Antipope facts for kids

An antipope is a person who claims to be the pope but is not officially recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. It's like someone pretending to be the leader of a club when they haven't been properly chosen. The Catholic Church keeps an official list of popes in its annual book, the Annuario Pontificio. Antipopes are not included in that official list.

An antipope is someone who falsely claims to be the pope. They might also wrongly oppose the pope who is seen as the true leader.

When an antipope exists, it can cause a big split, called a schism, within the Roman Catholic Church. This means there are serious disagreements and conflicts among people about who has the real authority.

What is an Antipope?

An antipope is someone who says they are the true pope, but the main Catholic Church does not agree. They might have followers who believe them. This often happens when there are disagreements about who should be the pope.

Why Did Antipopes Appear?

Sometimes, different groups within the Church couldn't agree on who the real pope was. This could be because of political reasons or serious arguments about beliefs.

Disagreements and Splits

When there was a disagreement, one group might choose their own pope. This person would then be called an antipope by the other group. These situations caused big splits in the Church.

How Was a True Pope Chosen?

The Catholic Church has a process for choosing its leader. If someone claimed to be pope without following this process, or if there were two people claiming the title at the same time, one would eventually be seen as the true pope and the other as an antipope.

List of Antipopes

Over many centuries, there have been several people who were considered antipopes. These individuals claimed the title of pope but were later not recognized by the official Church. Here are some examples:

• Hippolytus (2nd century)
• Novatian (251)
• Felix II (355-365)
• Anastasius (855)
• Pope Leo VIII (956-963)
• Boniface VII (974)
• John XVI (10th century)
• Gregory VI (1012)
• Benedict X (1058)
• Honorius II (1061-72)
• Clement III (1080-1100)
• Gregory VIII (1118)
• Anacletus II (1130-38)
• Victor IV (1159-64)
• Pascal III (1164-68)
• Clement VII (1378-1394)
• Felix V (1439-1449)

See also

In Spanish: Antipapa para niños