Biographies of the 264 Roman pontiffs, presented chronologically from St. Peter to John Paul II. The Popes reveals the human aspect of the vicar of Christ eschewing theological evaluations to give lay readers a realistic view of these men and their impact on world history. Appendices include a Chronological List of the Popes and Antipopes, Longest and Shortest Pontificates, Abdications, Deposed Popes, and many more fascinating facts.