement XIII
* Clement XIV
* Pius VI
* Pius VII
* Leo XII
* Pius VIII
* Gregory XVI
* Pius IX
* Leo XIII
* Pius X
* Benedict XV
* Pius XI
* Pius XII
* John XXIII
* Paul VI
* John Paul I
* John Paul II
* Benedict XVI
* Francis

History of the papacy|

| Antiquity and Early
Middle Ages|

* During the Roman Empire (until 493)
* Under Constantine (312–337)
* Ostrogothic Papacy (493–537)
* Byzantine Papacy (537–752)
* Frankish Papacy (756–857)
* Saeculum obscurum (904–964)
* Crescentii era (974–1012)

|

High and Late
Middle Ages|

* Tusculan Papacy (1012–1044 / 1048)
* Conflicts with the HRE (1048–1257)
* Wandering Papacy
* Viterbo, 1257–1281
* Orvieto, 1262–1297
* Perugia, 1228–1304
* Avignon Papacy (1309–1378)
* Western Schism (1378–1417)

Early Modern and
Modern Era|

* Renaissance Papacy (1417–1534)
* Reformation Papacy (1534–1585)
* Baroque Papacy (1585–1689)
* Age of Enlightenment (c. 1640–1740)
* Revolutionary Papacy (1775–1848)
* Roman Question (1870–1929)
* Vatican City (1929–present)
* World War II (1939–1945)
* Cold War (1945–1991)

* Category
* Catholic Church Portal

*[c.]: circa
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template