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[[File:ThePope.jpg|frame|And so it was decided that the Pope shall have [[Nice Hat|the biggest hat]].]]
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[[High Priest|The head]] of the Catholic Church. His [[Try to Fit That on A Business Card|official list of titles is]], "Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of Vatican City, Servant of the Servants of God." [http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/1639.html Not quite infallible]. Wears a ''very'' [[Nice Hat]]. And Red Shoes. Has the best job security of anyone on the planet (not to mention some of the best physical security, in the form of the bulletproof [[Thememobile|Popemobile]] and the [[Praetorian Guard|Swiss Guards]]). These days, anyway; things were very different in the Middle Ages.
 
However, the infallibility thing is generally misunderstood. It doesn't mean that the Pope is incapable of being wrong about anything, or even that he cannot sin - just that he cannot be wrong about anything regarding [[The Church]] , and even then, only when specifically stated as a official doctrine of the church. It's not so much "the Pope's word is law and he is perfect" as "God will stop the Pope saying anything too wrong, because he would lead lots of innocent people astray if he did." He is also infallible when adding Saints to the Canon ("canonizing" them, which is itself often misunderstood: the Pope does not have the power to ''make'' someone a Saint, but instead ''declares'' that they ''are'' a Saint), but that isn't really what most people (Catholics included) think of when talking about infallibility.
 
Elected via an unusual process that involves smoke from chimneys (the colour is indicative of whether an agreement is reached or not). The history of the position is tumultuous, to put it mildly, because of the fact that the Pope was historically the secular ruler of a chunk of central Italy (the "Papal States") in addition to his spiritual duties. As such, he was fully involved in the cutthroat world of Italian politicsgeopolitics, which tended to involve a certain amount of ruthless wheeler-dealing. Some Popes acted more like powerful kings than religious leaders. (The Papal States were lost in the Italian unification wars in the mid-nineteenth century, then replaced by the ''much smaller'' territory of Vatican City by agreement with the Italian government in 1929; in the process, the Papal armies were reduced to the ceremonial Swiss Guard.)▼
 
 
Elected via a unique process called a ''conclave'' that involves the previously-appointed electors - ''cardinals'' - being locked in a chapel (expanded, in modern usage, to include an attached dormitory) to expedite the process. The cardinals use colored smoke signals after each round of voting, to inform the outside would if they have come to a decision or not; the smoke is produced by destroying the ballots in a wood-burning stove (with the addition of chemical additives for color). The conclave continues until a new Pope is elected and accepts his election. (Technically, any Catholic is eligible, but in practice, the Pope is generally chosen from among the cardinal-electors.) A modern conclave often lasts for a handful of days, with approximately four rounds of voting per day. As of the Constitution of 1982, Vatican City became the first country to enact a ''maximum'' voting age: cardinals over the age of eighty are not admissible to a conclave.
 
▲Elected via an unusual process that involves smoke from chimneys (the colour is indicative of whether an agreement is reached or not). The history of the position is tumultuous, to put it mildly, because of the fact that the Pope was historically the secular ruler of a chunk of central Italy in addition to his spiritual duties. As such, he was fully involved in the cutthroat world of Italian politics, which tended to involve a certain amount of ruthless wheeler-dealing. Some Popes acted more like powerful kings than religious leaders.
 
Catholic tradition holds that Saint Peter was the first Pope; of course, there are many theories among historians and the different Christian denominations about how the succession started. The other wiki's [[wikipedia:History of the Papacy|article on the subject]] is a better place to search for details.
