Antipope

An antipope (Template:Langx) is a person who claims to be Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church in opposition to the officially elected pope.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> 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.<ref>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).</ref>

History

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.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> 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<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> 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<ref>Historia Ecclesiastica, V, 28</ref> from an unnamed earlier writer the story of Natalius, a 3rd-century priest who accepted the bishopric of the Adoptionists,<ref name=Dix>Template:Cite book</ref> a heretical group in Rome. Natalius soon repented and tearfully begged Pope Zephyrinus to receive him into communion.<ref>Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature: Zephyrinus</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

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

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).<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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,<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> but with the annotation: "Considered by some to be an antipope". Other sources classify him as an antipope.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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",<ref name=Kelly>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> an opinion historian Salvador Miranda also shares.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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
Template:C.	Natalius	Natalius	Natalius	Template:Circa Rome, Roman Empire	38 / 48	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	Later reconciled (see above)	Zephyrinus
20 Dec 217 – 28 Sep 235	Saint Hippolytus	Hippolytus	Hippolytus	170 Rome, Roman Empire	45 / 65 (†66)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	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)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	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	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)		Eusebius
355 – 26 Nov 365	Felix II*	Felix secundus	Felix	c. 270 Rome, Roman Empire	80 / 90	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	Installed by Roman emperor Constantius II	Liberius
1 Oct 366 – 16 Nov 367	Ursicinus	Ursicinus	Ursinus	c. 300 Rome, Roman Empire	66 / 67	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)		Damasus I
27 Dec 418 – 3 Apr 419	Eulalius	Eulalius	Eulalius	c. 370 Rome, Roman Empire	38 / 39 (†42)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)		Boniface I
22 Nov 498 – Aug 506/08	Laurentius	Laurentius	Lorenzo Celio	c. 460 Rome, Roman Empire	38 / 46 (†48)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	Supported by Byzantine emperor Anastasius I	Symmachus
22 Sep 530 – 14 Oct 530	Dioscorus	Dioscurus	Dióskoros	c. 450 Alexandria	70 / 70	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)		Boniface II
16 Jun 687 – 21 Sep 687	Theodore	Theodorus	Theodore	c. 599 Rome, Duchy of Rome	88 / 88 (†92)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)		Sergius I
21 Sep 687 – 27 Dec 687	Paschal (I)	Paschalis	Pascale	c. 598 Rome, Duchy of Rome	89 / 89 (†94)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)
28 Jun 767 – 6 Aug 768	Constantine II	Constantinus secundus	Konstantinus	c. 700 Rome, Duchy of Rome	67 / 68 (†69)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)		Between Paul I and Stephen III
31 Jul 768	Philip	Philippus	Philip	c. 701 Rome, Duchy of Rome	68 / 68 (†99)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	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)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	Elected by acclamation	Sergius II
Jan 855 – 31 Mar 855	Anastasius III Bibliothecarius	Anastasius tertius	Anastasius	c. 810 Rome, Papal States	45 / 45 (†68)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)		Benedict III
3 Oct 903 – 27 Jan 904	Christopher	Christophorus	Christoforo	c. 850 Rome, Papal States	53 / 54	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)		Between Leo V and Sergius III
