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Countries of the Popes

Try to name the modern-day countries in whose territory the popes were born.
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: August 19, 2016
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First submittedAugust 19, 2016
Times taken69,053
Average score73.3%
Rating4.73
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# Popes
Country
212
Italy / Vatican City
16
France
6
Germany
3
Greece
3
Israel
3
Syria
2
Croatia
2
Spain
# Popes
Country
2
Turkey
1
Argentina
1
Libya
1
Netherlands
1
Poland
1
Portugal
1
United Kingdom
+42
Level ∞
Aug 19, 2016
A couple of notes:
  • We don't know where every pope was born
  • Many popes were born in Rome. Some were probably born in what is today the Vatican. It's impossible to say which are which, so I had to combine Italy and the Vatican
+11
Level 76
Aug 24, 2016
I am curious about this - is there anyone specifically likely to have been born in the vatican or is this a general statement for all the ones born in Rome?
+9
Level 82
Oct 6, 2016
Not for all of them I guess, some birth houses must be well documented, inside or outside Vatican, while others were probably born long before modern layout of Rome/Vatican
+8
Level 78
Apr 4, 2022
Interestingly, every pope except Francis was born prior to the establishment of the Vatican City as we know it.
+3
Level 67
Jun 17, 2022
Remember that, the Vatican controlled large amounts of territory back in the day
+11
Level 46
Jan 11, 2023
that doesn't matter, this quiz is based on their modern-day territory.
+7
Level 76
Aug 19, 2016
Nice quiz. I never knew there was a dutch pope
+37
Level 91
Aug 20, 2016
Adrian VI - He was elected in 1522 and was the last non-Italian before St John Paul II was elected in 1978.
+22
Level 58
Sep 13, 2017
^^ wow that's a crazy fact. over 400 years without a non-Italian pope, very interesting
+8
Level 61
Oct 25, 2017
He was born in Utrecht but lived most of his life around the university and court in Leuven, Belgium.
+3
Level 71
Jan 14, 2022
Especially weird because travel became much easier during the Industrial Revolution. I mean, earlier in history, the Church had an excuse for not having foreign popes, but why not during the Industrial Revolution, when people in Europe could easily travel by rail? I wonder if the lack of non-Italian popes in the 1800s and early 1900s had something to do with Italian nationalism.
+2
Level 73
May 30, 2022
I mean, the pope is also the "Bishop of Rome". Rome is Italian, so you'd want an Italian bishop i guess
+6
Level 60
Aug 19, 2016
Cool quiz! Would've never thought of Syria
+14
Level 63
Oct 6, 2016
I tried Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iran and Iraq but not Syria! Argh! Only one I missed!
+2
Level 71
Oct 6, 2016
Not one from the Vatican.
+15
Level 17
Jul 17, 2018
There are many from Vatican..
+8
Level 72
Oct 6, 2016
I'm from Croatia and had no idea two of the popes were born here. Thanks, Jetpunk!
+21
Level 67
Oct 7, 2016
Yes, but they were Romans, born before our Croatian ancestors came to this land that is today Croatia. But there is some strong evidence that pope Sixtus V was of Croatian origin, but born in Italy.
+17
Level 75
Sep 16, 2020
Was there a Sixtus VI?
+7
Level 58
Dec 18, 2020
Not yet.
+3
Level 49
Jul 8, 2021
idk thats kinda sus
+6
Level 59
Feb 7, 2022
Was there a Sixtus IX?
+6
Level 43
Oct 6, 2016
Is anyone else surprised that Israel is so low on the rate answered? 54% when I took it
+8
Level 75
Oct 6, 2016
Since the modern country isn't that old, maybe they didn't think about it from biblical times. I only got it by typing Palestine.
+5
Level 82
Oct 6, 2016
Catholicism is a Roman religion.
+6
Level 51
Mar 26, 2020
It does have distant roots in Israel, though. Once I got through the countries near Italy, I went straight there.
+6
Level 82
Mar 26, 2020
No, it did not.
+12
Level 85
Jun 22, 2022
Huh? Catholics are Christians. Christianity is rooted in Israel. That certainly qualifies as "distant roots".
+1
Level 46
Apr 3, 2023
I think you mean Palestine
+4
Level 58
Apr 3, 2023
Jesus was literally born in Judea. Before the Romans changed the name of the land.
+1
Level 73
Aug 27, 2023
You could use this logic for every branch of all Abrahamic religions or even religions with Abrahamic influence. Is Sikhism rooted in Israel? Mormonism? Anglicanism? Shiism? Bahai? If your answer to all of these in "yes" then fair enough, but otherwise I really don't follow your logic here.
+3
Level 67
Jan 14, 2023
No, the Roman empire adopted Christianity under emperor Constantine, some time around the 4th century CE. Prior to that, the Romans worshiped a religion similar to the ancient Greeks (e.g.-Jupiter the Roman equivalent of Zeus, Minerva the Roman equivalent of Athena). Christians were once persecuted by the ancient Romans.
