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 a 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 (c. 67), traditionally martyred by upside-down crucifixion
 * Pope Linus (Saint) (c. 67)
 * Pope Anacletus or Cletus (Saint) (c. 79)
 * Pope Clement I (Saint) (c. 92), thrown into sea with anchor around his neck
 * Pope Evaristus (c. 99), not listed in the Roman Martyrology but executed
 * Pope Sixtus I (Saint) (c. 119)
 * Pope Telesphorus (Saint) (c. 128)
 * 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 10 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

 * 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

Dubious

 * Pope Alexander I (Saint) (c. 106), recognition as the martyred Saint Alexander (feast day May 3) rescinded in 1960
 * Pope Hyginus (Saint) (c. 138), martyrdom
 * Pope Pius I (Saint) (c. 142), martyred by the sword according to old sources. Claim of martyrdom removed from the 1969 General Roman Calendar after recent revisions.
 * 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 allegedly (though unlikely) died from the effects of ill-treatment one month before.

Lists

 * List of canonised popes
 * List of 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
 * List of popes sorted alphabetically
 * List of Sovereigns of the Vatican City State

Related topics

 * Annuario Pontificio
 * Attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II
 * History of the papacy
 * Index of Vatican City–related articles
 * Legends surrounding the papacy
 * Liber Pontificalis
 * Pope John Paul I conspiracy theories
 * Prophecy of the Popes