Wikipedia

Antipope

For the book by Robert Rankin, see The Antipope.
Not to be confused with Anti-Papalism.

An antipope (Latin: antipapa) is a person who claims to be Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church in opposition to the officially elected pope.[1] Between the 3rd and mid-15th centuries, antipopes were supported by factions within the Church itself and secular rulers. While modern claimants to the papacy still take place, they are rarely given serious consideration by either the public or the Church.

Sometimes it was difficult to distinguish which of two claimants should be called pope and which antipope, as in the case of Pope Leo VIII and Pope Benedict V.[2]

History

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Hippolytus of Rome (d. 235) is commonly considered to be the earliest antipope, as he headed a separate group within the Church in Rome against Pope Callixtus I.[3] Hippolytus was reconciled to Callixtus's second successor, Pope Pontian, and both he and Pontian are honoured as saints by the Catholic Church with a shared feast day on 13 August. Whether two or more persons have been confused in this account of Hippolytus[4] and whether Hippolytus actually declared himself to be the Bishop of Rome remains unclear, since no such claim by Hippolytus has been cited in the writings attributed to him.

Eusebius quotes[5] from an unnamed earlier writer the story of Natalius, a 3rd-century priest who accepted the bishopric of the Adoptionists,[6] a heretical group in Rome. Natalius soon repented and tearfully begged Pope Zephyrinus to receive him into communion.[7][8]

Novatian (d. 258), another third-century figure, certainly claimed the See of Rome in opposition to Pope Cornelius, and if Natalius and Hippolytus were excluded because of the uncertainties concerning them, Novatian could then be said to be the first antipope.

The period in which antipopes were most numerous was during the struggles between the popes and the Holy Roman Emperors of the 11th and 12th centuries. The emperors frequently imposed their own nominees to further their own causes. The popes, likewise, sometimes sponsored rival imperial claimants (anti-kings) in Germany to overcome a particular emperor.

The Western Schism – which began in 1378, when the French cardinals, claiming that the election of Pope Urban VI was invalid, elected antipope Clement VII as a rival to the Roman Pope – led eventually to two competing lines of antipopes: the Avignon line as Clement VII moved back to Avignon, and the Pisan line. The Pisan line, which began in 1409, was named after the town of Pisa, Italy, where the (Pisan) council had elected antipope Alexander V as a third claimant. To end the schism, in May 1415, the Council of Constance deposed antipope John XXIII of the Pisan line. Pope Gregory XII of the Roman line resigned in July 1415. In 1417, the council also formally deposed antipope Benedict XIII of Avignon, but he adamantly refused to resign. Afterwards, Pope Martin V was elected and was accepted everywhere except in the small and rapidly diminishing area of influence of Benedict XIII.

List of historical antipopes

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The following table gives the names of the antipopes included in the list of popes and antipopes in the Annuario Pontificio, with the addition of the names of Natalius (in spite of doubts about his historicity) and Antipope Clement VIII (whose following was insignificant).[9]

An asterisk marks those who were included in the conventional numbering of later popes who took the same name. More commonly, the antipope is ignored in later papal regnal numbers; for example, there was an Antipope John XXIII, but the new Pope John elected in 1958 was also called John XXIII. For the additional confusion regarding popes named John, see Pope John numbering.

The list of popes and antipopes in the Annuario Pontificio attaches the following note to the name of Pope Leo VIII (963–965):

At this point, as again in the mid-11th century, we come across elections in which problems of harmonising historical criteria and those of theology and canon law make it impossible to decide clearly which side possessed the legitimacy whose factual existence guarantees the unbroken lawful succession of the successors of Saint Peter. The uncertainty that in some cases results has made it advisable to abandon the assignation of successive numbers in the list of the popes.[10]

Thus, because of the obscurities about mid-11th-century canon law and the historical facts, the Annuario Pontificio lists Sylvester III as a pope, without thereby expressing a judgement on his legitimacy. The Catholic Encyclopedia places him in its List of Popes,[11] but with the annotation: "Considered by some to be an antipope". Other sources classify him as an antipope.[12]

As Celestine II resigned before being consecrated and enthroned in order to avoid a schism, Oxford's A Dictionary of Popes (2010) considers he "...is classified, unfairly, as an antipope",[13] an opinion historian Salvador Miranda also shares.[14]

Those with asterisks (*) were counted in subsequent papal numbering.

