when his Holiness Pope John 23, first called for an Ecumenical Council, and at the same time voiced his yearning for Christian unity, the enthusiasm among Catholic and Protestant ecumenicists was immediate.

First of all, it is now known that Pope John sees the renewal and purification of the Church as an absolutely necessary step toward Christian unity.

Equally significant, Pope John has said that Catholics themselves bear some responsibility for Christian disunity.

McClellan's letter incensed Radical Republicans, who successfully pressured Lincoln to appoint John Pope, a Republican, as head of the new Army of Virginia.

* 1329 – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Quilon, the first Indian Christian Diocese, is erected by Pope John XXII ; the French-born Jordanus is appointed the first Bishop.

* 1862 – American Civil War: Battle of Cedar Mountain – At Cedar Mountain, Virginia, Confederate General Stonewall Jackson narrowly defeats Union forces under General John Pope.

Ozanam was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1997.

In 2004, Pope John Paul II's efforts to unite Europe were honoured with an ‘ Extraordinary Charlemagne Medal ’, which was awarded for the first time ever.

But John having died, the Pope and the English aristocracy changed their allegiance to his nine-year-old son, Henry, forcing the French and the Scots armies to return home.

He went to Rome in 1007 to receive his pallium — symbol of his status as an archbishop — from Pope John XVIII, but was robbed during his journey.

* 2005 – Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected the 265th Pope of the Catholic Church following the death of Pope John Paul II.

Baldassarre Cossa ( c. 1370 – 21 December 1418 ) was Pope John XXIII ( 1410 – 1415 ) during the Western Schism.

John XXIII was acknowledged as pope by France, England, Bohemia, Prussia, Portugal, parts of the Holy Roman Empire, and numerous Northern Italian city states, including Florence and Venice ; however, the Avignon Pope Benedict XIII was regarded as pope by the Kingdoms of Aragon, Castile, and Scotland and Gregory XII was still favored by Ladislaus of Naples, Carlo I Malatesta, the princes of Bavaria, Louis III, Elector Palatine, and parts of Germany and Poland.

Pope Martin V protested in vain against the inscription on the sarcophagus: " John the former pope ".

He should not be confused with Pope John XXIII of the twentieth century.

When Angelo Cardinal Roncalli was elected and became Pope John, there was some confusion as to whether he would be John XXIII or John XXIV ; he then declared that he was John XXIII to put this question to rest.

His brothers were equally willing to save the dowager queen, but Otto got an army into the field: they subsequently met at the old Lombard capital of Pavia and were married in 951 ; he was crowned emperor in Rome, 2 February 962 by Pope John XII, and, most unusually, she was crowned empress at the same ceremony.

They are first mentioned in the papal bulls Extravagantes of Pope John XXII and of Pope Benedict XII.

To regulate the proper expedition of these reserved benefices, Pope John XXII instituted the rules of chancery to determine the competency and mode of procedure of the Chancery.

Other authors reject this early institution and ascribe it to Pope John XXII ( 1316 ).

Pope John XXI is technically the 19th actual Pope John.

Papal Arms of Pope John XXI

Pope John XXI

It is not clear, however, whether the author of the Thesaurus Pauperum was indeed the same person as Pope John XXI.

* November 25 – Pope Nicholas III succeeds Pope John XXI as the 188th pope.

* May 20 – Pope John XXI ( b. 1215 )

* Pope John XXI ( d. 1277 )

* September 13 – Pope John XXI succeeds Pope Adrian V as the 187th pope, becoming the fourth man this calendar year to hold the office of pope.

He was a Roman nobleman who had served under eight Popes, been made cardinal-deacon of St. Nicola in Carcere Tulliano by Pope Innocent IV ( 1243 – 54 ), protector of the Franciscans by Pope Alexander IV ( 1254 – 61 ), inquisitor-general by Pope Urban IV ( 1261 – 64 ), and succeeded Pope John XXI ( 1276 – 77 ) after a six-month vacancy in the Holy See resolved in the papal election of 1277, largely through family influence.

The church houses the sarcophagus of Pope John XXI and the picture Christ Blessing by Gerolamo da Cremona ( 1472 ).

In the meantime, Michael, afraid of a new Latin invasion, proposed to Pope Clement IV to reunite the Greek and the Latin Churches ; and negotiations ensued which were carried on during the reign of five popes, Clement IV, Gregory X, John XXI, Nicolaus III, and Martin IV.

There has never been a Pope John XX, because the 20th pope of this name, formerly Petrus Hispanus, when elected Pope in 1276, decided to skip the number XX and to be counted as John XXI instead.

The next Pope named John was Pope John XXI ( 1276 – 77 ); there is no Pope John XX ( see article on John XX for an explanation ).

Pietro Ispano ( Pope John XXI )

Bellarmine was born at Montepulciano, the son of noble, albeit impoverished, parents, Vincenzo Bellarmino and his wife Cinzia Cervini, who was sister of Pope Marcellus II.

He was born in Rome — in either 1475 or 1476 — the son of Cardinal Rodrigo de Lanzol y Borgia, soon to become Pope Alexander VI, and his mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei, about whom information is sparse.

* 1854 – In his Apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus, Pope Pius IX proclaims the dogmatic definition of Immaculate Conception, which holds that the Virgin Mary was born free of original sin.

The reform-minded Pope Gregory VII was determined to oppose such practices, leading to the Investiture Controversy with King Henry IV ( r. 1056 – 1106 ), who repudiated the Pope's interference and persuaded his bishops to excommunicate the Pope, whom he famously addressed by his born name " Hildebrand ", rather than his divine name " Pope Gregory VII ".

Mehmet Ali Ağca (; born January 9, 1958 ) is a Turkish assassin who murdered left-wing journalist Abdi İpekçi on February 1, 1979 and later shot and wounded Pope John Paul II on May 13, 1981, after escaping from a Turkish prison.

Pope Alexander VII ( 13 February 1599 – 22 May 1667 ), born Fabio Chigi, was Pope from 7 April 1655, until his death.

Pope Alexander VIII ( 22 April 1610 – 1 February 1691 ), born Pietro Vito Ottoboni, was Pope from 1689 to 1691.

Pope Alexander II ( died 21 April 1073 ), born Anselmo da Baggio, was Pope from 1061 to 1073.

Pope Alexander III ( c. 1100 / 1105 – 30 August 1181 ), born Rolando ( or Orlando ) of Siena, was Pope from 1159 to 1181.

Blessed Pope John XXIII (; ), born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli ( 25 November 18813 June 1963 ), headed the Catholic Church and ruled Vatican City from 1958 until his death.

The Pope began to speak for a very last time: " I had the great grace to be born into a Christian family, modest and poor, but with the fear of the Lord.

The Venerable Pope Pius XII (; ), born Eugenio Marìa Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli ( 2 March 1876 – 9 October 1958 ), reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958.

Pope John II ( born Mercurius ) was pope from 533 to 535.

Pope John VIII: John, of English extraction, was born at Mentz ( Mainz ) and is said to have arrived at Popedom by evil art ; for disguising herself like a man, whereas she was a woman, she went when young with her paramour, a learned man, to Athens, and made such progress in learning under the professors there that, coming to Rome, she met with few that could equal, much less go beyond her, even in the knowledge of the scriptures ; and by her learned and ingenious readings and disputations, she acquired so great respect and authority that upon the death of Pope Leo IV ( as Martin says ) by common consent she was chosen Pope in his room.

Pope Adrian IV ( c. 1100 – 1 September 1159 ), born Nicholas Breakspear or Breakspeare, was Pope from 1154 to 1159.