Editing List of popes (section)

== Numbering of popes ==
[[Regnal number]]s follow the usual convention for European monarchs. The first pope who chooses a unique name is not usually identified by an ordinal, [[Pope John Paul I|John Paul I]] being the exception. Antipopes are treated as [[pretender]]s, and their numbers are reused by those considered to be legitimate popes. However, there are anomalies in the numbering of the popes. Several numbers were mistakenly increased in the Middle Ages because the records were misunderstood. Several antipopes were also kept in the sequence, either by mistake or because they were previously considered to be true popes.<ref>Louis Duchesne, "Le nombre des papes", in: [https://books.google.com/books?id=7bkKCCs&pg=PA3 ''Miscellanea di storia ecclesiastica e studi ausiliare''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310122949/https://books.google.com/?pg=PA3&hl=en |date=10 March 2024 }} Vol. 2 (Roma: 1903–1904), pp. 3–7.</ref>

* Alexander: [[Antipope Alexander V]] (1409–1410) was listed in the ''Annuario Pontificio'' as a legitimate pope until the 20th century,<ref name="annuario1942_pisa">{{cite book |title=Annuario pontificio per l'anno 1942 |date=1942 |location=Rome |page=21 |quote=205. Gregorio XII, Veneto, Correr (c. 1406, cessò a. 1409, m. 1417) – Pont. a. 2, m. 6. g. 4. 206. Alessandro V, dell'Isola di Candia, Filargo (c. 1409, m. 1410). - Pont. m. 10, g. 8. 207. Giovanni XXII o XXIII o XXIV, Napoletano, Cossa (c. 1410, cessò dal pontificare 29 mag. 1415}}</ref> when the Pisan popes were reclassified as antipopes. There had already been three more Alexanders by then, so there is now a gap in the numbering sequence.
* Benedict: [[Antipope Benedict X]] (1058–1059) was kept in the numbering sequence.<ref name="ceanti">{{CathEncy|author=Paschal Robinson|wstitle=Antipope}}</ref>
* Boniface: [[Antipope Boniface VII]] (974 and 984–985) was kept in the numbering sequence.<ref name="ceanti" />
* Donus: The name has only been used by one pope. The apocryphal [[Pope Donus II]] resulted from confusion between the Latin word ''dominus'' (lord) and the name Donus.
* Felix: [[Antipope Felix II]] (356–357) was kept in the numbering sequence.<ref name="ceanti" />
* John: The [[Pope John numbering|numbering of the Popes John]] is particularly confused. In the modern sequence, they are identified by the numbers they used during their reigns.
** [[Antipope John XVI]] (997–998) was kept in the numbering sequence.<ref name="ceanti" />
** [[Pope John XXI]] (1276–1277) chose to skip the number XX, believing that there had been another Pope John between XIV and XV. In reality, John XIV had been counted twice.<ref name="cechron">{{CathEncy|author=Paschal Robinson|wstitle=Chronological Lists of Popes}}</ref>
** By the 16th century, the numbering error had been conflated with legends about a female [[Pope Joan]], whom some authors called John VIII. She was never listed in the ''Annuario Pontificio''.<ref name="ceJoan">{{CathEncy|author=Paschal Robinson|wstitle=Popess Joan}}</ref>
** [[Antipope John XXIII]] (1410–1415) was listed in the ''Annuario Pontificio'' as a legitimate pope until the 20th century.<ref name="annuario1942_pisa" /> After the Pisan popes were classified as antipopes, [[Pope John XXIII]] (1958–1963) chose to reuse the number, citing "twenty-two [sic] Johns of indisputable legitimacy".<ref>{{cite magazine |title=I Choose John ... |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,938062,00.html |magazine=Time |date=10 November 1958 |page=91 |access-date=5 April 2020 |archive-date=24 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221124102923/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,938062,00.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
* Martin: [[Pope Martin I]] (649–655) is followed by [[Martin IV]] (1281–1285). Due to the similarity between the Latin names ''Marinus'' and ''Martinus'', [[Pope Marinus I|Marinus&nbsp;I]] and [[Pope Marinus II|Marinus&nbsp;II]] were mistakenly considered to be Martin II and III.<ref name="cemartin">{{CathEncy|author=Paschal Robinson|wstitle=Pope Martin IV}}</ref>
* Stephen: [[Pope-elect Stephen]] (752) died before being consecrated. He was previously known as Stephen II, but the Vatican removed him from the official list of popes in 1961.<ref name="cechron" /> The remaining Stephens are now numbered [[Pope Stephen II]] (752–757) to [[Pope Stephen IX]] (1057–1058).