Pope

The Pope is the head of the Catholic church and, more humbly, the bishop of Rome.

Pope Leo XIV

Leo XIV is the current pope, since 8 May (2025). Also the first American pope, he was ordained a friar of the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and was ordained as a priest in 1982. Before Rome, he was the bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, where he did missionary work.

We have been early followers on 𝕏, about the 20.3k-th one when he created his account @Pontifex on 14 May (2025):

Pope Francis

Francis, who was the first pope with this name, though not the last one according to Saint Malachy, was not a favourite pope of mine. The main reason being his access to the throne in the highly unconventional fashion of his predecessor resigning, what more, under highly suspicious conditions. It was also despicable how he treated with contempt people adhering to century-old traditions such as kissing his ring.

Pope Benedict XIV

Benedict XIV is the first pope I remember being elected (my first habemus papam). His election had raised great hopes in practicing catholics I knew, for a return to more traditional conduct and doctrine of the church. His resignation was a big disappointment even to me although his election had left me fairly indifferent. He was ordained in Freising.

Pope John Paul II

John Paul II was the pope for most of my life, and the 3rd longing reigning pope (1st being Saint Peter, of course). The first non-Italian one since Italy itself, his succeeding John Paul I is one of the possibly politically-connected intrigues of the sede. His knowledge of the secrets of Fatima is another cloud of mystery surrounding this character, who endured the end of his reign with a suffering akin to the Calvary of his spiritual leader.

Pope John Paul

John Paul (I) was the first pope to be elected in my lifetime, ruling for only 33 days (what a number for the Vicar of Christ!), making 1978 a year of three popes. It would be interesting to dig dipper into allegations of fool's play, related in particular to his Holiness' interest in the finances of the Vatican.