papacy, pontificate - the government of the Roman Catholic Church

spiritual leader - a leader in religious or sacred affairs

Catholic - a member of a Catholic church

Alexander VI, Pope Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia, Borgia - Pope and father of Cesare Borgia and Lucrezia Borgia (1431-1503)

Alfonso Borgia, Borgia, Calixtus III - Italian pope whose nepotism put the Borgia family in power in Italy (1378-1458)

Gregory I, Gregory the Great, Saint Gregory I, St. Gregory I, Gregory - (Roman Catholic Church) a pope distinguished for his spiritual and temporal leadership; a saint and Doctor of the Church (540?-604)

Gregory VII, Hildebrand, Gregory - the pope who fought to establish the supremacy of the pope over the Church and the supremacy of the Church over the state (1020-1085)

Gregory, Gregory XIII, Ugo Buoncompagni - the pope who sponsored the introduction of the modern calendar (1572-1585)

Innocent III, Lotario di Segni - Pope who instituted the Fourth Crusade and under whom papal intervention in European politics reached its height (1161-1216)

Albino Luciano, John Paul I - the first Pope to assume a double name; he reigned for only 34 days (1912-1978)

John Paul II, Karol Wojtyla - the first Pope born in Poland (born in 1920)

Leo I, Leo the Great, St. Leo I - the pope who extended the authority of the papacy to the west and persuaded Attila not to attack Rome (440-461)

Leo III - the pope who in 800 crowned Charlemagne emperor of the Romans (750-816)

Giovanni de Medici, Leo X - the pope who excommunicated Martin Luther and who in 1521 bestowed on Henry VIII the title of Defender of the Faith (1475-1521)

Aeneas Silvius, Enea Silvio Piccolomini, Pius II - pope remembered for his unsuccessful attempt to lead a crusade against the Turks (1405-1464)

Antonio Ghislieri, Pius V - pope who led the reformation of the Roman Catholic Church; he excommunicated Elizabeth I (1504-1572)

Luigi Barnaba Gregorio Chiaramonti, Pius VII - pope who concluded a concordat with Napoleon and crowned him emperor of France (1740-1823)

Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, Pius X - pope who condemned religious modernism (1835-1914)

Achille Ratti, Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, Pius XI - pope who signed a treaty with Mussolini recognizing the Vatican City as an independent state (1857-1939)

Eugenio Pacelli, Pius XII - pope who maintained neutrality during World War II and was later criticized for not aiding the Jews who were persecuted by Hitler (1876-1958)

Odo of Lagery, Urban II - pope who called for the First Crusade (1042-1099)

Bartolomeo Prignano, Urban VI - pope who alienated the French cardinals (1318-1389)