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Popes From The Last Century
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Pope Francis 2013 - 2025
Head of the Catholic Church from 2013 until his death in 2025, Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 in Buenos Aires. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first from Latin America, and the first born outside Europe since the 8th century. His funeral drew a huge global crowd, including world leaders like the Trumps and Bidens.
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Pope Benedict XVI 2005 - 2013
Born Joseph Alois Ratzinger in 1927 in Germany, he led the Catholic Church from April 2005 until his resignation in 2013. A former theology professor, he was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising in 1977—despite limited pastoral background.
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Pope John Paul II 1978 - 2005
Born in May 1920 as Karol Józef Wojtyła, he worked in a quarry during WWII to avoid forced labor. He became the first non-Italian pope in over 400 years and served as the third-longest reigning pontiff. He was known for opposing dictatorships and aiding the fall of communism in Europe. A 1981 assassination attempt led to the creation of the Popemobile.
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Pope John Paul I 1978
Born in October 1912 as Albino Luciani, he reportedly expressed reluctance to become pope before the 1978 conclave. He was the first to take a double name—John Paul—in tribute to his predecessors John XXIII and Paul VI.
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Pope Paul VI 1963 - 1978
Born in September 1897 as Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, he led major Church reforms and strengthened ties with other Christian communities through landmark meetings and agreements. In 1964, he became the first pope in over a century to travel outside Italy, visiting Jordan.
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Pope John XXIII 1958 - 1963
Born in November 1881 as Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, he was one of 13 children in a sharecropping family. Ordained in 1904, he held various roles before becoming pope. Known for his powerful speeches, he played a key role in driving major changes within the Church.
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Pope Pius XII 1939 - 1958
Born in March 1876 as Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli, he led the Church through World War II. Though the Vatican remained neutral, he used diplomacy to support Nazi victims and discreetly aided Jews, helping save thousands. He maintained contact with the German resistance, shared intelligence with the Allies, and later issued a decree condemning Communism.
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Pope Pius XI 1922 - 1939
Born in May 1857 as Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, he issued several major encyclicals addressing topics like contraception, social justice, capitalist excess, and communism. His papacy saw the resolution of long-standing tensions with Italy through the 1929 Lateran Treaty.
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Pop Benedict XV 1914 - 1922
Born in November 1854 as Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, he served as pope during World War I, calling it "the suicide of civilized Europe." Though he declared neutrality and tried to mediate peace, both sides rejected his efforts. He then focused on humanitarian aid, supporting prisoners of war and organizing food relief.
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Pope Pius X 1903 - 1914
Born in June 1835 as Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, he was known for opposing modernist views within the Church and for his strict, humble lifestyle. He declined personal favors, and his family remained in poverty by choice. Unusually, he preached from the pulpit and opened the Apostolic Palace to refugees after the 1908 Messina earthquake.