6 December 963 – 26 February 964	Leo VIII*	Leo octavus	Leone	c. 915 Rome, Papal States	48 / 49	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	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	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days) Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days) 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)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	Supported by Byzantine emperor Basil II	Gregory V
Jun 1012	Gregory VI	Gregorius Sextus	Gregorio	c. 960 Rome, Papal States	52 / 52 (†60)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)		Benedict VIII
4 Apr 1058 – 24 Jan 1059	Benedict X*	Benedictus Decimus	Giovanni Mincio dei Conti di Tusculo	Template:Circa Rome, Papal States,	58 / 59 (†80)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	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)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	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	Template:Circa Parma, Papal States	51 / 51, 54 / 71	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	Supported by Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor	Gregory VII
								Victor III
								Urban II
								Paschal II
8 Sep 1100 – Jan 1101	Theodoric	Theodoricus	Theodoro	Template:Circa Rome, Papal States,	70 / 71 (†72)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	Successor to Clement III	Paschal II
Jan 1101 – Feb 1102	Adalbert or Albert	Adalbertus	Albert	Template:Circa Atella, Campania, Papal States,	55 / 56 (†85)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	Successor to Theodoric
8 Nov 1105 – 11 Apr 1111	Sylvester IV	Sylvester Quartus	Maginulf	c. 1050 Rome, Papal States	49 / 55 (†56)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	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)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)		Gelasius II
								Callixtus II
16 Dec 1124	Celestine II	Cœlestinus Secundus	Teobaldo Boccapecci	c. 1050 Rome, Papal States	74 / 74 (†86)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)		Honorius II
14 Feb 1130 – 25 Jan 1138	Anacletus II	Anacletus Secundus	Pietro Pierleoni	c. 1090 Rome, Papal States	48 / 48	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)		Innocent II
25 Jan 1138 – 28 Mar 1138	Victor IV	Victor Quartus	Gregorio Conti	c. 1057 Ceccano, Papal States	81 / 81 (†90)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	Successor to Anacletus II
7 Sep 1159 – 20 Apr 1164	Victor IV	Victor Quartus	Ottavio di Montecelio	c. 1095 Tivoli, Papal States	64 / 69	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	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	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days days)
Sep 1168 – 29 Aug 1178	Callixtus III	Callixtus Tertius	Giovanni of Struma	c. 1090 Arezzo, Papal States	78 / 88 (†90)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days days)
29 Sep 1179 – Jan 1180	Innocent III	Innocentius Tertius	Lanzo of Sezza	c. 1120 Sezze, Papal States	59 / 60 (†63)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days days)
12 May 1328 – 12 Aug 1330	Nicholas V	Nicolaus Quintus	Pietro Rainalducci	c. 1258 Corvaro, Papal States	70 / 74	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days 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	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days 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	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days 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	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days days)	Pisa	Gregory XII
25 May 1410 – 29 May 1415	John XXIII	Ioannes Vicecimus Tertius	Baldassare Cossa	c. 1365	45 / 50 (†54)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days days)	Pisa
10 Jun 1423 – 26 Jul 1429	Clement VIII	Clemens Octavus	Gil Sánchez Muñoz y Carbón	1370 Teruel, Aragon	52 / 59 (†77)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days days)	Avignon	Martin V
1424–1430	Benedict XIV	Benedictus Quartus Decimus	Bernard Garnier	1370 France	54 / 59 (†89)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days days)	Claimed successor to Benedict XIII – aka "The hidden pope"
1430–1437	Benedict XIV	Benedictus Quartus Decimus	Jean Carrier	c. 1370 France	59 / 66	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days days)
5 Nov 1439 – 7 Apr 1449	Felix V	Fœlix	Duke Amadeus VIII of Savoy	4 September 1383 Chambéry, Savoy	56/65 (†67)	Template:Age in years and days (Template:Age in days)	Elected by the Council of Basel	Eugene IV
								Nicholas V