== Famous Popes (sorted in reverse chronological order) ==
* Francis (2013- ): The current guy, former name Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He set a lot of firsts: the first Jesuit pope (a quite controversial move, given the historic tensions between the Holy See and the Society of Jesus), the first American (he is Argentinian), the first from the Southern Hemisphere, the first non-European pope (since the Syrian Gregory III, who died in 741), and the first pope choosing a new, original name not used by a predecessor since Pope Lando in 914. Before his ascension he has a long career criticizing the succession of dictatorships in his natal Argentina, and having frequent impasses with its presidents. Is known to be a quite informal, humble pope, a very "no frills" person preferring simpler vests, refusing the traditional papal mozzetta cape upon his election, choosing silver instead of gold for his piscatory ring, and keeping the same pectoral cross he had as cardinal. While keeping the traditional views of the Church, he maintains that the Chrurch must be more welcoingwelcoming, and has been knowknown by approaching with other Christian denominations. He apparently was one of the biggest influentiers in the restoration of relations between Cuba and the USA.
* Benedict XVI (2005-2013): The one before him, former name Joseph Ratzinger. He hails from Germany (and yes, he ''was'' recruited by the Hitler Youth as a kid; ''forcibly'', as it was The Law) and was Archbishop of Munich and Freising. Was very well-known as an intellectual before his ascension. Bets on his imminent demise by old age are ongoing as are speculations that he is gay. Conservative and not very good with getting the media to accurately express his views. He's tabooed condoms, and reconciled (de-excommunicated) four traditionalist Bishops who were illicitly ordained. Among them was [[A Nazi by Any Other Name|Bishop Richard Williamson]], a Holocaust denier, [[Did Not Do the Research|for lack of a Google search]]. [[Face of a Thug|Looks just like]] [[Star Wars|Emperor Palpatine]] according to some, this being the source of one too many [[Memetic Mutation]]s, and the accusation is not helped by the fact that his previous job was the the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (previously known as the Holy Office, or more importantly, the Roman ''Inquisition''); his infamous nicknames "God's Rottweiler" and "Panzerkardinal" also don't help, nor does the aforementioned Hitler Youth membership. He reinstated the [[wikipedia:Tridentine Mass|Tridentine Mass]] (traditional Latin ritual), as an option, to the glee of some Catholics and the dismay of others, and the new translation was implemented under his watch. Again, some Catholics rejoiced, some despaired, most (churchgoing ones at least) simply resolved to read the new responses until they were memorized. He eventually got too tired and resigned from the charge, surprising everybody and making the first pope doing so since 1415.
* Bl. (Blessed)Saint John Paul II (1978-2005, beatified May 12011, 2011canonized April 2014): The ''one'' before him, realReal name Karol Jozef Wojtyła. Polish (was the Archbishop of Krakow before being chosen), and the first non-Italian in the job for ''centuries''. Also known, especially after his death, as Pope John Paul the Great. Unusually young (at least in recent history) when chosen (he was fifty-eight years old), partly out of a desire not to have to hold another conclave for a decade (they managed almost ''three''). Had the second-longest papal reign in history—a little over 26 years. ''Staunchly'' conservative, had great publicity and charisma as well as [[Large Ham|a very large presence]] ''and'' did travel through the whole world (hence his nickname "The Pilgrim Pope"); in the course of his travels, he was often covered by the mainstream media. One trip to the Philippines saw the largest crowd in history gathered to see him. Said to have been important in the fall of the various Communist governments. Famously almost assassinated then [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|forgave and visited his assassin in prison]]. Humor-minded history teachers have [[Memetic Badass|likened him to]] [[James Bond]] (without the sex, of course). Also re-invented as a super-hero, The Incredible Popeman. Because of the unusual longevity of his papacy, for the [[The Eighties|last two decades]] [[The Nineties|of the twentieth century]], he was simply '''THE''' POPE. He effectively redefined the institution. When he died, there were people up to thirty years old who couldn't remember another person being Pope.
** In one example of his publicity, he had a [[Rule of Cool|music video on MTV]] as one way to reach out to youth, one of the things he was known for.
*** It's not every Holy Father who gets [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8Foos3tWlE a song about him written by Frank Zappa].
** In an interesting bit of trivia, one of the people beatified in his final years was the man he was named after: Karl Josef von Habsburg, the last Emperor of Austria-Hungary. "Karol Jozef" happened to be the Polish version of that name, given by his patriotic father. It's been said that he did so as a sign of gratitude to his namesake.
