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One must beware a rabbit hole. Some time ago, I read an excerpt from the History of the Popes from the Close of the Middle Ages, by the great pioneering nineteenth-century Catholic historian Ludwig von Pastor (whose work extends to forty volumes in its English translation). I enjoyed it so much that I started to fantasize about reading the entire series someday. But then I realized, to my great dismay, that Pastor’s biographies begin only with the two-hundred-and-sixth pope, Martin V.
The Lives of the Popes, Part One of Infinity
Introduction to a series of articles covering the lives of the popes.
Popes of the Apostolic Era
Popes of the Apostolic Era
Here's what we know about the first four popes: Sts. Peter, Linus, Cletus, and Clement, the last of whom died in the year 100.
The Ten Popes of the Second Century
The Ten Popes of the Second Century
Little is known about many of the popes of the second century - but a recurring theme is controversy over the date of Easter.
The First Antipope
The First Antipope
The brilliant Roman priest Hippolytus became the first antipope in the history of the Church, plaguing three successive papacies with his schism.
Popes of the Lost Sheep
Popes of the Lost Sheep
These popes dealt with controversies over how the Church should treat fallen-away Catholics who wished to return, and people baptized by heretics.