Pontificate Common English name Regnal (Latin) name Personal name Place of birth Age at election/
Death or resigned 		Years as
antipope
(days) 		Notes In opposition to
c. 199 – c. 200 Natalius Natalius Natalius c. 159 Rome, Roman Empire 38 / 48 1 year, 0 days (365) Later reconciled (see above) Zephyrinus
20 Dec 217 – 28 Sep 235 Saint Hippolytus Hippolytus Hippolytus 170 Rome, Roman Empire 45 / 65 (†66) 17 years, 282 days (6491) Later reconciled with Pope Pontian (see above) Callixtus I
Urban I
Pontian
Mar 251 – Aug 258 Novatian Novatianus Novatian c. 200 Rome, Roman Empire 51 / 58 (†93) 7 years, 153 days (2710) Founder of Novatianism Cornelius
Lucius I
Stephen I
Sixtus II
20 Apr 309 – 16 Aug 310 Heraclius Heraclius Heraclius c. 265 Rome, Roman Empire 45 / 46 1 year, 118 days (483) Eusebius
355 – 26 Nov 365 Felix II* Felix secundus Felix c. 270 Rome, Roman Empire 80 / 90 10 years, 329 days (3982) Installed by Roman emperor Constantius II Liberius
1 Oct 366 – 16 Nov 367 Ursicinus Ursicinus Ursinus c. 300 Rome, Roman Empire 66 / 67 1 year, 46 days (411) Damasus I
27 Dec 418 – 3 Apr 419 Eulalius Eulalius Eulalius c. 370 Rome, Roman Empire 38 / 39 (†42) 1 year, 46 days (411) Boniface I
22 Nov 498 – Aug 506/08 Laurentius Laurentius Lorenzo Celio c. 460 Rome, Roman Empire 38 / 46 (†48) 9 years, 283 days (3569) Supported by Byzantine emperor Anastasius I Symmachus
22 Sep 530 – 14 Oct 530 Dioscorus Dioscurus Dióskoros c. 450 Alexandria 70 / 70 22 days (22) Boniface II
16 Jun 687 – 21 Sep 687 Theodore Theodorus Theodore c. 599 Rome, Duchy of Rome 88 / 88 (†92) 97 days (97) Sergius I
21 Sep 687 – 27 Dec 687 Paschal (I) Paschalis Pascale c. 598 Rome, Duchy of Rome 89 / 89 (†94) 97 days (97)
28 Jun 767 – 6 Aug 768 Constantine II Constantinus secundus Konstantinus c. 700 Rome, Duchy of Rome 67 / 68 (†69) 1 year, 39 days (405) Between Paul I and Stephen III
31 Jul 768 Philip Philippus Philip c. 701 Rome, Duchy of Rome 68 / 68 (†99) 0 days (0) Installed by envoy of Lombard King Desiderius Stephen III
25 Jan – 31 May 844 John VIII Joannes octavus Giovanni c. 800 Rome, Papal States 44 / 44 (†91) 151 days (151) Elected by acclamation Sergius II
Jan 855 – 31 Mar 855 Anastasius III Bibliothecarius Anastasius tertius Anastasius c. 810 Rome, Papal States 45 / 45 (†68) 89 days (89) Benedict III
3 Oct 903 – 27 Jan 904 Christopher Christophorus Christoforo c. 850 Rome, Papal States 53 / 54 116 days (116) Between Leo V and Sergius III
6 December 963 – 26 February 964 Leo VIII* Leo octavus Leone c. 915 Rome, Papal States 48 / 49 82 days (82) Installed by emperor Otto the Great, opposed to John XII, later succeeded Benedict V as a legitimate Pope John XII
Jul 974 Boniface VII* Bonifacius Franco Ferrucci c. 900 Rome, Papal States 73 / 73 and 84 / 85 30 days (30)
334 days (334)
total 364 days (364 days)		 Between Benedict VI and Benedict VII
20 Aug 984 – 20 Jul 985 Between John XIV and John XV
Apr 997 – Feb 998 John XVI* Joannes John Filagatto c. 941 Rossano, Calabria, Papal States (Italy) 56 / 56 (†59) 1 year, 0 days (365) Supported by Byzantine emperor Basil II Gregory V
Jun 1012 Gregory VI Gregorius Sextus Gregorio c. 960 Rome, Papal States 52 / 52 (†60) 29 days (29) Benedict VIII
4 Apr 1058 – 24 Jan 1059 Benedict X* Benedictus Decimus Giovanni Mincio dei Conti di Tusculo c. 1000 Rome, Papal States, 58 / 59 (†80) 295 days (295) Supported by the Counts of Tusculum Nicholas II
July 1061 – 31 May 1064 Honorius II Honorius Secundus Pietro Cadalus 1010 Verona, Papal States 51 / 54 (†62) 2 years, 335 days (1065) Supported by Agnes, regent of the Holy Roman Empire Alexander II
25 Jun 1080, 21 Mar 1084 – 8 Sep 1100 Clement III Clemens Tertius Guibert of Ravenna c. 1029 Parma, Papal States 51 / 51, 54 / 71 20 years, 44 days (7348) Supported by Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor Gregory VII
Victor III
Urban II
Paschal II
8 Sep 1100 – Jan 1101 Theodoric Theodoricus Theodoro c. 1030 Rome, Papal States, 70 / 71 (†72) 121 days (121) Successor to Clement III Paschal II
Jan 1101 – Feb 1102 Adalbert or Albert Adalbertus Albert c. 1046 Atella, Campania, Papal States, 55 / 56 (†85) 31 days (31) Successor to Theodoric
8 Nov 1105 – 11 Apr 1111 Sylvester IV Sylvester Quartus Maginulf c. 1050 Rome, Papal States 49 / 55 (†56) 5 years, 324 days (31) Supported by Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor
10 Mar 1118 – 22 Apr 1121 Gregory VIII Gregorius Octavus Maurice Burdain c. 1057 Limousin, Occitania, France 61 / 65 (†72) 3 years, 43 days (1139) Gelasius II
Callixtus II
16 Dec 1124 Celestine II Cœlestinus Secundus Teobaldo Boccapecci c. 1050 Rome, Papal States 74 / 74 (†86) 0 days (0) Honorius II
14 Feb 1130 – 25 Jan 1138 Anacletus II Anacletus Secundus Pietro Pierleoni c. 1090 Rome, Papal States 48 / 48 7 years, 345 days (2902) Innocent II
25 Jan 1138 – 28 Mar 1138 Victor IV Victor Quartus Gregorio Conti c. 1057 Ceccano, Papal States 81 / 81 (†90) 63 days (63) Successor to Anacletus II
7 Sep 1159 – 20 Apr 1164 Victor IV Victor Quartus Ottavio di Montecelio c. 1095 Tivoli, Papal States 64 / 69 4 years, 226 days (1687) Supported by Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor Alexander III
22 Apr 1164 – 28 Sep 1168 Paschal III Paschalis Tertius Guido di Crema c. 1110 Crema, Lombardy, Papal States 54 / 58 4 years, 159 days (1620 days)
Sep 1168 – 29 Aug 1178 Callixtus III Callixtus Tertius Giovanni of Struma c. 1090 Arezzo, Papal States 78 / 88 (†90) 9 years, 362 days (3649 days)
29 Sep 1179 – Jan 1180 Innocent III Innocentius Tertius Lanzo of Sezza c. 1120 Sezze, Papal States 59 / 60 (†63) 95 days (95 days)
12 May 1328 – 12 Aug 1330 Nicholas V Nicolaus Quintus Pietro Rainalducci c. 1258 Corvaro, Papal States 70 / 74 2 years, 92 days (822 days) Supported by Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor John XXII
20 Sep 1378 – 16 Sep 1394 Clement VII Clemens Robert of Geneva 1342 Annecy, France 36/52 15 years, 361 days (5840 days) Avignon Urban VI
Boniface IX
28 Sep 1394 – 23 May 1423 Benedict XIII Benedictus Pedro de Luna 25 November 1328 Illueca, Aragon 65/94 28 years, 237 days (10463 days) Avignon
Innocent VII
Gregory XII
Martin V
25 Jun 1409 – 3 May 1410 Alexander V* Alexander Pietro Philarghi c. 1339 Crete, Republic of Venice 70 / 71 312 days (312 days) Pisa Gregory XII
25 May 1410 – 29 May 1415 John XXIII Ioannes Vicecimus Tertius Baldassare Cossa c. 1365 45 / 50 (†54) 5 years, 6 days (1832 days) Pisa
10 Jun 1423 – 26 Jul 1429 Clement VIII Clemens Octavus Gil Sánchez Muñoz y Carbón 1370 Teruel, Aragon 52 / 59 (†77) 6 years, 49 days (2241 days) Avignon Martin V
1424–1430 Benedict XIV Benedictus Quartus Decimus Bernard Garnier 1370 France 54 / 59 (†89) 6 years, 211 days (2403 days) Claimed successor to Benedict XIII – aka "The hidden pope"  
1430–1437 Benedict XIV Benedictus Quartus Decimus Jean Carrier c. 1370 France 59 / 66 7 years, 242 days (2799 days)
5 Nov 1439 – 7 Apr 1449 Felix V Fœlix Duke Amadeus VIII of Savoy 4 September 1383 Chambéry, Savoy 56/65 (†67) 9 years, 153 days (3441) Elected by the Council of Basel Eugene IV
Nicholas V