** His beatification on May 1, 2011 (lastpreliminary step to canonization—whereupon he will be declared a saintcanonization), makes him the latest pope to be beatified. At his funeral, young people chanted "Santo subito!" (saint immediately) and Benny put his predecessor on the fast track by waiving the traditional 5-year wait before official sainthood inquiries begin. On the flip side of the coin, JPII consecrated and beatified more people than every pope in the last 5 centuries combined. ([[The Onion]] had their [http://www.theonion.com/articles/aging-pope-just-blessing-everything-in-sight-say-c,1585/ own theory] as to why.)
** He was also good friends with the Dalai Lama.
** Officially canonized (declared a Saint) in April 2015.
* John Paul I (1978): The one before ''him'', real name Albino Luciani. The first Pope who chose a composite name. Threw out tradition right and left: refused to wear jewel-encrusted tiara or be carried around in a chair, insisted on an installation instead of a coronation, wouldn't use royal "we". Taught that God was both Mother and Father. Threatened to expose (actual) Church corruption related to Vatican Bank. Lasted just 34 days. [[Epileptic Trees|Assassination conspiracy theories abound]]. Nicknamed "The Smiling Pope" for [[Nice Guy|his sweet and cheerful personality.]]▼
 
* Paul VI (1963–78): His predecessor, real name Giovanni Battista Montini. An intellectual type, he oversaw the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II for short), which introduced numerous sweeping reforms to Church practices. Also famous for being the first Pope in centuries to travel outside the Vatican more or less regularly. He's also famous for releasing the encyclical ''Humanae Vitae'', which reiterated the Church's opposition to birth control (or birth control that's not NFP, the rhythm method, or total abstinence). [[Sarcasm Mode|It was widely accepted, noncontroversial, and obeyed by nearly all Catholics.]]▼
▲* John Paul I (1978): The one before ''him'', real name Albino Luciani. The first Pope who chose a composite name. Threw out tradition right and left: refused to wear jewel-encrusted tiara or be carried around in a chair, insisted on an installation instead of a coronation, insisted on including 'the First' in his formal name, wouldn't use royal "we". Taught that God was both Mother and Father. Threatened to expose (actual) Church corruption related to Vatican Bank. Lasted just 34 days. [[Epileptic Trees|Assassination conspiracy theories abound]]. Nicknamed "The Smiling Pope" for [[Nice Guy|his sweet and cheerful personality.]]
* Bl. John XXIII (1958–63): His predecessor, real name Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli. Considered more liberal and progressive in his time, compared to his immediate predecessors. 76 years old when elected, he was expected to rule for only a short, uneventful term, but revolutionized the office by his warm down-to-earth approach to the job. He called the Vatican II Council, which would end up renewing Catholicism as a whole, and was finished by his succesor Paul VI. Generally known as "The Good Pope" for his easy smile and gentleness. Is currently a Blessed, just one miracle short of being officially declared a Saint.▼
▲* Paul VI (1963–78): His predecessor, real name Giovanni Battista Montini. An intellectual type, he oversaw the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II for short), which introduced numerous sweeping reforms to Church practices, including authorizing the use of local languages in church, rather than requiring all services to be conducted in Latin. Also famous for being the first Pope in centuries to travel outside the Vatican more or less regularly. He's also famous for releasing the encyclical ''Humanae Vitae'', which reiterated the Church's opposition to birth control (or birth control that's not NFP, the rhythm method, or total abstinence). [[Sarcasm Mode|It was widely accepted, noncontroversial, and obeyed by nearly all Catholics.]]
▲* BlSt. John XXIII (1958–63): His predecessor, real name Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli. Considered more liberal and progressive in his time, compared to his immediate predecessors. 76 years old when elected, he was expected to rule for only a short, uneventful term, but revolutionized the office by his warm down-to-earth approach to the job. He called the Vatican II Council, which would end up renewing Catholicism as a whole, and was finished by his succesor Paul VI. Generally known as "The Good Pope" for his easy smile and gentleness. IsCanonized currentlyalongside aSt. Blessed,John justPaul one miracle short of being officially declared a SaintII.
