The Lendian Pope is the head of the Papaist Church, based in Lendia. Papaists generally refer to their leader merely as "the Pope", but others often add the word "Lendian" to distinguish the office from that of the Archbishop of Cruishaven, who is sometimes also referred to as Pope.
The Lendian Pope is chosen upon the death or abdication of the previous holder of the office. He is elected by a Conclave of the Papaist Church's cardinals, who deliberate in secret. The Pope resides in the city of Gloria Libertatis, in a precinct overlooking the Old City from the hills of Las Rochas.
Previous popes[]
According to the official list, there have been two hundred and ten Popes before the present holder of the office, although not all of them were referred to as Pope while they were alive.
Most of the Popes are not known by their personal names — rather, they adopted a regnal name by which they are known instead. The number of regnal names is fairly limited, with Popes frequently chosing to adopt the name of one of their predecessors as a mark of respect or indication of doctrinal similarity. A total of twenty-two names have been used, with the most recent new addition (Miguel) being made over two centuries ago.
Number | Name | Reigned | Notes | |
1st | Marco | 1453 BP — 1437 BP | 16 years | A disciple of Cruis and founder of the Church. |
2nd | Dominico I | 1437 BP — 1426 BP | 11 years | |
3rd | Simono I | 1426 BP — 1421 BP | 5 years | First leader to adopt the title of Archbishop of Brancassa. |
4th | Justinio I | 1421 BP — 1401 BP | 20 years | |
5th | Ignacio I | 1401 BP — 1398 BP | 3 years | |
6th | Edaro I | 1398 BP — 1392 BP | 6 years | |
7th | Pio I | 1392 BP | 5 months | |
8th | Andreo I | 1392 BP — 1385 BP | 7 years | |
9th | Sebastiano I | 1385 BP — 1371 BP | 14 years | |
10th | Simono II | 1371 BP — 1361 BP | 10 years | First leader to officially use the title "Pope". |
11th | Dominico II | 1361 BP — 1360 BP | 1 year | |
12th | Ignacio II | 1360 BP — 1357 BP | 3 years | |
13th | Ignacio III | 1357 BP — 1355 BP | 2 years | |
14th | Bernardo I | 1355 BP — 1347 BP | 8 years | |
15th | Simono III | 1347 BP — 1330 BP | 17 years | |
16th | Edaro II | 1330 BP — 1317 BP | 12 years | Forced to accept broad Liliani control over the Church after Liliana invades Lendia. Beginning of "the Captivity", and official use of the term "Pope" is supressed. |
17th | Andreo II | 1317 BP — 1308 BP | 9 years | |
18th | Justinio II | 1308 BP — 1305 BP | 3 years | |
19th | Bernardo II | 1505 BP — 1284 BP | 21 years | Condemned Clemenism, which held that Cruis, while divinely favoured, was otherwise an ordinary man. First instance of those considered "heretics" being expelled from the Church. |
20th | Pio II | 1284 BP — 1274 BP | 10 years | |
21st | Dominico III | 1274 BP | 3 months | |
22nd | Dominico IV | 1274 BP — 1259 BP | 15 years | |
23rd | Ignacio IV | 1259 BP — 1250 BP | 9 years | |
24th | Simono IV | 1250 BP — 1248 BP | 2 years | |
25th | Edaro III | 1248 BP — 1234 BP | 11 years | |
26th | Pedro I | 1235 BP | 28 days | Died after falling from a balcony. Unproven accusations of murder by Liliani officers over his independent stance. |
27th | Pio III | 1235 BP — 1232 BP | 5 years | |
28th | Celestino I | 1232 BP — 1226 BP | 6 years | |
29th | Celestino II | 1226 BP — 1209 BP | 17 years | |
30th | Simono V | 1209 BP — 1205 BP | 4 years | |
31st | Justinio III | 1205 BP — 1195 BP | 10 years | Condemned Sovirism, a heresy which held that the scriptures should be seen not as factual statements but as allegories and metaphors. |
32nd | Dominico V | 1195 BP — 1192 BP | 3 years | Ordered the burning of several Sovirists, the first known religious executions in the Church's history. |