Quasi-cardinal-nephews

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Main article: List of cardinal-nephews

Many antipopes created cardinals, known as quasi-cardinals, and a few created cardinal-nephews, known as quasi-cardinal-nephews.

Quasi-cardinal Nephew of Elevated Notes
Giacomo Alberti Antipope Nicholas V 15 May 1328 Excommunicated by Pope John XXII.[15]
Amedeo Saluzzo Antipope Clement VII 23 Dec 1383 Abandoned Antipope Benedict XIII after having been deposed by him on 21 October 1408; participated in the Council of Pisa, the election of Pope Alexander V (now regarded as an antipope), the Council of Constance, and the conclave of Pope Martin V.[15]
Tommaso Brancaccio Antipope John XXIII 6 Jun 1411 Attended the Council of Constance, and the conclave of Pope Martin V.[16]
Gil Sánchez Muñoz Antipope Clement VIII 26 Jul 1429 Submitted to Pope Martin V after his uncle abdicated.[17]

Modern minor claimants

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The concept of the antipope has continued into the modern day, with most current claimants being adherents to the Sedevacantist movement, a loose collection of traditionalist Catholics who consider the more liberal decisions made during the 1962–1965 Second Vatican Council to be heretical, rendering all subsequent popes illegitimate.[18] However, the term "antipope" is rarely used in reference to these modern pretenders, likely due to their small followings and lack of influence in the mainstream Roman Catholic Church. Professor Magnus Lundberg of the University of Uppsala coined the term "Alternative Popes" to refer to these modern minor Popes.[19]

Modern Popes include:

