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Who Were the Popes That Became Saints?

Many Popes have been canonized—each showing how Christ leads His Church through human hearts open to grace.

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Throughout the centuries, the Catholic Church has canonized around 80 Popes as saints. Most of them lived in the early centuries of Christianity, when being a bishop of Rome often meant facing persecution, exile, or martyrdom. Later, a few Popes were recognized for their holiness, reforms, or heroic faith that guided the Church through great change.

🕊️ The First Popes — Saints of the Early Church

The earliest Popes are almost all saints. Most were martyred during the Roman persecutions, giving their lives for Christ.

  1. St. Peter (33–64)
  2. St. Linus (67–76)
  3. St. Anacletus (Cletus) (76–88)
  4. St. Clement I (88–97)
  5. St. Evaristus (97–105)
  6. St. Alexander I (105–115)
  7. St. Sixtus I (115–125)
  8. St. Telesphorus (125–136)
  9. St. Hyginus (136–140)
  10. St. Pius I (140–155)
  11. St. Anicetus (155–166)
  12. St. Soter (166–175)
  13. St. Eleutherius (175–189)
  14. St. Victor I (189–199)
  15. St. Zephyrinus (199–217)
  16. St. Callixtus I (217–222)
  17. St. Urban I (222–230)
  18. St. Pontian (230–235)
  19. St. Anterus (235–236)
  20. St. Fabian (236–250)
  21. St. Cornelius (251–253)
  22. St. Lucius I (253–254)
  23. St. Stephen I (254–257)
  24. St. Sixtus II (257–258)
  25. St. Dionysius (259–268)
  26. St. Felix I (269–274)
  27. St. Eutychian (275–283)
  28. St. Caius (283–296)
  29. St. Marcellinus (296–304)
  30. St. Marcellus I (308–309)
  31. St. Eusebius (309–310)
  32. St. Miltiades (311–314)
  33. St. Sylvester I (314–335)
  34. St. Marcus (336)
  35. St. Julius I (337–352)
  36. St. Damasus I (366–384)
  37. St. Siricius (384–399)
  38. St. Anastasius I (399–401)
  39. St. Innocent I (401–417)
  40. St. Zosimus (417–418)
  41. St. Boniface I (418–422)
  42. St. Celestine I (422–432)
  43. St. Sixtus III (432–440)
  44. St. Leo I the Great (440–461)
  45. St. Hilary (461–468)
  46. St. Simplicius (468–483)
  47. St. Felix III (II) (483–492)
  48. St. Gelasius I (492–496)
  49. St. Symmachus (498–514)
  50. St. Hormisdas (514–523)
  51. St. John I (523–526)
  52. St. Felix IV (III) (526–530)
  53. St. Agapetus I (535–536)
  54. St. Silverius (536–537)
  55. St. Gregory I the Great (590–604)

🌿 Popes Canonized in the Middle Ages

After the 7th century, fewer Popes were canonized, yet a few stood out for their holiness and reform.

  1. St. Deusdedit I (615–618)
  2. St. Martin I (649–655) – Martyred in exile for defending Church teaching.
  3. St. Eugene I (654–657)
  4. St. Vitalian (657–672)
  5. St. Leo II (682–683)
  6. St. Benedict II (684–685)
  7. St. Sergius I (687–701)
  8. St. Gregory II (715–731)
  9. St. Gregory III (731–741)
  10. St. Zachary (741–752)
  11. St. Paul I (757–767)
  12. St. Leo III (795–816) – Crowned Charlemagne as Emperor.
  13. St. Paschal I (817–824)
  14. St. Leo IV (847–855)
  15. St. Nicholas I the Great (858–867) – A strong defender of Church independence.
  16. St. Adrian III (884–885)
  17. St. Leo IX (1049–1054) – A reforming Pope who inspired the Gregorian reform movement.
  18. St. Gregory VII (1073–1085) – Defender of Church freedom against secular control.
  19. St. Celestine V (1294) – The humble hermit Pope who resigned the papacy.

✝️ Saintly Popes of the Modern Era

Even in more recent centuries, God has raised up Popes whose holiness touched the world.

  1. St. Pius V (1566–1572) – Reformer of the Church after the Council of Trent.
  2. St. Pius X (1903–1914) – Promoter of frequent Communion and catechesis.
  3. St. John XXIII (1958–1963) – Opened the Second Vatican Council with a heart of mercy.
  4. St. Paul VI (1963–1978) – Guided the Church through Vatican II’s renewal.
  5. St. John Paul II (1978–2005) – A missionary pope whose holiness inspired the world.
  6. St. Urban I (traditionally included among the early martyrs and sometimes counted twice in older lists)

🌺 A Legacy of Holiness

Not every Pope becomes a saint, but every Pope is called to holiness. The canonized Popes remind us that leadership in the Church is not about power or politics, but about humble service, courage, and faithfulness to Christ. Their lives—whether marked by martyrdom, prayer, or reform—form a continuous chain of witnesses stretching from St. Peter to our own time.

May the example of these holy Popes inspire us to live with the same faith and courage.
Through their prayers, may we grow closer to Christ, who is the true Shepherd of His Church.

— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way

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