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antipope

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An antipope () is a person who claims to be Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church in opposition to the officially elected pope. Between the 3rd and mid-15th centuries, antipopes were supported by factions within the Church itself and secular rulers. While modern claimants to the papacy still take place, they are rarely given serious consideration by either the public or the Church.

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An antipope is someone who claims to be the pope and leader of the Roman Catholic Church in opposition to the officially recognized pope. Historically significant between the 3rd and mid-15th centuries when powerful Church factions and secular rulers backed rival claimants, antipopes today are largely dismissed by both the public and the Church itself.

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male form of label
antipape
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Antipopes
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~37 min read

Article

10 sections
Contents
  • History
  • Historical antipopes
  • Quasi-cardinal-nephews (many more cardinal-nephews proper)
  • Modern minor claimants
  • Antipopes of Alexandria
  • Papal conspiracy theories
  • In fiction
  • See also
  • References
  • External links and bibliography

An antipope () is a person who claims to be Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church in opposition to the officially elected pope. Between the 3rd and mid-15th centuries, antipopes were supported by factions within the Church itself and secular rulers. While modern claimants to the papacy still take place, they are rarely given serious consideration by either the public or the Church.

Sometimes it was difficult to distinguish which of two claimants should be called pope and which antipope, as in the case of Pope Leo VIII and Pope Benedict V.

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