33rd | Bernardo III | 1192 BP — 1184 BP | 8 years | Repudiated his predecessor's policy of executing heretics, although continued persecution with other methods. |
34th | Ignacio V | 1184 BP — 1183 BP | 1 year | |
35th | Carlo I | 1183 BP — 1171 BP | 12 years | |
36th | Simono VI | 1171 BP — 1155 BP | 16 years | |
37th | Celestino III | 1155 BP — 1146 BP | 9 years | |
38th | Carlo II | 1146 BP — 1144 BP | 2 years | Attempted to halt persecution of Sovirists, but was blocked by Liliani officials who saw the Sovirist mass movement as a potential political threat. |
39th | Edaro IV | 1144 BP — 1139 BP | 5 years | |
40th | Dominico VI | 1139 BP — 1136 BP | 3 years | |
41st | Dominico VII | 1136 BP — 1118 BP | 18 years | |
42nd | Ignacio VI | 1118 BP — 1113 BP | 5 years | |
42nd | Justinio IV | 1113 BP — 1097 BP | 16 years | |
43rd | Edaro V | 1097 BP — 1091 BP | 6 years | |
44th | Sebastiano II | 1091 BP — 1077 BP | 14 years | |
45th | Sebastiano III | 1077 BP — 1075 BP | 2 years | |
46th | Simono VII | 1075 BP | 4 months | |
47th | Simono VIII | 1075 BP — 1068 BP | 7 years | Rejected as illegitimate by a faction of the Church who claimed the election was rigged. A rival claimant, calling himself Martino I, established a rival papacy that was shut down by the Liliani authorities. |
48th | Simono IX | 1068 BP — 1059 BP | 9 years | |
49th | Claudio I | 1059 BP — 1049 BP | 10 years | |
50th | Dominico VIII | 1049 BP — 1037 BP | 12 years | |
51st | Bernardo IV | 1037 BP — 1015 BP | 22 years | |
52nd | Bernardo V | 1015 BP — 1007 BP | 8 years | |
53rd | Carlo III | 1007 BP — 999 BP | 8 years | |
54th | Carlo IV | 999 BP — 990 BP | 9 years | |
55th | Carlo V | 990 BP — 989 BP | 1 year | |
56th | Claudio II | 989 BP — 987 BP | 2 years | |
57th | Celestino IV | 987 BP — 976 BP | 11 years | Forced to abdicate by the Liliani authorities for supporting the Rivan Rebellion. |
58th | Simono X | 976 BP — 963 BP | 13 years | |
59th | Edaro VI | 963 BP — 953 BP | 10 years | |
60th | Carlo VI | 953 BP — 948 BP | 5 years | |
61st | Ignacio VII | 948 BP — 942 BP | 6 years | |
62nd | Justinio V | 942 BP — 923 BP | 19 years | |
63rd | Dominico IX | 923 BP — 916 BP | 7 years | |
64th | Andreo III | 916 BP — 910 BP | 16 years | |
65th | Sebastiano IV | 900 BP — 897 BP | 3 years | |
66th | Bernardo VI | 897 BP — 891 BP | 6 years | |
67th | Simono XI | 891 BP — 883 BP | 8 years | |
68th | Simono XII | 883 BP — 863 BP | 20 years | |
69th | Claudio III | 863 BP — 851 BP | 12 years | |
70th | Edaro VII | 851 BP — 850 BP | 1 years | |
71st | Edaro VIII | 850 BP — 844 BP | 6 years | |
72nd | Edaro IX | 844 BP — 839 BP | 5 years | |
73rd | Simono XIII | 839 BP — 821 BP | 18 years | |
74th | Bernardo VII | 821 BP — 807 BP | 14 years | |
75th | Pio IV | 807 BP — 798 BP | 9 years | |
76th | Ignacio VIII | 798 BP — 792 BP | 6 years | |
77th | Ignacio IX | 792 BP — 787 BP | 5 years | |
78th | Simono XIV | 787 BP — 766 BP | 21 years | |
79th | Pedro II | 766 BP — 763 BP | 3 years | |
80th | Claudio IV | 763 BP — 759 BP | 4 years | |
81st | Carlo VIII | 759 BP — 743 BP | 16 years | |
82nd | Edaro X | 743 BP — 732 BP | 11 years | |
83rd | Simono XV | 732 BP — 720 BP | 12 years | |
84th | Fulgencio I | 720 BP — 710 BP | 10 years | Reasserted the Church's independence as Liliani forces withdraw. End of "the Captivity". |
85th | Pio V | 710 BP | 7 months | |
86th | Claudio V | 710 BP — 702 BP | 8 years | |
87th | Claudio VI | 702 BP — 687 BP | 15 years | |
88th | Simono XVI | 687 BP — 661 BP | 26 years | |
89th | Celestino V | 661 BP — 656 BP | 5 years | |
90th | Justinio V | 656 BP — 648 BP | 8 years | Ordered the earliest known compilation of Church law, ending the reliance on unwritten traditions and conventions. |
91st | Andreo III | 648 BP — 646 BP | 2 years | |
92nd | Ignacio X | 646 BP — 644 BP | 2 years | |
