An Apologetical Explanation of

St. Peter and the Popes

If St. Peter was the first Pope, who succeeded him?  Scripture says nothing about it.

“I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  (Mt 16:18-19)

Historical sources and the tradition of the Church provide the names of all the successors of St. Peter even to the present day.  The immediate successor of St. Peter was St. Linus, who may be the same person from whom St. Paul sent greetings (cf. 2 Tm 4:21).  “The Roman Pontiff, as the successor of Peter, is the perpetual and visible principle and foundation of unity of both the bishops and the faithful” (LG 23).

St. Peter spent the last years of his life in Rome, where he helped to establish the Christian community and served as its bishop, and where he was martyred about AD 67.  While Scripture does not mention a successor to St. Peter, we know of the men who succeeded him as Bishop of Rome through history and tradition.  The present Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis, is the 265th successor of St. Peter, and he traces his authority directly back to St. Peter.  “In virtue of his office, that is as Vicar of Christ and pastor of the whole Church, the Roman Pontiff has full, supreme and universal power over the Church.  And he is always free to exercise this power” (LG 22).

The complete record of Popes is too lengthy to include here, but here is a list of the ten first and the ten most recent Popes and the years of their reigns:

The first ten Popes:The ten most recent Popes:
1. St. Peter (AD 32-67)257. St Pius X (1903-1914)
2. St. Linus (67-76)258. Benedict XV (1914-1922)
3. St. Anacletus (Cletus) (76-88)259. Pius XI (1922-1939)
4. St. Clement I (88-97)260. Ven. Pius XII (1939-1958)
5. St. Evaristus (97-105)261. St. John XXIII (1958-1963)
6. St. Alexander I (105-115)262. Paul VI (1963-1978)
7. St. Sixtus (Xystus) I (115-125)263. John Paul I (1978)
8. St. Telephorus (125-136)264. St. John Paul II (1978-2005)
9. St. Hyginus (136-140)265. Benedict XVI (2005-2013)
10.St. Pius I (140-155)266. Francis (2013-)

The Catechism addresses this question in paragraphs 881-882.

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