Antipope

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).

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 Pope John elected in 1958 is 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.

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, but with the annotation: "Considered by some to be an antipope". Other sources classify him as an antipope.

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", an opinion historian Salvador Miranda also shares.

Those with asterisks (*) were counted in subsequent papal numbering.

Quasi-cardinal-nephews (many more cardinal-nephews proper)

Many antipopes created cardinals, known as quasi-cardinals, and a few created cardinal-nephews, known as quasi-cardinal-nephews.

Alternative popes

The concept of the antipope has continued into the modern day, with most recent 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. 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.

Modern alternative popes include:

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. Similarly, during the schism that happened in the Armenian Catholic Church during 1873, an election was held which voted Jacob Pahtiarian into the position of Patriarch of the Patriarchate of Cilicia, which was in opposition to the Pope-appointed Patriarch, Andon Bedros IX Hassoun. Pahtiarian was referred to by some as an "anti-Patriarch".

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.

Papal conspiracy theories

Some sedevacantist conspiracy theorists consider the incumbent pope to be the antipope, as for various reasons they believe 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. Similarly, for supports of Benevacantism, the belief that Pope Benedict XVI did not validly resign, Pope Francis would be considered an antipope. 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.

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. 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.

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").
• Gérard Bavoux's novel Le Porteur de lumière ("The Light-bringer").
• The fictional synth-pop artist Zladko Vladcik claims to be "The Anti-Pope" in one of his songs.
• 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 antipope John XXIV elected in opposition to Pope Brendan I.
• Bud McFarlane's Pierced by a Sword includes an antipope 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.

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), ISBN 0192139649.
• Raspail, Jean, 'L'Anneau du pêcheur, Paris: Albin Michel, 1994. 403 pp. ISBN 2226075909.
• Bavoux, Gérard, Le Porteur de lumière, Paris: Pygmalion, 1996. 329 pp. ISBN 2857044887.