93rd | Carlo VIII | 644 BP — 643 BP | 1 years | |
94th | Simono XVII | 643 BP — 634 BP | 9 years | |
95th | Simono XVIII | 634 BP — 622 BP | 12 years | |
96th | Simono XIX | 622 BP | 2 months | |
97th | Celestino VI | 622 BP | 5 months | |
98th | Andreo IV | 622 BP — 616 BP | 6 years | Launched a major project to convert Piolsa to the Papaist faith. Not widely successful, but today sometimes considered one of Piolsa's patron saints. |
99th | Claudio VII | 616 BP — 602 BP | 14 years | |
100th | Pedro III | 602 BP — 586 BP | 16 years | |
101st | Pio VI | 586 BP — 573 BP | 13 years | |
102nd | Bernardo VII | 573 BP — 570 BP | 3 years | |
103rd | Bernardo VIII | 570 BP — 560 BP | 10 years | |
104th | Simono XX | 560 BP | 19 days | Abdicated, citing stress. |
105th | Dominico XI | 560 BP — 559 BP | 11 years | |
106th | Claudio VIII | 559 BP — 557 BP | 2 years | |
107th | Justinio VI | 557 BP — 548 BP | 9 years | |
108th | Pedro IV | 548 BP — 541 BP | 7 years | |
109th | Ignacio XI | 541 BP — 536 BP | 5 years | |
110th | Justinio VII | 536 BP — 520 BP | 16 years | |
111th | Bernardo IX | 520 BP — 515 BP | 5 years | |
112th | Carlo IX | 515 BP — 501 BP | 14 years | First Pope to officially condemn Veldanism's position as the state religion of Lendia, arguing that the country now had as many Cruisians as Veldanists. |
113th | Celestino VII | 501 BP — 492 BP | 9 years | |
114th | Celestino VIII | 492 BP — 478 BP | 14 years | |
115th | Andreo V | 478 BP | 5 months | |
116th | Sebastiano V | 478 BP — 473 BP | 5 years | Strongly but unsuccesfully opposed the unification of Lendia and Piolsa, believing that non-Cruisian Piolsa would dilute the strength of the Church. |
117th | Justinio VIII | 473 BP — 471 BP | 2 years | Accused of inflaming tensions between Papaists and Veldanists. Assassinated by a Veldanist extremist, and subsequently declared a martyr. |
118th | Bernardo X | 471 BP — 461 BP | 10 years | Attempted to halt religious violence, but was largely ignored. |
119th | Pio VII | 461 BP — 452 BP | 9 years | |
120th | Celestino IX | 452 BP — 422 BP | 30 years | Successfully negotiated an end to Veldanism's status as the state religion, greatly calming religious tension. |
121st | Fulgencio II | 422 BP — 418 BP | 4 years | |
122nd | Ignacio XII | 418 BP — 401 BP | 17 years | |
123rd | Andreo VI | 401 BP — 394 BP | 7 years | |
124th | Simono XXI | 394 BP — 391 BP | 3 years | |
125th | Justinio IX | 391 BP — 383 BP | 8 years | |
126th | Carlo X | 383 BP — 373 BP | 10 years | |
128th | Justinio X | 373 BP — 372 BP | 1 year | |
129th | Simono XXII | 372 BP — 370 BP | 2 years | |
130th | Celestino X | 370 BP — 355 BP | 15 years | |
131st | Fulgencio III | 355 BP — 344 BP | 11 years | |
132nd | Dominico XII | 344 BP — 337 BP | 7 years | |
133rd | Justinio XI | 337 BP — 331 BP | 6 years | |
134th | Justinio XII | 331 BP — 324 BP | 4 years | |
135th | Bernardo XI | 324 BP — 319 BP | 8 years | |
136th | Pio VIII | 319 BP | 4 months | |
137th | Justinio XIII | 319 BP — 310 BP | 9 years | |
138th | Andreo VII | 310 BP — 298 BP | 12 years | |
139th | Ignacio XIII | 298 BP — 296 BP | 2 years | |
140th | Celestino XI | 296 BP — 289 BP | 7 years | |
141st | Julio I | 289 BP — 272 BP | 17 years | |
142nd | Bernardo XII | 272 BP — 260 BP | 12 years | |
143rd | Justinio XIV | 260 BP — 248 BP | 12 years | |
144th | Simono XXIII | 248 BP — 247 BP | 1 year | |
145th | Zeno I | 247 BP — 237 BP | 10 years | |
146th | Pedro V | 237 BP — 230 BP | 7 years | |
147th | Carlo XI | 230 BP — 221 BP | 9 years | |
148th | Fulgencio IV | 221 BP — 210 BP | 11 years | |
149th | Julio II | 210 BP — 197 BP | 13 years | |
150th | Iago | 197 BP — 189 BP | 8 years | |
151st | Melo I | 189 BP — 165 BP | 24 years | |
152nd | Celestino XII | 165 BP — 158 BP | 7 years | |
