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Catholic Church

Quiz: How well do you know popes?

How well do you know your Urbans from your Leos?
10.01pm, 17 May 2025
16.7k
30

The dust has settled after the conclave, and Robert Francis Prevost has emerged as the new leader of the Catholic Church.

Now known as Leo XIV, he becomes the 267th pope in a line stretching back nearly two millennia.

Let’s test your knowledge of those who’ve held the office of the Bishop of Rome…

Who is considered to be the first pope?
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Peter (c. 30– c. 64)
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Linus (c. 67– c. 76)

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Anacletus (c. 76– c. 88)
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Clement I (c. 88– c. 97)
John Paul II was the first pope to visit Ireland.
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True.
First since St Patrick, yes.

False.
The first pope to ride a train was…
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Pius VII (1800–1823)
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Innocent III (1198–1216)

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Pius IX (1846–1878)
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Benedict XV (1914–1922)
The first pope to be photographed was…
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Francis (2013–2025)
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Benedict XV (1914–1922)

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Pius X (1903–1914)
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Pius IX (1846–1878)
The first pope on Twitter was…
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Pius IX (1846–1878)
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Francis (2013–2025)

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John Paul II (1978–2005)
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Benedict XVI (2005–2013)
Which pope launched the Crusades?
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Gregory I (590–604)
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Urban II (1088–1099)

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John Paul II (1978–2005)
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Pius II (1458–1464)
Which pope was put on trial despite having been dead for several months?
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Sergius II (844–847)
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Leo IV (847–855)

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Honorius I (625–638)
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Formosus (891–896)
Who excommunicated Martin Luther?
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Adrian I (772–795)
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Leo X (1513–1521)

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Paul V (1605–1621)
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Eugene IV (1431–1447)
Which pope served for just 15 days?
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Boniface VI (896)
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Celestine IV (1241)

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Urban VII (1590)
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John Paul I (1978)
He didn’t quite ‘explode’ as some suggest he did, but which pope had a botched embalming?
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Pius XII (1939–1958)
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Pius I (c. 140–155)

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Stephen II (752)
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Sylvester II (999–1003)
Answer all the questions to see your result!
Alamy
You scored out of !
You are Mother Theresa
Share your result:
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You scored out of !
You are Daniel O'Connell
Share your result:
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You scored out of !
You are Martin Luther
Share your result:
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You scored out of !
You are Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown
Share your result:
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You scored out of !
You are Pontius Pilate
Share your result:

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