List of popes who died violently

A collection of popes have had violent deaths through the centuries. The circumstances have ranged from martyrdom (Pope Stephen I) to war (Lucius II), to an alleged beating by a jealous husband (Pope John XII). A number of other popes have died under circumstances that some believe to be murder, but for which definitive evidence has not been found.

Martyr popes

• Saint Peter (), traditionally martyred by upside-down crucifixion
• Pope Linus (Saint) ()
• Pope Anacletus or Cletus (Saint) ()
• Pope Clement I (Saint) (), thrown into sea with anchor around his neck
• Pope Evaristus (), not listed in the Roman Martyrology but executed
• Pope Sixtus I (Saint) ()
• Pope Telesphorus (Saint) ()
• Pope Anicetus (Saint) (155–166), traditionally martyred
• Pope Soter (Saint) (166–175), died a martyr
• Pope Eleuterus (Saint) (175–189), died a martyr
• Pope Victor I (Saint) 189–199, died a martyr
• Pope Calixtus I (Saint) (217–222), died a martyr
• Pope Urban I (Saint) 222–230, died a martyr
• Pope Pontian (Saint) 230–235, condemned to mines in Sardinia and died on island of Tavolara
• Pope Anterus (Saint), elected 21 November 235, martyred at hands of Emperor Maximus
• Pope Fabian (Saint), elected 10 January 236 and died a martyr during persecution and decapitated by Decius
• Pope Cornelius (Saint), elected March 251 and died a martyr June 253
• Pope Lucius I (Saint), elected 25 June 253 and martyred 5 March 254
• Pope Stephen I (Saint), elected 12 May 254 and martyred 2 August 257
• Pope Sixtus II (Saint), elected 30 August 257 and martyred 6 August 258
• Pope Dionysius (Saint), elected 22 July 259 after year of persecutions and died 26 December 268, martyred
• Pope Felix I (Saint), elected 5 January 269 and died 30 December 274, martyred
• Pope Eutychian (Saint), elected 4 January 275 and martyred 7 December 283
• Pope Caius (Saint), elected 17 December 283 and martyred 22 April 296 but not at hands of his uncle Diocletian
• Pope Marcellinus (Saint), elected 30 June 296 and martyred 25 October 304 during persecution of Diocletian
• Pope Marcellus I (Saint), elected 27 May 308 after 4-year vacancy and martyred 16 January 309
• Pope Eusebius (Saint), elected 18 April 309 and martyred in Sicily 17 August 309.
• Pope John I (Saint), elected 13 August 523, during the Ostrogothic occupation of the Italian peninsula. Was sent as an envoy by Ostrogoth king Theodoric the Great to Constantinople. Upon return, Theodoric accused John I of conspiracy with the Byzantine empire. Imprisoned and starved to death on 18 May 526.
• Pope Martin I (Saint) Elected in 649. Died in exile 16 September 655.

Murdered popes

• Pope Pius I (Saint) (), martyred by the sword according to old sources. Claim of martyrdom removed from the 1969 General Roman Calendar after recent revisions.
• John VIII (872–882), poisoned and then clubbed to death
• Stephen VI (896–897), strangled
• Leo V (903), allegedly strangled
• John X (914–928), allegedly smothered with a pillow
• John XII (955–964), allegedly murdered by the jealous husband of the woman with whom he was in bed
• Benedict VI (973–974), strangled
• John XIV (983–984), died either by starvation, ill-treatment, or direct murder
• Clement II (1046–1047), allegedly poisoned
• Celestine V (1294–1296), allegedly murdered while in post-abdication captivity. Allegations blame his successor, Pope Boniface VIII.
• Boniface VIII (1294–1303) was in conflict with Philip IV of France and was temporarily abducted by his forces. He died one month later, allegedly as a result of ill-treatment during his abduction.

See also

• History of the papacy
• Pope John Paul I conspiracy theories
• Attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II

Lists of popes

• List of popes
• List of canonised popes
• List of popes by length of reign
• List of popes from the Borgia family
• List of popes from the Conti family
• List of popes from the Medici family

References