Lay name Papal name Time as antipope Associated Church Notes
Michel Collin Clement XV 1950-1974 Apostles of Infinite Love In 1950, Collin declared that he had received a vision that God had crowned him Pope, and took the name Clement XV. Despite technically existing in opposition to Pius XII and John XXIII he supported their papacies, but believed they were being supressed by the Roman Curia and only openly opposed Paul VI.[20]
Michel Lavallée, also known as Fr. Mathurin de la Mère de Dieu Gregory XVIII January 2012-present The chosen successor of Michel Collin after Jean-Gaston Tremblay split from the Apostles of Infinite Love.[21]
Jean-Gaston Tremblay Gregory XVII (French: Grégoire XVII) also known as John-Gregory XVII (Jean-Grégoire XVII) May 1969-31 December 2011
  • Apostles of Infinite Love (formerly)
  • Canadian Apostles of Infinite Love
 Initially a follower of Michel Collin (Clement XV) and Collin's designated successor, he split with the Apostles of Infinite Love in 1968 and declared himself pope. According to him, God had not given him the title of "Pope", but rather "Shepard of the Church".[20]
Guiseppe Zani Rabbi or Rabi 1974-present Independent The leader of a religious group located in Brescia which spiritually recognise Michel Collins as Clement XV, but are otherwise not connected to the Apostles of Infinite Love.[20]
Timothy Joseph Blasio Atila n/a[note 1] 1964–1998 Legio Maria The first Pope of the Legio Maria following the death of Simeo Ondeto.[22][note 2]
Maria Pius Lawrence Jairo Chiaji Adera 1998–2004 The second Pope of the Legio Maria.[22]
Raphael Titus Otieno 2004-present The third Pope of the Legio Maria. His Papacy has been disputed by Romanus On’gombe since 2010.[22]
Romanus Alphonsus On’gombe 2010-present A Pope in opposition to Raphael Otieno, whose Papacy he disputes. This has caused the Legio Maria to have two Popes, whose supporters violently clash with each other.[22]
Clemente Domínguez y Gómez, also known as Fernando María de la Santa Faz Gregory XVII 1978–2005 Palmarian Catholic Church An alleged seer, visionary, and mystic. Following the death of Paul VI, he founded the Palmarian Catholic Church and declared himself the 263rd Pope in opposition to John Paul I and later John Paul II.[23]
Manuel Alonso Corral, also known as Isidoro María de la Santa Faz Paul II March 2005-July 2011 The second Pope of the Palmarian Catholic Church and claimed to be the 264th Pope in opposition to John Paul II and Benedict XVI.[23]
Ginés Jesús Hernández y Martínez, also known as Sergio María de la Santa Faz Gregory XVIII July 2011-April 2016 The third Pope of the Palmarian church and claimed to be the 265th Pope in opposition to Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. In April 2016 he abdicated and left the church, then reconciled with the Vatican.[23]
Markus Josef Odermatt, also known as Eliseo María de la Santa Faz Peter III April 2016-present The fourth Pope of the Palmarian church and claimed to be the 266th Pope in opposition to Pope Francis and Leo XIV.[23]
Gino Frediani Immanuel I 1974-1984 New Universal Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus He claimed to receive a vision from the Prophet Habakkuk to build a Holy Church to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He is the only Pope of the church, as his followers believe that he will return from Heaven to save them.[24]
Chester Olszewski
  • Chriszekiel Elias
  • Christen Elias
  • Peter II
 31 May 1977-? Holy Family Catholic Church An Episcopalian priest from the United States, he became obsessed with a bleeding statue owned by a woman called Anne Poore, and believed it was his mission to restore Catholicism, declaring himself Pope and founding the Holy Family Catholic Church alongside some friends.[25]
Francis Konrad Schuckardt Hadrian VII Unclear, post-1962 Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen A sedevacantist, he was one of the most well-known opponents of Vatican II and founded the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen. Although never publicly declaring himself as an antipope, an authorised biography by a member of the church refers to him as "Hadrian VII", and has an illustration of him receiving the Papal Tiara.[26]
Aimé Baudet
  • Peter II
  • Peter Athanasius II
 c. 1984-? Palmarian Catholic Church (formerly) Possibly an urban legend, there are reports that this individual was crowned Pope at St. Peter's Tomb in 1984.[27]
Pierre-Henri Dubois Peter II n/a Erroneously reported as an antipope, he was in fact elected as Patriarch of Belgium under the name Peter IV.[27]
Olinto Vestini, also known as Valeriano Vestini Valerian I 1990-1995 Missionary Order for the Salvation of Souls Previously a member of the Capuchin order, he was informed by seers that he had been elected as Pope by divine intervention. He then created the Missionary Order for the Salvation of Souls and declared himself antipope in opposition to John Paul II, but in 1995 left the mission and rejoined the Capuchins.[28]
Maurice Archieri Peter II (French: Pierre II) 1995-2016 Independant He received a vision where the Holy Ghost elected him Pope and called himself Paul II. He didn't oppose the Vatican per se, but believed that the Vatican Pope was the material head of a different religion and thus he was the true Pope.[29]
Julius Tischler Peter II c. 1998 Independant Little is known about Julius, except that he was a German man who declared himself Pope in 1998,[30] however Joachim Bouflet asserts that this may be the pseudonym of Franz Engelhardt, or that Julius would be the last Pope to exist, being consecrated in 1998, based off a claim made in 1972.[31]
Thsung Zhong Huai-de, also known as Robert Chung Pius XIV 1999-2002 Independant (Traditionalist) He claimed to have been elected as Pope in Taipei in a 1999 Conclave with 75 traditionalist clergy present.[30]
Reinaldus Michael Benjamins, also known as Brother Raymond of the Trinity Gregory XIX 2001-c. 2005 Independant A clergyman from Malone, New York, he declared himself Pope in 2001 and was active till at least 2005.[30]
Mathias Vigan Christopher XVIII (French: Christophe XVIII) 2012-present The Most Holy Church of Jesus Christ, Banamè Mission (French: La Très Sainte Église de Jésus-Christ, Mission de Banamè) Previously a Catholic Priest, during an exorcism of a woman called Vicentia Tchranvoukinni she convinced him of a mission to "renew" the Catholic Church. When the pair were declared heretics and apostates in 2011, Vicentia crowned Vigan as Pope.[32]
William Kamm, also known as Little Pebble Peter II The future Order of Saint Charbel Kamm and his followers do not directly oppose the Vatican, instead they believe that Kamm will eventually succeed the Pope as the prophesised Peter II, and lead the Papacy during the apocalypse.[33]
