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)^[1] to war (Lucius II),^[2] to an alleged 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

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

In tradition, the first pope, Saint Peter, was crucified upside-down.

• Saint Peter (c. 67), traditionally martyred by upside-down crucifixion^[3]
• Pope Linus (Saint) (c. 67 – c. 76)^[4][5]
• Pope Anacletus or Cletus (Saint) (c. 79 – c. 92)^[6][4]
• Pope Clement I (Saint) (c. 92 – c. 99), thrown into sea with anchor around his neck^[4]
• Pope Evaristus (c. 99 – c. 108),^[4][5] not listed in the Roman Martyrology but executed^[7]
• Pope Sixtus I (Saint) (c. 119 – c. 128)^[4][5]
• Pope Telesphorus (Saint) (c. 128 – c. 138)^[4][8]
• Pope Anicetus (Saint) (155–166), traditionally martyred^[4]
• Pope Soter (Saint) (166–175), died a martyr ^[4]
• Pope Eleuterus (Saint) (175–189), died a martyr^[4]
• Pope Victor I (Saint) 189–199, died a martyr^[4]
• Pope Calixtus I (Saint) (217–222), died a martyr^[4]
• Pope Urban I (Saint) 222–230, died a martyr^[4]
• Pope Pontian (Saint) 230–235, condemned to mines in Sardinia and died on island of Tavolara^[4]
• Pope Anterus (Saint), elected 21 November 235, martyred at hands of Emperor Maximus^[4]
• Pope Fabian (Saint), elected 10 January 236 and died a martyr during persecution and decapitated by Decius^[4]
• Pope Cornelius (Saint), elected March 251 and died a martyr June 253^[4]
• Pope Lucius I (Saint), elected 25 June 253 and martyred 5 March 254^[4]
• Pope Stephen I (Saint), elected 12 May 254 and martyred 2 August 257^[4][1]
• Pope Sixtus II (Saint), elected 30 August 257 and martyred 6 August 258^[4]
• Pope Dionysius (Saint), elected 22 July 259 after year of persecutions and died 26 December 268, martyred^[4]
• Pope Felix I (Saint), elected 5 January 269 and died 30 December 274, martyred^[4]
• Pope Eutychian (Saint), elected 4 January 275 and martyred 7 December 283^[4]
• Pope Caius (Saint), elected 17 December 283 and martyred 22 April 296 but not at hands of his uncle Diocletian^[4]
• Pope Marcellinus (Saint), elected 30 June 296 and martyred 25 October 304 during persecution of Diocletian^[4]
• Pope Marcellus I (Saint), elected 27 May 308 after 4-year vacancy and martyred 16 January 309^[4]
• Pope Eusebius (Saint), elected 18 April 309 and martyred in Sicily 17 August 309.^[4][9]
• 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.^[4]
• Pope Martin I (Saint) Elected in 649. Died in exile 16 September 655.

Murdered popes

• Pope Pius I (Saint) (c. 142 – c. 154), martyred by the sword according to old sources.^[10] Claim of martyrdom removed from the 1969 General Roman Calendar after recent revisions.^[11]
• John VIII (872–882), poisoned and then clubbed to death^[12]
• Stephen VI (896–897), strangled^[13]
• Leo V (903), allegedly strangled^[14]
• John X (914–928), allegedly smothered with a pillow^[15]
• John XII (955–964), allegedly murdered by the jealous husband of the woman with whom he was in bed^[16]
• Benedict VI (973–974), strangled^[17]
• John XIV (983–984), died either by starvation, ill-treatment, or direct murder^[18]
• Clement II (1046–1047), allegedly poisoned^[19]
• Celestine V (1294–1296), allegedly murdered while in post-abdication captivity. Allegations blame his successor, Pope Boniface VIII.^[20]
• Boniface VIII (1294–1303) was in conflict with Philip IV of France and was temporarily abducted by his forces. He died one month later, allegedly as a result of ill-treatment during his abduction, though this is an unlikely cause.^[21]

See also

• History of the papacy
• Attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II

Lists of popes

• List of popes
• List of canonised 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