153rd | Sebastiano VI | 158 BP — 139 BP | 19 years | |
154th | Ricardo I | 139 BP — 137 BP | 2 years | |
155th | Justinio XV | 137 BP — 135 BP | 2 years | |
156th | Justinio XVI | 135 BP — 124 BP | 11 years | |
157th | Claudio IX | 124 BP — 114 BP | 10 years | |
158th | Ignacio XIV | 114 BP — 108 BP | 6 years | |
159th | Carlo XII | 108 BP — 104 BP | 4 years | |
160th | Justinio XVII | 104 BP — 86 BP | 18 years | |
161st | Pio IX | 86 BP — 78 BP | 8 years | |
162nd | Zeno II | 78 BP — 51 BP | 27 years | |
163rd | Justinio XVIII | 51 BP — 38 BP | 13 years | |
164th | Andreo VIII | 38 BP — 36 BP | 2 years | |
165th | Ignacio XV | 36 BP — 33 BP | 3 years | |
166th | Simono XXIV | 33 BP — 21 BP | 12 years | |
167th | Bernardo XIII | 21 BP — 14 BP | 7 years | |
168th | Justinio XIX | 14 BP — 9 BP | 5 years | |
169th | Celestino XIII | 9 BP — 1 AP | 10 years | Died in the Plague. |
170th | Julio III | 1 AP — 19 AP | 18 years | Worked to rebuild and stabilize the Church after the Plague. Was elected under irregular circumstances, but was eventually acknowledged by all as legitimate. |
171st | Carlo XIII | 19 AP — 25 AP | 6 years | Imprisoned by Lucio I of Lalta for refusing to bless his rule. |
172nd | Ignacio XVI | 25 AP — 27 AP | 2 years | Chosen under heavy pressure from King Lucio I of Lalta. Supported Laltese territorial claims, and was probably poisoned by Neonia as a result. |
173rd | Simono XXV | 27 AP — 32 AP | 5 years | Attempted to steer a middle course between the papacy's autonomy and political pressures. |
174th | Justinio XX | 35 AP | 10 days | Strongly against political interference in the Church. Poisoned, presumably by the Laltese monarchy. |
175th | Mercurio VII | 35 AP — 36 AP | 1 year | Son of King Lucio I of Lalta, elected under severe pressure. Forced by his father to abdicate after failing to advance Laltese interests as well as expected. |
176th | Quinto I | 36 AP — 42 AP | 6 years | A relative of the Laltese royal family. |
178th | Quinto II | 42 AP — 50 AP | 8 years | A relative of the Laltese royal family. |
179th | Quinto III | 50 AP — 64 AP | 14 years | A relative of the Laltese royal family. |
180th | Quinto IV | 64 AP | 27 days | A relative of the Laltese royal family. Assassinated, probably by Neonia as part of the Inatrian War. |
181st | Quinto V | 64 AP | 2 months | A relative of the Laltese royal family. Forced to abdicate after Lalta's defeat in the Inatrian War. |
182nd | Carlo XIV | 64 AP — 70 AP | 6 years | A relative of the Neonian royal family, installed as part of the peace agreement following the Inatrian War. Abdicated after an assassination attempt. |
183rd | Dominico XIII | 70 AP — 78 AP | 8 years | From Sagotia, chosen as a compromise between Lalta and Neonia. Avoided controversy. |
184th | Celestino XIV | 78 AP — 80 AP | 2 years | Attempted to reduce corruption and eliminate political interference in the Church. Assassinated, probably on the orders of his successor. |
185th | Melo II | 80 AP — 88 AP | 8 years | Notoriously corrupt. Accepted bribes from Rivania in exchange for publicly backing its war against Olasano, and from Lalta during the Lalto-Bairian War. Finally abdicated in the face of public outrage. |
186th | Celestino XV | 88 AP — 91 AP | 3 years | Attempted to purge the Church of the corruption fostered in his predecessor's reign. Lost the fight and was forced to abdicate. |
187th | Ignacio XVII | 91 AP — 95 AP | 4 years | Allowed corruption in the Church to spread unchecked. Murdered, possibly by a rival within the Church. |
188th | Bernardo XIII | 95 AP — 96 AP | 1 years | Uncorrupt, but lacking enough power to fight corruption elsewhere, having been chosen mainly as a figurehead to create the appearance of reform. Murdered, allegedly because he had found out who killed his predecessor. |