David Bawden Michael I July 1990-August 2022 The Vatican in Exile A leader of the conclavism movement, Bawden was elected Pope during a conclave in 1990 composed of his friends and family and subsequently established the Vatican in Exile, ordaining bishops and other clergymen.[34]
Rogelio del Rosario Martinez Jr. Michael II August 2023-present The second conclavist antipope after Bawden, Martinez was elected in a conclave held in Vienna.[34]
Victor Von Pentz Linus II June 1994-2021 Independant (Sedevacantist) An antipope elected at a sedevacantist Papal election in Assisi who believed that the Popes elected following Vatican II were heretics.[35]
Lucian Pulvermacher
  • Pius XIII
  • Peter II
 October 1998-2009 Catholic Church[note 3] (Sedevacantist) A former Capuchin elected in a small layman conclave in Montana, Pulvermacher became the head of the Catholic Church in exile. Following his death, the process of electing a new Pope began, but as of 2025, they haven't elected a new Pope.[36]
Joaquín Llorens Grau Alexander IX 2005-present Congregación Mercedaria Sagrada Tradición Nuestra Señora de la Merced, Generala de los Ejércitos Celestiales, Corredentora A part of the traditionalist missionary Congregación founded by Antonio Velasco, Grau was elected as Pope in the group's first conclave and opposes Pope Francis and Leo XIV.[37]
Oscar Michaelli Leo XIV 2006-2008 The Catholic Apostolic Remnant Church Supposedly three Argentinian priests that believed in sedevacantism and were elected as subsequent Popes, the church is regarded as a hoax since it has never been able to prove its existence beyond a webpage.[38]
Juan Bautista Bonetti Innocent XIV March–May 2008
Alejandro Greico Alexander IX 24 May 2008-present
Bryan Richard Clayton Athanasius I 2011-? (possibly 2012) Hasidean Catholic Church A travelling exorcist, he held the belief that all Popes after Leo XIII were antipopes since Pius X reformed the Roman Breviary. He held a conclave to elect himself as Pope Athanasius and founded the Hasidean Catholic Church, however some of his followers believe he excommunicated himself in 2012 when he changed the words he used in his Mass from Latin ones to Hebrew ones.[39]
Douglas Kuzell Petrus Romanus (Peter II) c. 2010- Faithful Remnant Kuzell and his wife Teresa Jackson believe themselves to be the last two witnesses mentioned in the Book of Revelation, and additionally that Douglas is the last Pope, Petrus Romanus, mentioned in a prophecy about the Bible.[40]
Antonio José Hurtado Peter II (Spanish: Pedro II) 1939-1955 Independant A Colombian self-trained dentist, Hurtado believed he would be the Pope to succeed Pius XI, however after getting mocked for his belief follow Pius' death and rejected by the Vatican, he declared himself the antipope and established a journal, El Emmanuel, to spread his beliefs, however he never gained much of a following outside his hometown of Barbosa and was buried as a Roman Catholic.[41]
Ubaldo Rolón Pedro Segundo (Spanish: Peter II) 2007-2016 The Church of Jesus A "transcendent peronist" and member of the Iron Guard, he received visions that he was "Peter, the Prince of the Apostles" and the last Pope. He subsequently declared himself Pedro Segundo and began to spread his teachings in a movement called The Church of Jesus until he died in 2016.[42]
Giuseppe Maria Abbate n/a[note 4] 1917-1963 New Jerusalem Catholic Church An Italian-American immigrant who ran a barbershop, Giuseppe believed he was divinely ordained to be the Celestial Messenger when he had a vision of Jesus walking into his barbershop, ordaining him as a priest, and telling him to found a new Church. Giuseppe did so, and directly opposed the Catholic Church and the Pope.[43]
Adam Anthony Oraczewski Adam II 1927-1973 Independant A suspended Roman Catholic priest, in 1927 he published All in One True Faith which depicted himself wearing Papal robes and declared that he was Pope Adam II, and proposed a radical ecclesiastical reform that he believed would bring greater piety and human unity. He continued calling himself Adam II until his death in 1973.[44]
Franz Engelhardt, also known as Ferenc Egerszégi and possibly as Julius Tischler Peter II Future Independant He claimed to be mystically present at Fatimah during the Marian apparitions that happened in 1917, and that he was the 'fourth seer' who had received a message about the Apocalypse. He therefore claimed that he was the future Peter II, however when he was arrested by the Bundesgrenzschutz and sentenced for the sexual abuse of minors, his followers dissapeared.[31]
Ján Maria Michał Kowalski n/a n/a Catholic Mariavite Church Although he never made the claim himself, his supporters saw him as the 'Slavic Pope' that Polish nationalist authors wrote about and subsequently viewed Popes Benedict XV and Pius XI as illegitimate.[45]
Mario Samuele Morcia Supreme Pontiff Samuele 2015-present The Universal Christian Church of the New Jerusalem Elected as Supreme Pontiff following the establishment of the Universal Church, Samuele has opposed Pope Francis, seeing him as illegitimate.[46]
Eduardo Dávila Garza Eduardo I 1933-1985 Iglesia Católica Apostolica Mexicana Born into the Iglesia Católica Apostolica Mexicana, Eduardo rose through the ranks until he succeeded Patriarch José Joquín Pérez Budar, where he subsequently assumed the title of "Pope and Supreme Pontiff of Mexico and the Americas". His church got into conflicts with the Roman Catholic church in Mexico, however after his death in 1985 the support for his movement dwindled and no-one was ever elected as his successor.[47]
Tsietsi Daniel Makiti n/a 2017-present Gabola Church Formerly a priest of the Old Apostolic Church, he left that church after having a spiritual revelation to found a new church where individuals worship through the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The Catholic Church has declared Makiti to be a heretic.[48]
Philbert London Emmanuel ?-2024 Beacon Ministries and the House of Majesty A televangelist, he declared himself to be Pope Emmanuel and the true voice of God.[48]
Valdir Ros Pedro II 1985-1994 Instituto Estrela Missionária Considered to be mentally ill by Bishop Adriano Hypólito of the Nova Iguaçu diocese, Ros formed his own mission in his own house and began to host ever more charismatic sermons. When he was confronted by Bishop Adriano for preaching whilst not being ordained, he publicly declared that all Popes from John XXIII to John Paul II were heretics and renounced Vatican II, declaring himself as Pope Pedro II. He continued to claim the Papacy up until his death in 1994, when his followers mostly dispersed.[49]