* Pius XII (1939-1958): His predecessor, real name Eugenio Maria Pacelli, [[The White Prince|member of a very high class Roman family]]. Elected pope in 1939, he reigned during [[World War II]]. A competent, well-read, [[The Stoic|stoic]], and popular pope, but accusations, made by some historians, [[wikipedia:Pope Pius XII#Hitler.27s Pope and The Myth of Hitler.27s Pope|that he did not not do enough to save the Jews during the Holocaust]] have made him a controversial figure after his death. However, several sources, including Israeli scholars, estimate that [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|as many as 860,000 European Jews were saved from death]] through concealment in Church facilities, issuance of fake Baptismal certificates, public appeals and other methods he ordered: this means, [[Guile Hero|he didn't speak up in public a lot but]] ''[[Guile Hero|did]]'' [[Guile Hero|work like crazy behind the scenes]]. Made plans for the Vatican II Council, but died before he could call it. While he was dying, [[Determinator|he repeatedly attempted to get up and say Mass, bless pilgrims (in their original languages), and feed his favorite bird that lived near the estate.]]
* Benedict XV (1914-1922) Real name Giacomo della Chiesa, [[Only Sane Man]] during much of World War One, repeatedly calling for peace and doing all he could to help the conditions of the prisoners of war and other refugees.
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* Adrian VI (1522–23): Born in Utrecht, he was the last non-Italian pope until John Paul II was chosen 475 years later. Launched the Counter-Reformation. One of only two popes (along with Marcellus II 32 years later) to keep their birth name as their papal name.
* Leo X (1513–21): Real name, Giovanni de' Medici. The son of [[The Magnificent|Lorenzo the Magnificent]], mainly remembered for promoting the sale of indulgences for money to such an extent that it sparked the Lutheran reformation in the 16th century. Famously called the Reformation "some quarrel of monks". Patronized art and literature in Rome to an extraordinary extent, establishing a papal court that was the envy of Renaissance Italy.
* Julius II (1503-1513): Real name, Giuliano della Rovere. [[Church Militant|The Warrior Pope]], famous for commanding troops at the front, wearing armor and directing siege works. Bitter enemy of Alexander VI. Also famous for overseeing Michelangelo when the artist painted the ceiling to the Sistine Chapel. Played by Rex Harrison in ''The Agony and the Ecstasy'', opposite Charlton Heston as Michelangelo. Originally employed the [[Swiss Guard]]; their iconic Michaelangelo-designed uniforms are in the colors of his family's coat of arms.
* Alexander VI (1492-1503): Formerly Rodrigo Borgia (or Borja), he was from Spain. Bought the vote and appointed a lot of relatives to Church jobs. He let Rome fall into a state of decay, and had a little party called the [[wikipedia:Banquet of Chestnuts|Banquet of Chestnuts]] (which, to borrow the words of [[Stephen Fry]], revolved around a night of naked prostitute racing in the Vatican). His son [[Magnificent Bastard|Cesare]]'s transformation of the Romagna district into a tyrannical, yet ordered state inspired a writer by the name of [[Niccolo Machiavelli]]. Also fathered a daughter, [[Femme Fatale|Lucrezia]], widely (but wrongly) rumored to have [[Black Widow|poisoned her husbands and several lovers]] (she would've had a much better life had the rumors been true). He was not [[Deadly Decadent Court|that far from the norm in those days]], to be fair. Also, he handed King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile the ''Inter Caethera'' documents that let them start colonizing America. He was subject to a [[Historical Villain Upgrade]] for ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' and ''<nowiki>[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]</nowiki>'', with Cesare joining him for the latter in said upgrade. In ''[[The Borgias]]'', he's played by Jeremy Irons.
** Alexander's descendants include most of the noble and royal families of Catholic Europe. One of his descendants was a [[Badass Preacher|Jesuit]] named St. Francis Borgia; another is actress [[Brooke Shields]], whose paternal grandmother was an Italian princess.
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