189th | Zeno III | 96 AP — 103 AP | 7 years | Corrupt. Forced to abdicate when revolutionaries captured the Papal palace. |
190th | Dominico XIV | 103 AP | 3 days | Unacceptable to the revolutionaries, and forced to abdicate almost immediately. |
191st | Simono XXVI | 103 AP | 2 days | Unacceptable to the revolutionaries, and forced to abdicate almost immediately. Shortest reigning Pope thus far. |
192nd | Miguel I | 103 AP — 122 AP | 19 years | Reformist. Met with considerable success in clearing corruption. |
193rd | Pedro VI | 122 AP — 143 AP | 31 years | Reformist. Continued the work of his predecessor. |
194th | Bernardo XIV | 143 AP — 150 AP | 7 years | |
195th | Bernardo XV | 150 AP — 153 AP | 3 years | |
196th | Sebastiano VII | 153 AP — 163 AP | 10 years | |
197th | Simono XXVII | 163 AP — 175 AP | 12 years | |
198th | Justinio XXI | 175 AP — 181 AP | 6 years | |
199th | Celestino XVI | 181 AP — 196 AP | 15 years | |
200th | Sebastiano VIII | 196 AP — 204 AP | 8 years | Abdicated after a scandal over his personal finances. |
201st | Justinio XVII | 204 AP — 212 AP | 8 years | |
202nd | Bernardo XVI | 212 AP | 4 months | Died of a heart attack. |
203rd | Dominico XV | 212 AP — 221 AP | 9 years | |
204th | Pedro VII | 221 AP — 234 AP | 13 years | Informally allied the Church to Prince Carigo, whose popularity was soaring on the back of nationalist and authoritarian sentiment. |
205th | Miguel II | 234 AP — 272 AP | 38 years | Continued alliance with Carigo when the latter became Emperor. Was eventually convinced to distance the Church from Carigo, gradually joining the opposition. This resulted in Carigo's troops attacking the Papal palace, and the Church being coerced into signing the Antario Accords, forbidding it from passing political comment. Abdicated a year later and joined a monastery. Longest reigning Pope thus far. |
206th | Ricardo II | 272 AP — 274 AP | 2 years | From the faction that opposed Carigo. Accused of fueling partisanship and division. |
207th | Pedro VIII | 274 AP — 279 AP | 5 years | From the faction that either supported or tolerated Carigo. Factionalism continues. |
208th | Dominico XVI | 279 AP — 280 AP | 1 year | Attempted to calm partisan disputes, but died of illness before meeting much success. |
209th | Ricardo III | 280 AP — 284 AP | 4 years | From the faction that opposed Carigo. Attempted to "purge" opponents from higher positions in the Church. |
210th | Celestino XVII | 284 AP — 296 AP | 12 years | Strongly opposed to ongoing factional disputes, and successfully mediated between the groups. Worked to improve Church's public image and reputation, damaged by early support for Carigo and subsequent internal problems. |
211th | Julio IV | 296 AP — present | ongoing | The current Pope. |
Longest and shortest reigns[]
Name | Number | Reigned | Notes | |
Miguel II | 205th | 234 AP — 272 AP | 38 years | |
Pedro VI | 193rd | 122 AP — 143 AP | 31 years | |
Celestino IX | 120th | 452 BP — 422 BP | 30 years | |
Zeno II | 162nd | 78 BP — 51 BP | 27 years | |
Simono XVI | 88th | 687 BP — 661 BP | 26 years |
Name | Number | Reigned | Notes | |
Simono XXVI | 191st | 103 AP | 2 days | Elected during the Lendian Revolution, and forced to abdicate by revolutionaries. |
Dominico XIV | 190th | 103 AP | 3 days | Elected during the Lendian Revolution, and forced to abdicate by revolutionaries. |
Justinio XX | 174th | 35 AP | 10 days | Poisoned, probably by the Laltese monarchy, who objected to his campaign against political interference in the Church. |
Simono XX | 104th | 560 BP | 19 days | Abdicated, citing stress. |
Quinto IV | 180th | 64 AP | 27 days | Assassinated, probably by Neonia due to his support of Lalta in the Inatrian War. |