Popes who renounced the office of pope

Popes who renounced the office of pope in the history of the church There were 7 of them

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Popes who renounced the office of Pope /resignation, abdication/

Pontian

1/ St. Pontian - 28.9.235 in exile on the island of Sardinia, where he was sentenced by the Roman emperor Maximinus Thrace to slave labor in a mine.

Silvérius

2/Silvérius 537 - November 11, 537 was forced by the Byzantine empress Theodora to abdicate /relinquish office/ Pope Silverius -1.6.536-11.11.537...was martyred /starved/ in prison in a famine 2.12 .537.

Benedict IX

3/In the year 1045- 1.5.1045 Benedict IX., known as one of the most godless popes, sold his office to his godfather John Gratian. Later, however, he came back to power. He was pope three times in total, and he was subsequently excommunicated.

Gregory VI

4/ In the year 1046- 20.12.1046 Gregory VI.- Gratian, who reigned briefly as Pope Gregory VI., had to resign due to accusations that he had bought his office./was deposed by the German emperor Henry III/

Celestinus V

5/In the year 1294 - 13.12.1294, Celestinus V., a simple hermit, resigned, whose election was a way out of the stalemate and was supposed to delay the election of a new pope. However, after five months he proved incompetent and resigned. Before that, he issued a decree by which he approved the possibility of the resignation of the popes and thus paved the way for his own departure. He was too holy, benevolent and kind that they endlessly abused his kindness, so he had to resign...

Gregory XII

6/ In 1415 - 4.7.1415 Gregory XII resigned. in order to end the Great Western Schism, when the antipopes in Pisa and Avignon threatened to split the church.

Benedict XVI

7/In 2013-28.2.2013 Benedict XVI /Joseph Ratzinger/ -19.4.2005 -28.2.2013, resignation announced 11.2.2013-died 31.12.2022

Pius VII

Secret abdications that did not take place:

In 1804-end of November 1804 Pius VII. he signed the abdication before going to Paris to crown Napoleon-12/2/1804. It was to take effect if he was captured in France.

Pius XII

During the Second World War, Pius XII. he allegedly signed a document on the basis of which he renounced his position in case he was captured by the Nazis. In history, there were 39 antipopes and 266 popes, and about 15 years of sede vacante, when the church did not have a pope...