Quasi-cardinal-nephews

Template:Main 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.<ref name="mxiv">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="mxiv"/>
Tommaso Brancaccio	Antipope John XXIII	6 Jun 1411	Attended the Council of Constance, and the conclave of Pope Martin V.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Gil Sánchez Muñoz	Antipope Clement VIII	26 Jul 1429	Submitted to Pope Martin V after his uncle abdicated.<ref name="mxv">Template:Cite web</ref>

Modern minor claimants

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.<ref name="IUP">Template:Citation</ref> 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.<ref name="AltPope">Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name="AOIL">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="AOIL-ML">Template:Cite web</ref>
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".<ref name="AOIL"/>
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.<ref name="AOIL"/>
Timothy Joseph Blasio Atila	n/aTemplate:Refn	1964–1998	Legio Maria	The first Pope of the Legio Maria following the death of Simeo Ondeto.<ref name="Legio Maria">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Refn
Maria Pius Lawrence Jairo Chiaji Adera		1998–2004		The second Pope of the Legio Maria.<ref name="Legio Maria"/>
Raphael Titus Otieno		2004-present		The third Pope of the Legio Maria. His Papacy has been disputed by Romanus On’gombe since 2010.<ref name="Legio Maria"/>
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.<ref name="Legio Maria"/>
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.<ref name="Palmarian">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Palmarian"/>
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.<ref name="Palmarian"/>
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.<ref name="Palmarian"/>
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.<ref name="Gino Frediani">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Chester Olszewski">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Francis Schuckardt">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Aimé & Dubois">Template:Cite web</ref>
Pierre-Henri Dubois	Peter II	n/a	Eastern Orthodox Church Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople	Erroneously reported as an antipope, he was in fact elected as Patriarch of Belgium under the name Peter IV.<ref name="Aimé & Dubois"/>
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.<ref name="Olinto Vestini">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Maurice Archieri">Template:Cite web</ref>
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,<ref name="Tischler, Chung, & Benjamins">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="Franz Engelhardt"/>
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.<ref name="Tischler, Chung, & Benjamins"/>
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.<ref name="Tischler, Chung, & Benjamins"/>
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.<ref name="Mathias Vigan">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="William Kamm">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="VATinEX">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="VATinEX"/>
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.<ref name="Victor Von Pentz">Template:Cite web</ref>
Lucian Pulvermacher	Pius XIII Peter II	October 1998-2009	Catholic ChurchTemplate:Refn (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.<ref name="Lucian Pulvermacher">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Joaquín Grau">Template:Cite web</ref>
Oscar Michaelli	Leo XIV	2006-2008	The Catholic Apostolic Remnant Church	Supposedly three Argentinian priests that believed in sedevacantist 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.<ref name="TCARC">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Bryan Clayton">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Douglas Kuzell">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Antonio Hurtado">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Ubaldo Rolón">Template:Cite web</ref>
Giuseppe Maria Abbate	n/aTemplate:Refn	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.<ref name="Giuseppe Abbate">Template:Cite book</ref>
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.<ref name="Adam Oraczewski">Template:Cite book</ref>
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.<ref name="Franz Engelhardt">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Ján Kowalski">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Mario Morcia">https://magnuslundberg.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/bambino-gesu-finished3.pdf Template:Bare URL PDF</ref>
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.<ref name="Eduardo Garza">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Tsietsi Makiti">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Tsietsi Makiti"/>
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.<ref name="Valdir Ros">Template:Cite web</ref>

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.Template:Citation needed

Antipopes of Alexandria

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name="LundbergAntipope"/>

Papal conspiracy theories

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.<ref name="Giuseppe Siri">Template:Cite web</ref> Similarly, for supports of Benevacantism, (the belief that Pope Benedict XVI did not validly resign), Pope Francis would be considered an antipope.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="LundbergAntipope">Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name="LundbergAntipope"/>

In fiction

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").<ref>Jean Raspail, L'Anneau du pêcheur, Paris: Albin Michel, 1994. 403 p. Template:ISBN</ref>
• Gérard Bavoux's novel Le Porteur de lumière ("The Light-bringer").<ref>Gérard Bavoux, Le Porteur de lumière, Paris: Pygmalion, 1996. p. 329 Template:ISBN</ref>
• The fictional synth-pop artist Zladko Vladcik claims to be "The Anti-Pope" in one of his songs.<ref>Template:Cite AV mediaTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
• 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

• Benevacantism
• List of papal elections
• Papal conclave
• Papal selection before 1059
• Sedevacantism
• Pretender

External links and bibliography

• Catholic Encyclopedia: "Antipope"
• Encyclopædia Britannica: "Antipope"
• The Pope Encyclopaedia: "Antipope"
• Kelly, J.N.D, The Oxford Dictionary of Popes, Oxford University Press, US (1986), Template:ISBN.
• Raspail, Jean, 'L'Anneau du pêcheur, Paris: Albin Michel, 1994. 403 pp. Template:ISBN.
• Bavoux, Gérard, Le Porteur de lumière, Paris: Pygmalion, 1996. 329 pp. Template:ISBN.