Other minor and less public antipopes exist, including controversial spiritual leaders who may face such accusations from their detractors. The Filipino priest Rufino S. Magliba, head of the Crusaders Divine Church of Christ in San Fabian, Pangasinan, Philippines, has frequently been accused of being an antipope, but there are no reliable sources that he himself has ever made such claims.[citation needed]

Antipopes of Alexandria

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The Patriarch of Alexandria, the historical center of Christianity in Egypt since the Roman Empire, has historically also held the title of pope, and as a result, a person who claims that title in direct opposition to a generally accepted pope of Alexandria may be considered an antipope. The title is simultaneously claimed by the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Coptic Catholic Church, and the Melkite Catholic Church (the latter two, while being in full communion with Rome, still maintain the position of Patriarch of Alexandria as a significant church leader).

In the modern day, with the rise of ecumenism and the recognition of Christianity's complicated history, these four men typically do not view one another as antipopes, but rather as successors to different lines of apostolic succession resulting from theological disputes in the fifth century. However, there have been certain instances where the official declaration of an antipope has been deemed necessary. For example, in 2006 former lector of the Coptic Orthodox Church Max Michel, who had previously formed the independent St. Athanasius Church, declared himself Archbishop of Egypt and the Middle East under the name Maximus I, effectively becoming an antipope of Alexandria. His claims to the Alexandrian papacy were formally dismissed in a joint statement by both the Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III and Pope Theodore II of the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria.[50]

On the other hand, some scholars are less willing to refer to such pretenders as "antipopes", as the term has historically been used in reference to those who claim to be the bishop of Rome, the apostolic successors to Saint Peter, while the patriarchate of Alexandria originated with Saint Mark.[51]

Papal conspiracy theories

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Some sedevacantist conspiracy theorists consider the incumbent Pope to be the antipope, as, for various reasons, they believe that the incumbent Pope is illegitimate. For supporters of the Giuseppe Siri conspiracy theory, which holds that white smoke seen on the first day of the conclave was announcing the selection of Giuseppe Siri as Pope Gregory XVII until he was forced to stand down, the Pope that was elected in Siri's place, John XXIII, was an antipope as Siri was still the lawfully elected Pope.[52] Similarly, for supports of Benevacantism, (the belief that Pope Benedict XVI did not validly resign), Pope Francis would be considered an antipope.[53][54] A similar fringe theory, "Catholic survivantism" states that Pope Paul VI (born 1897) is still alive, and thus all successive Popes are antipopes. Believers of this theory also believe that the "Paul VI" that died in 1978 was an actor, and the real Paul VI is being held in prison.[51]

For conclavists, the argument that the current Pope is illegitimate or an antipope (either wholly or sedeprivationally) is important as it lends their own claims and conclaves legitimacy. The most common conclavist claim is that Pius XII was the last true Pope, and that all subsequent Popes are antipopes, however some place the date even earlier, with the Papacy ending with John XXIII. All these claims center around the reforms of Vatican II or the publication of the revised Roman Rite, however.[51]

In fiction

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Antipopes have appeared as fictional characters. These may be either in historical fiction, as fictional portraits of well-known historical antipopes or as purely imaginary antipopes.

