Adrian IV – The only English Pope. Nearly 1,000 years ago, in 1154, a man named Nicholas Breakspear was elected the first – and thus far only – English pope. Pope Adrian IV was born Nicholas Breakspear around 1100 AD, close to St Albans in Hertfordshire, England.
We need to look back nearly 850 years to find the last - and only - English Pope, Adrian IV. In theory, any baptised male Catholic can be elected Pope. In practice, the job always goes to a cardinal.
Hadrian VI proved to the last non-Italian pope until the twentieth century, but his place in the Reformation is most noteworthy because of both the high hopes for his tenure and its remarkable brevity.
Pope Adrian IV was by no means a bad pope. But he was unpopular with the power center in Rome. It was this power center that tried to move on from him as quickly as possible and the group of men which ensured that there was never again an English pope.
List of Byzantine popes. The Byzantine Papacy was composed of the following popes and antipopes. Of the thirteen popes from 678 to 752, only Benedict II and Gregory II were native Romans; all the rest were Greek-speaking, from Greece, Syria, or Byzantine Sicily.
Every pope in history has been a man, because only a priest can become a pope, and women cannot be ordained. Nevertheless, the tale of Joan - a woman who allegedly was the head of the Catholic Church and gave birth during a procession - became one of the most popular and controversial legends of the Middle Ages.
The pope receives a monthly stipend, is provided a residence, and has all of his expenses paid for by the Vatican. Pope Leo XIV took a vow of poverty when he entered the Order of St. Augustine. Pope Francis also adhered to a vow of poverty—the first pope to do so since the mid-1800s.
Yes, historically, three popes are believed to have been of African origin: Pope Victor I, Pope Miltiades, and Pope Gelasius I. These pontiffs were from North Africa, which was part of the Roman Empire at the time.
Pope Francis did not have any children given his vow of celibacy. However, he was very fond of children and even authored a children's book titled "Dear Pope Francis," in which he answered questions from children around the world. "Some are fun. Some are serious.
Has there ever been an American pope? None of the 266 popes in history have been from America. Although the vast majority, 217, of popes have been from Italy, any baptized Catholic man is technically eligible to be the pope.
Aged about 20 when first elected, he may have been the youngest Pope in the history of the Catholic Church. He is the only person to have been Pope more than once and the only person ever accused of selling the papacy. Benedict was the nephew of his two immediate predecessors, Benedict VIII and John XIX.
Myth: Clerical celibacy has been the norm since the Second Lateran Council in 1139. Fact: Priests and even popes still continued to marry and have children for several hundred years after that date. In fact, the Eastern Catholic Church still has married priests.
A typical meal might consist of baked chicken, salad, fruit, and wine. Italian staples like pasta, gnocchi, and polenta make occasional appearances. However, on account of recent medical advice, Pope Francis has had to cut back on the carbs.
He traveled around the Vatican in a Ford Focus, and in 2024, was given the Vatican's first all-electric popemobile in the form of a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. As for his brief dalliance with a Lamborghini Huracán, the luxury car maker gave it to Pope Francis before His Holiness blessed it and signed the hood.
Pope John Paul II letters reveal 32-year relationship with woman. Pope John Paul II had an intimate 32-year relationship with a Polish philosopher who is believed to have once declared her love to him while he was still a cardinal, according to letters discovered by the BBC.
The “why not” is just because the position is for life. He is elected under the Code of Canon Law, and Canon Law has no rules for impeaching or removing a Pope, even if (for example) he has dementia. If powerful religious or secular authorities want to get rid of a Pope, they can depose him.
The Church's records tell us there were potentially three Black popes in Catholic history: Pope Victor I, who headed the church from 189-199, Pope Miltiades (311-314), and Pope Gelasius I, who was pope from 492-496.
Throughout the Catholic Church, East as well as West, a priest may not marry after ordination. In the Eastern Catholic Churches, a married priest is one who married before being ordained. The Roman Catholic Church considers the law of clerical celibacy to be not a doctrine, but a discipline.
Pope Francis, born in Argentina, was the first non-European Pope in over 1200 years. 🇦🇷 Before him, Pope Gregory III, born in modern-day Syria 🇸🇾 during the 7th century under Muslim rule, held the position from 731-741. Pope Anicetus, another Syrian 🇸🇾, was born in Hemesa (modern-day Homs) during Roman rule (157-168).
