Pope Saint Hormisdas
Pope St. Hormisdas, once married with a son who also became Pope, ended the Laurentian schism and strongly backed St. Symmachus against antipope Lawrence.
Pope Saint Benedict XI
He was the author of a volume of sermons and commentaries on a part of the Gospel of Saint Matthew, the Psalms, the Book of Job and the Apocalypse.
Pope Saint Celestine V
Pope Saint Celestine V reigned a mere five months. The primary objective of his pontificate was to reform clergy. He abdicated on 13 December 1294, the last pope to do so until Pope Benedict XVI.
Pope Saint John I
Little is known of Pope Saint John I's life before he took office as pope, except that he was born in Tuscany. After a journey to Constantinople concerning Ariansism, he was arrested by Theordric, Arian king of the Ostrogoths. Worn out by his journey and probably starved, John died in prison soon after. Pope St. John I is honored as a martyr.
Pope Saint Pius V
Pope Saint Pius V (1566-1572) was a Domincan. He called the Council of Trent, Excommunicated Elizabeth I of England for schism, was the patron Palestrina, and organized the Holy League for the defense against the Ottomans at the Battle of Lepanto.
Pope Saint Cletus
Pope Saint Cletus, the third Pope, governed the Roman Church from about 76 to about 88 during the reigns of the Emperor Vespasian and of Domitian.
Pope Saint Caius
We have little definite information about Pope Saint Caius. Iit was said that he was a relative of the Emperor Diocletian and was also an uncle of an unidentified holy Susanna. He also made up the final structure of the lower orders.
Pope Saint Leo IX
Pope Saint Leo IX (1049-1054) worked for reform in the Church chiefly against simony, concubinage, and lay investiture. Upon his election to the Papacy he entered Rome as a simple traveler, and became known as the Pilgrim Pope.
Pope Saint Anicetus
Pope Saint Anicetus, the 11th pope, succeeded St. Pius towards the year c. 153, and reigned till about 168. He condemned Montanism, conferred with St. Polycarp on the Paschal date controversy, and forbade priests from growing their hair. He was martyred and is venerated on April 17.
Pope Saint Martin I
Pope Saint Martin I (649-55) convened a council which condemned the teaching of Monothelism. The Byzantine emperor sent soldiers to kidnap the Pope from the Lateran Basilica. He died shortly thereafter, tortures and cruel treatment having taken their toll. He is the last of the early popes to be venerated as a martyr.