  • Jean Raspail's novel l'Anneau du pêcheur ("The Fisherman's Ring").[55]
  • Gérard Bavoux's novel Le Porteur de lumière ("The Light-bringer").[56]
  • The fictional synth-pop artist Zladko Vladcik claims to be "The Anti-Pope" in one of his songs.[57]
  • Dan Simmons's novels Endymion and The Rise of Endymion feature the character of Father Paul Duré, who becomes Pope Teilhard I, but a few years later he is deposed and murdered by a secret group of high-ranking cardinals who disagree with his policies. They install a more tractable successor, and Duré is subsequently referred to by church leadership as the antipope. At the end of the last novel, it is mentioned that another person calling himself the pope of the Technocore loyal Catholics is recognized by very few even among that group, and he is also referred to as an antipope.
  • In the Girl Genius comics series, set in a gaslamp fantasy version of Europe thrown into chaos by mad science (among other things), there is a brief reference to the existence of seven popes—all of whom apparently ordered a particular text burned.
  • Ralph McInerny's novel The Red Hat features a schism between liberals and conservatives following the election of a conservative African Pope; the liberal faction elect an Italian cardinal who calls himself "Pius XIII".
  • In the video game Crusader Kings II by Swedish developer Paradox Interactive, Catholic rulers may appoint one of their bishops as an antipope. An emperor-tier ruler such as the Holy Roman Emperor may declare war on the Papal States to install their antipope as the "true" pope, thereby vassalizing the papacy.
  • In the video game Age of Empires II, the third scenario in the game's Barbarossa campaign is called "Pope and Antipope" and is based on the Siege of Crema and the subsequent Wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines.
  • In episode 3 of The Black Adder (set in the late 15th century), "The Archbishop", Baldrick remarks on selling counterfeit papal pardons, that one for the highest crimes requires the signatures of "both popes" (implying one pope and one antipope). At the end of the episode, the Mother Superior of the local convent informs Edmund that he has been excommunicated by "all three popes".
  • The Last Fisherman by Randy England features an anti-pope John XXIV elected in opposition to Pope Brendan I.
  • Bud McFarlane's Pierced by a Sword includes an anti-pope John XXIV who is elected when the assassination attempt on Pope Patrick (fictional successor to John Paul II) is believed to have succeeded. He commits suicide at the end of the book.
  • Chilling Adventures of Sabrina features an antipope who leads the Churches of Darkness. This antipope reigns in the Vatican Necropolis beneath Rome.
  • In the TV series The New Pope, after the fictional Pius XIII is put in a coma, Pope Francis II is elected as a replacement. Francis II later dies and is replaced by John Paul III, the titular protagonist. Pius XIII later wakes up, creating a situation where both men have a claim on the Papacy.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Antipope". Encyclopædia Britannica. 30 May 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  2. ^ Of Pope Leo VIII, the Annuario Pontificio, the Holy See's yearbook, says: "At this point, as again in the mid-eleventh century, we come across elections in which problems of harmonizing historical criteria and those of theology and canon law make it impossible to decide clearly which side possessed the legitimacy whose factual existence guarantees the unbroken lawful succession of the Successors of Saint Peter. The uncertainty that in some cases results has made it advisable to abandon the assignation of successive numbers in the list of the Popes" (note 19 to the list of popes in the Annuario Pontificio). Of Pope Benedict V it says: "If Pope Leo VIII was lawful Pope, [...] Benedict V is an antipope" (note 20 to the list of popes).
  3. ^ "Saint Hippolytus of Rome". Encyclopædia Britannica. 3 January 2020. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  4. ^ Dal Covolo, Enrico (September 1997). "The catacombs the destination of the great jubilee". Tertium Millennium. Archived from the original on 10 September 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  5. ^ Historia Ecclesiastica, V, 28
  6. ^ Dix, Gregory; Chadwick, Henry (2013). The Treatise on the Apostolic Tradition of St Hippolytus of Rome, Bishop and Martyr. Routledge. p. xvii. ISBN 978-1-1361-0146-5. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  7. ^ Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature: Zephyrinus
  8. ^ Chapman, John (1911). "Monarchians". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2007 – via New Advent.
  9. ^ "Pope Martin V". Catholic Encyclopedia – via New Advent.
  10. ^ Annuario Pontificio. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 2012. p. 12. ISBN 978-88-209-8722-0.
  11. ^ "List of Popes". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20 August 2015 – via New Advent.
  12. ^ Previté-Orton, Charles William (1952). The Shorter Cambridge Medieval History. Vol. 1 (1975 ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 477. ISBN 978-0-5212-0962-5. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  13. ^ Kelly, J. N. D.; Walsh, Michael J., eds. (2010). "Celestine (d. 1124)". A Dictionary of Popes (2 ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-1992-9581-4.
  14. ^ Boccapecora Miranda, Salvatore (2018). "Boccapecora, Teobaldo". The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Florida International University. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  15. ^ a b Miranda, Salvador (1998). "14th Century (1303–1404)". The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Florida International University. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  16. ^ Miranda, Salvador (1998). "Antipope] John XXIII (1410–1415): Consistory of 6 June 1411 (I)". The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church: Biographical Dictionary. Florida International University. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  17. ^ Miranda, Salvador (1998). "15th Century (1404–1503)". The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Florida International University.
  18. ^ Appleby, R. Scott (1995), Being Right: Conservative Catholics in America, Indiana University Press, p. 257, ISBN 978-0253329226
