Lives of the Popes

They have governed the world's largest religion for the past two millennia - yet their fascinating history is strangely little-known. These are the lives and reigns of the popes of the Catholic Church, told in a continuous chronological narrative, from St. Peter on through successors famous or obscure. Put another way, this is a popes'-eye view of the whole history of the Catholic Church. Hosted by Thomas Mirus. A production of CatholicCulture.org.

Popes of the Theotokos 08/03/2026

Popes of the Theotokos Both of the popes featured in this installment are remembered for honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary. Most of our time will be spent on the first, St. Celestine, who is important chiefly for his involvement in the Council of Ephesus, which confirmed the title of Mary as Mother of God. This episode covers the 43rd pope, St. Celestine I (422-432), and the 44th, St. Sixtus III (432-440). Links Article version: Way of the Fathers on the Council of Ephesus Way of the Fathers on Nestorianism Philip Hughes, The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870 DONATE to make this show possible! SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: /episode/index/show/cfac1503-032b-4105-998c-93384c8ee109/id/42302185

The Sword of Peter 07/20/2026

The Sword of Peter This installment of Lives of the Popes covers two popes of the early 5th century - Sts. Zosimus and Boniface I - the first of whom passed on multiple complicated situations for his successor to resolve. The greatest drama in Rome at this time, though, was the election of Pope St. Boniface I. Article version SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: DONATE to make this show possible! /episode/index/show/cfac1503-032b-4105-998c-93384c8ee109/id/42138820

They Ruled East and West 07/07/2026

They Ruled East and West So far in this series, we’ve seen a number of examples of early popes exercising authority over bishops and churches outside of Rome, and even outside of the West. As the documentary record improves, this becomes even clearer, and the popes in this installment, especially St. Innocent I, are striking for the extent to which they asserted their prerogative to govern the entire global Church. We also see evidence of the ancient discipline of clerical continence, the first instance of a person being executed for heresy, and the beginning of the Pelagian controversy. Covered in this episode are popes #38-40: St. Siricius, St. Anastasius I, and St. Innocent I. Links Article version Pope St. Siricius’s Decretal to Himerius Way of the Fathers on the Pelagian heresy SIGN UP for Catholic Culture’s Newsletter: DONATE at: /episode/index/show/cfac1503-032b-4105-998c-93384c8ee109/id/41962705

Pope St. Damasus, Patron of the Latin Bible 06/23/2026

Pope St. Damasus, Patron of the Latin Bible Pope St. Damasus I (reigned 366-384) commissioned St. Jerome to make a new translation of the Bible, defended the Church against heresy, promoted the prestige and practical authority of the papacy, and wrote verse epitaphs for the Roman martyrs. Links Article version "Defending St. Jerome's honor" Relevant Way of the Fathers episodes: Apollinarianism Macedonianism First Council of Constantinople SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: DONATE to make this show possible! /episode/index/show/cfac1503-032b-4105-998c-93384c8ee109/id/41699405

The First Non-Sainted Pope 06/08/2026

The First Non-Sainted Pope Liberius (352-366) is not only the first pope in history not to be considered a saint in the Catholic Church, but is also often used by anti-Catholic critics to argue against papal infallibility - since he allegedly signed documents in favor of Arianism under duress from the emperor. Article: SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: DONATE to make this show possible! /episode/index/show/cfac1503-032b-4105-998c-93384c8ee109/id/41567975

Sylvester and Constantine 05/25/2026

Sylvester and Constantine The widespread persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire was finally over for good, beginning the "Peace of the Church". But the "Peace" could only be so peaceful, as internal dissension took the place of external foes, in the form of the Arian Crisis. This episode covers popes #33-35: Sts. Sylvester I, Mark, and Julius I. Links Way of the Fathers episodes: Council of Nicaea Arianism St. Athanasius SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: DONATE to make this show possible! /episode/index/show/cfac1503-032b-4105-998c-93384c8ee109/id/41365670

