Lives of the Popes

CatholicCulture.org
  • 5.0 (16)
  • Christianity
  • Biweekly Series

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.

Episodes

  1. Episode 1

    Introducing Lives of the Popes

    One must beware a rabbit hole. Article: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/lives-popes-part-one-infinity/ DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters

    15 min

  2. Episode 2

    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: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/popes-apostolic-era-lives-popes-2/ Audiobooks of Pope St. Clement's letters: Letter to the Corinthians https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/st-clement-rome-letter-to-corinthians/ Apocryphal Second Letter https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/so-called-second-letter-st-clement/ More about St. Clement's Letter on Way of the Fathers https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/clement-rome-earliest-christian-author-after-apostles/ DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters

    10 min

  3. Episode 3

    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: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/ten-popes-second-century/ Way of the Fathers https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/category/way-fathers/ Way of the Fathers on St. Irenaeus of Lyons (an important source about the early popes) https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/irenaeus-lyon-putting-smack-down-on-heresy/ Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/category/audiobooks/ DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters

    21 min

  4. Episode 4

    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 https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/first-antipope/ Modalism https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/47-heresies-modalism-god-as-monad-with-three-names/ St. Hippolytus of Rome https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/ep-17the-long-strange-trip-hippolytus-rome/ Leo XIII's encyclical on marriage https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/leo-xiii-on-what-marriage-owes-to-church/ DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters

    14 min

  5. Episode 5

    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: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/popes-lost-sheep/ Links Related Way of the Fathers episodes: Novatian, Pt. 1 https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/48-novatian-good-bad-ugly-pt-1-good/ Novatian, Pt. 2 https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/49-novatian-part-2-bad-and-ugly/ Pope St. Stephen and the Sacraments https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/pope-st-stephen-and-sacraments/ Rebaptism and the Donatist heresy https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/410-heresies-rebaptism-and-donatists/ St. Cyprian of Carthage https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/ep-18-short-happy-life-cyprian-carthage/ Fr. Ray Ryland, "Will the Real St. Cyprian Please Stand?" https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/will-the-real-st-cyprian-please-stand SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters DONATE to keep this podcast going: https://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio

    19 min

  6. Episode 6

    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 https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/little-peace-church/ The Paradoxical Prestige of the Deacon in the Early Church https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/paradoxical-prestige-deacon-in-early-church/ DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters

    11 min

  7. Episode 7

    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 https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/great-persecution/ Phillip Cambell, "The Public Apostasy of Pope Marcellinus" https://unamsanctamcatholicam.com/2024/01/15/the-public-apostasy-of-pope-marcellinus/ Way of the Fathers on Donatism https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/410-heresies-rebaptism-and-donatists/ SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio

    14 min

  8. Episode 8

    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 https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/22-council-nicaea-first-and-foremost/ Arianism https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/411-heresies-arianism-man-who-became-god/ St. Athanasius https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/ep-23athanasius-against-world/ SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio

    13 min
  • 8 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    CatholicCulture.org
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    Lives of the Popes

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