List of canonised popes
Wikimedia list article
This article lists the popes who have been canonised. A total of 81 out of 266 deceased popes have been recognised universally as canonised saints, including all of the first 35 popes (31 of whom were martyrs) and 52 of the first 54. If Pope Liberius is numbered amongst the saints as in Eastern Christianity, all of the first 49 popes become recognised as saints, of whom 31 are martyr-saints, and 53 of the first 54 pontiffs would be acknowledged as saints. In addition, 13 other popes are in the process of becoming canonised saints: as of December 2018, two are recognised as being Servants of God, one is recognised as being Venerable, and 10 have been declared Blessed or Beati, making a total of 95 (96 if Pope Adeodatus II is recognised a saint) of the 266 Roman pontiffs being recognised and venerated for their heroic virtues and inestimable contributions to the Church.
The most recently reigning Pope to have been canonised was Pope John Paul II, whose cause for canonisation was opened in May 2005. John Paul II was beatified on 1 May 2011, by Pope Benedict XVI and later canonised, along with Pope John XXIII, by Pope Francis on 27 April 2014. Pope Francis also canonised Pope Paul VI on 14 October 2018.
Saints
Blesseds
10 Pontiffs have been beatified as to date. Pope John Paul I has had the most recent reign, as well as beatification.
The public source identifies “List of canonised popes” as wikimedia list article. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around List, canonised and popes.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “List of canonised popes”, the useful work is to connect “wikimedia list article” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 27, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3521771. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2018, 2005, 2011 and 2014.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “List of canonised popes”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow List of canonised popes primary sources, List of canonised popes archive and List research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “List of canonised popes”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “List of canonised popes” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.