The Great Persecution 05/11/2026

The Great Persecution The first decade of the fourth century, from about 302 to 313, is one of the most remarkable in history. In that short time, the Church would go from the worst of persecutions to the beginning of an unprecedented new era of peace and favor. In what we might consider a foreshadowing of the Church’s trials and final victory at the end of the world, the Great Persecution was merely the labor pains for the birth of Christendom. This installment covers popes #29-32: Sts. Marcellinus, Marcellus I, Eusebius, and Miltiades. Links Article version of this episode Phillip Cambell, "The Public Apostasy of Pope Marcellinus" Way of the Fathers on Donatism SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: DONATE to make this show possible! /episode/index/show/cfac1503-032b-4105-998c-93384c8ee109/id/41220900

The Little Peace of the Church 04/27/2026

The Little Peace of the Church The popes in the middle of the third century experienced intense persecution by the emperors Decius and Valerius, but this suddenly gave way to a period of official and explicit toleration, which provided the Church with a foretaste of the lasting relief that was to come under Constantine. This installment covers popes #24-28: Sts. Sixtus II, Dionysius, Felix I, Eutychian, and Gaius. Links Article The Paradoxical Prestige of the Deacon in the Early Church DONATE to make this show possible! SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: /episode/index/show/cfac1503-032b-4105-998c-93384c8ee109/id/41015425

Popes of the Lost Sheep 04/13/2026

Popes of the Lost Sheep The three popes who reigned during this period all had to deal with serious divisions within the Church, especially over questions of how the Church should treat fallen-away Catholics who wished to return, as well as those who had been baptized by heretics and now wished to join themselves to the true Church. An important participant in these controversies, was St. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, who supported the positions of Pope Sts. Cornelius and Lucius, but clashed with the third, Pope St. Stephen. This episode covers popes #21-23: Sts. Cornelius, Lucius I, and Stephen I. Article: Links Related Way of the Fathers episodes: Novatian, Pt. 1 Novatian, Pt. 2 Pope St. Stephen and the Sacraments Rebaptism and the Donatist heresy St. Cyprian of Carthage Fr. Ray Ryland, “Will the Real St. Cyprian Please Stand?” SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: DONATE to keep this podcast going: /episode/index/show/cfac1503-032b-4105-998c-93384c8ee109/id/40804660

The First Antipope 03/30/2026

The First Antipope The first four of the six popes covered in this installment found themselves in conflict with a priest named Hippolytus, the most brilliant intellectual of the Roman Church at the time. Hippolytus would become the first antipope in the history of the Church, plaguing three successive papacies with his schism. Yet his story has a happy and even poetic ending. This episode covers popes #15-#20: Sts. Zephyrinus, Callistus I, Urban I, Pontian, Anterus, and Fabian. Article Modalism St. Hippolytus of Rome Leo XIII's encyclical on marriage DONATE to make this show possible! SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: /episode/index/show/cfac1503-032b-4105-998c-93384c8ee109/id/40613995

The Ten Popes of the Second Century 03/18/2026

The Ten Popes of the Second Century Little is known about many of the popes of the second century. Several of them were martyrs. They had to deal with different heresies that made their way to Rome, and there was also a controversy over the correct date of Easter. This episode covers popes #5-#14: Sts. Evaristus, Alexander I, Sixtus I, Telesphorus, Hyginus, Pius I, Anicetus, Soter, Eleutherius, and Victor I. Article: Way of the Fathers Way of the Fathers on St. Irenaeus of Lyons (an important source about the early popes) Catholic Culture Audiobooks DONATE to make this show possible! SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: /episode/index/show/cfac1503-032b-4105-998c-93384c8ee109/id/40521865

Popes of the Apostolic Era 03/18/2026

Popes of the Apostolic Era The first three popes after St. Peter likely knew the Prince of the Apostles personally and may even have been hand-selected by him. We know little of Sts. Linus and Cletus, but the first writing we possess by a pope after St. Peter himself is a precious letter by Pope St. Clement I to the Church of Corinth. Article: Audiobooks of Pope St. Clement's letters: Letter to the Corinthians Apocryphal Second Letter More about St. Clement's Letter on Way of the Fathers DONATE to make this show possible! SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: /episode/index/show/cfac1503-032b-4105-998c-93384c8ee109/id/40521850

Introducing Lives of the Popes 03/16/2026

Introducing Lives of the Popes One must beware a rabbit hole. Article: DONATE to make this show possible! SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: /episode/index/show/cfac1503-032b-4105-998c-93384c8ee109/id/40501950

Lives of the Popes

TOPICS