  19. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "The Alternative Pope Project". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  20. ^ a b c Lundberg, Magnus. "Modern Alternative Popes 2: Apostles of Infinite Love, France". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  21. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "Apostles of Infinite Love". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  22. ^ a b c d Lundberg, Magnus. "Modern Alternative Popes 4: The Legio Maria". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  23. ^ a b c d Lundberg, Magnus (2015). "Palmar de Troya: Holy Catholic Apostolic Palmarian Church" (PDF). Partnership for Understanding World Religions and Spirituality at Virginia Commonwealth University. Richmond, VA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 April 2016.
  24. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "Modern Alternative Popes 6: The New Universal Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  25. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "The Pope of Eddystone, Pennsylvania". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  26. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "New Research Report: Francis Schuckardt, the Papacy, and the Apocalypse". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  27. ^ a b Lundberg, Magnus. "Modern Alternative Popes 9: Two Uncertain Cases". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  28. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "Modern Alternative Popes 10: The Missionary Order for the Salvation of Souls". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  29. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "Maurice Archieri: The French Vicar of Christ". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  30. ^ a b c Lundberg, Magnus. "Modern Alternative Popes 12: Three Little Known Cases". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  31. ^ a b Lundberg, Magnus. "Franz Engelhardt: The Fourth Seer of Fatima and Future Pope Peter II". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  32. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "New Study on Pope Christophe XVIII and La Très Sainte Église de Jésus-Christ, Mission de Banamè in Benin". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  33. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "Modern Alternative Popes 14: William Kamm". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  34. ^ a b Lundberg, Magnus. "Pope Michael". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  35. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "The Invisible Pope: Linus II and the 1994 Assisi Conclave". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  36. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "The Invisible Pope: Linus II and the 1994 Assisi Conclave". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  37. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "Modern Alternative Popes 19: The Catholic and Mercedarian Church". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  38. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "Modern Alternative Popes 20: A Papal Hoax". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  39. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "Modern Alternative Popes 21: Athanasius I". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  40. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "The Faithful Remnant and the Canadian Last Pope". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  41. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "Modern Alternative Popes 23: Colombian Pedro II". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  42. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "Modern Alternative Popes 24: Argentinean Pedro Segundo". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  43. ^ Lundberg, Magnus; Craig, James W. (2018). Giuseppe Maria Abbate: The Italian-American Celestial Messenger (PDF). Uppsala: Department of Theology, Uppsala University. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  44. ^ Lundberg, Magnus (2025). A Polish-American Pope: Adam Oraczewsk -Adam II (PDF). Uppsala: Department of Theology, Uppsala University. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  45. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "The Slavic Pope? Jan Maria Michał Kowalski and the Mariavites". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  46. ^ https://magnuslundberg.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/bambino-gesu-finished3.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  47. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "Eduardo Dávila – Pope Eduardo I". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  48. ^ a b Lundberg, Magnus. "Pope Tsietsi Makiti and the Gabola Church". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  49. ^ Lundberg, Magnus. "New Research Report on Valdir Ros – Pedro II: The Pope of Nova Iguaçu, Brazil". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  50. ^ "Common Statement Between The Coptic Orthodox Church and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa Regarding Max Michel" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  51. ^ a b c "Modern Alternative Popes 1: Introduction". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  52. ^ "Modern Alternative Popes 15: The Cardinal Siri Thesis". Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  53. ^ Heschmeyer, Joe. "A Response to Patrick Coffin's "Seven Pieces of Evidence That Francis Is an Antipope"". Catholic Answers. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  54. ^ Heschmeyer, Joe. "Was Benedict XVI the True Pope the Whole Time?". Catholic Answers. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  55. ^ Jean Raspail, L'Anneau du pêcheur, Paris: Albin Michel, 1994. 403 p. ISBN 2-226-07590-9
  56. ^ Gérard Bavoux, Le Porteur de lumière, Paris: Pygmalion, 1996. p. 329 ISBN 2-85704-488-7
  57. ^ Zladko Vladcik – I am the Antipope. 21 January 2007. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2015 – via YouTube.
  1. ^ The Legio Maria Popes do not assume Papal names but rather place "Pope" at the beginning of their full name,. ie: Raphael Titus Otieno would be Pope Raphael Titus Otieno, however sometimes this is shortened to Pope "last name" for convenience, ie: Pope Otieno.
  2. ^ Simeon Ondeto is sometimes considered as the first Pope of the Legio Maria, but the group themselves refer to Ondeto as the Messiah, not a Pope.
  3. ^ Strictly speaking, the Catholic Church considers itself to be the same as the Catholic Church, and emphasise that the "the" in "the Catholic Church" should remain uncapitalized.
  4. ^ Abbate didn't have a Papal name, but rather used a variety of titles for himself including: Celestial Messenger (Italian: Messaggero Celeste), Celestial Father (Italian: Padre Celeste), Universal Protector, St. Michael the Archangel, the Prince of Peace, God’s Vicar on Earth, and the Celestial King.
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