List of Popes who have resigned from office
The Popes of the Roman Catholic Church are elected for life and cannot be voted out of office, but they can renounce the office of Pope. So far, the following popes and counter-popes have voluntarily or compulsorily declared their resignation:
| Surname | Term of office | Circumstances of resignation, comments | successor |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bishop of Rome Pontianus |
230 - September 28, 235 |
Resignation from office during his imprisonment by the Roman Emperor Maximinus Thrax in Sardinia | Bishop of Rome Anterus |
|
Counter-Bishop of Rome Eulalius |
418 - 422 |
Was counter-bishop to Boniface I and had to flee to Antium on April 29, 419 . After the death of Boniface I, he resigned the office of Bishop of Rome in 422. | Bishop of Rome Celestine I. |
| Bishop of Rome Silverius |
June 536 - November 11, 537 |
After his exile by the Byzantine general Belisarius, shortly before his death in Ponza or Palmarola, he renounced the office of bishop | Bishop of Rome Vigilius |
| Pope Benedict IX |
October 1032 - May 1, 1045 |
In Rome, he resigned from office in favor of the successor he had chosen himself. For a short time in 1047/1048 he held the office of papacy again and is the only incumbent who has served as pope more than once. |
Pope Gregory VI. |
|
Antipope New Year IV. |
1105 - April 12 or 13, 1111 |
Raised by Roman Pope opponents anti-pope without regional allegiance, declared after riots in Rome in a hopeless situation his resignation in favor of the reigning Pope. | Pope Paschal II |
| Antipope Viktor IV |
January 29, 1138 - May 29, 1138 |
Elected as successor to Anaclet II , renounced in favor of the competing Pope after Bernhard von Clairvaux had sided with him. | Pope Innocent II |
| Antipope Calixt III. |
1168 - August 29, 1178 |
Successor of the Imperial Pope Paschal III. , resigned from office after reconciliation between Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa and the ruling Pope. | Pope Alexander III |
| Pope Celestine V. |
July 5, 1294 - December 13, 1294 |
Probably voluntary resignation based on illness, ignorance and the intention to live as a hermit again . The withdrawal took place for personal reasons, but probably also under the influence of his powerful chancellor and successor; Coelestin was then under house arrest until his death. Canonized in 1313. | Pope Boniface VIII |
| Antipope Nicholas V. |
May 12, 1328 - August 25, 1330 |
At the insistence of Emperor Ludwig of Bavaria, the Franciscan antipope in Rome, raised , renounced in favor of the legitimate Avignon Pope after he had been assured that his life would be spared and a pension. Subsequently remained under house arrest in Avignon until his death . | Pope John XXII. |
| Antipope John XXIII. |
May 24, 1410 - May 31, 1415 |
Successor of Pope Alexander V from Bologna . He was the only ruling Pope to attend the Council of Constance himself . After an initial escape, he accepted the deposition by the council while imprisoned in Heidelberg Castle in order to end the Great Western Schism . Was released after four years of imprisonment, submitted to the Pope and was pardoned. | Pope Martin V. |
| Pope Gregory XII. |
November 30, 1406 - July 4, 1415 |
Pope of Roman obedience. Declared his resignation in Rome in order to end the Great Western Schism without formally accepting the deposition by the Council of Constance. The third ruling Pope, Benedict XIII. of Avignon obedience, refused to resign. The council deposed him on July 26, 1417, but he ruled in Spain until his death in 1423. |
Pope Martin V. |
| Antipope Clement VIII. |
June 10, 1423 - July 26, 1429 |
Successor of the Avignon Pope Benedict XIII. Renounced in favor of Pope Martin V, who had been raised by the Council of Constance, after he had been re-elected to ensure apostolic succession . Thereafter, Martin V appointed Bishop of Mallorca . | Pope Martin V. |
| Antipope Felix V. |
November 5, 1439 - April 7, 1449 |
Antipope appointed by the Council of Basel . Due to poor recognition in Switzerland , he declared his resignation in favor of the legitimate Roman Pope, who compensated him with privileges. | Pope Nicholas V |
| Pope Benedict XVI |
April 19, 2005 - February 28, 2013 |
On February 11, 2013 in Vatican City, declared voluntary resignation for reasons of age. Lives in retired Rome as the first pope emeritus in modern history. |
Pope Francis |
The entries are arranged according to the date on which the papacy was renounced.
literature
- Christiane Laudage: Fight for the chair of Petri. The history of the anti-popes. Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 2012, ISBN 978-3-451-30402-6 .