+6
Level 62
Mar 26, 2020
I was also surprised, given that Peter was the first pope.
+1
Level 59
Jul 19, 2021
@kalbahamut is correct
+3
Level 51
Oct 6, 2016
Very original! Great idea!
+3
Level 43
Oct 8, 2016
Very surprised by Syria where there are three popes was born!
+16
Level 82
Aug 12, 2017
Syria was home to some of the oldest Christian communities in history. Remember Paul was supposedly converted by a vision he saw on the road to Damascus. You know where Damascus is, right?
+2
Level 59
Jul 19, 2021
Itd be interesting to know whether Paul's vision was in Syria or not. It was on the road to Damascus like kalbahamut said, but he was travelling from Jerusalem, so it may have been in Israel before he reached modern day Syria.
+7
Level 74
Aug 12, 2017
The only one i missed was argentina, which i just found out was where pope francis was born in... i really dont know much about religion...
+3
Level 37
Mar 18, 2018
Would never have guessed Greece. Thought of it, but then said "Nah, they're Greek Orthodox."
+15
Level 82
Mar 7, 2019
There was a lot of Church history prior to the Eastern/Western split in the early 11th century.
+6
Level 88
Jul 2, 2018
Too Western World oriented.
+13
Level 59
Jul 19, 2021
Yeah, tell the popes that!
+2
Level 85
Jun 22, 2022
Given the plummeting religious affiliation in the West (replaced largely by political ideology), I don't think that will be a problem for long.
+4
Level 73
Mar 7, 2019
Bit too much time for this. Was just typing random countries in the end and got a few more right.
+7
Level 38
Dec 13, 2019
The French popes : Sylvester II (999-1003), Stephen IX (1057-58), Nicholas II (1059-61), Urban II (1088-99), Callixtus II (1119-24), Urban IV (1261-64), Clement IV (1265-68), Innocent V (1276), Martin IV (1281-85), Clement V (1305-14), John XXII (1316-34), Benedict XII (1334-42), Clement VI (1342-52), Innocent VI (1352-62), Urban V (1362-70), Gregory XI (1370-78).
+5
Level 38
Dec 13, 2019
The German popes : Boniface II (530-32), Gregory V (996-99), Clement II (1046-47), Damasus II (1048), Leo IX (1049-54), Victor II (1055-57), Benedict XVI (2005-13).
+4
Level 75
Oct 14, 2021
There's a rule that there has to be a German pope at least every 1000 years I guess.
+8
Level 69
Dec 28, 2019
I can imagine that one Pope, who was born in UK drinking his afternoon tea in the Vatican :)
+1
Level 46
Sep 30, 2020
bit steryotypical
+5
Level 53
Feb 7, 2023
A bit stereotypical, innit mate?
+4
Level 72
Dec 25, 2020
Britain? And 93% got it (I didn't)? Who was it, Pope Nigel I ?
+1
Level 47
Sep 28, 2023
I got it because I was typing Ukraine (who doesn't have any Popes born there as far as anyone knows), as a Brit it surprised me a lot !
+4
Level 57
Sep 20, 2021
Almost as English-sounding - Adrian IV. He's quite important for Irish history since he 'gave' Ireland to Henry II of England. It's somewhat ironic that England's first attempt to subdue Ireland came with the blessing of the Roman Catholic church.
+3
Level 34
Mar 26, 2020
Nice quiz! I missed one because I somehow completely forgot that the UK existed 😂
+11
Level 70
Mar 26, 2020
Evaristus was born in modern day Palestine.
+6
Level 66
Mar 26, 2020
There is no such place.
+6
Level 69
May 9, 2022
that's where you're wrong buddy
+6
Level 70
Apr 3, 2023
not this again
+7
Level 78
Mar 26, 2020
That feeling when the only answer you miss was Turkey because you're an idiot and you said Istanbul.
+4
Level 79
Mar 26, 2020
Typed*, you mean?
+14
Level 71
Aug 6, 2021
No, he looked up from his computer, out into the room, and said "Istanbul." That's why he was such an idiot.
+2
Level 84
Mar 26, 2020
Source?
+1
Level 46
Jan 2, 2024
trust me
+3
Level 36
Mar 26, 2020
I'd never get Libya.. But got all others
+4
Level 56
Mar 26, 2020
Tried Morocco; Algeria; Tunisia and Egypt, but decided there was too much desert in Libya - Yeah yeah - the Desert fathers and all that. Thought most of the north africans were Coptic.
+1
Level 59
Jul 19, 2021
Only missed Libya!
+10
Level 54
Mar 26, 2020
If the one from "Israel" is Pope Evaristus, he was from Bethlehem which is NOT in Israel. It's in the West Bank in Palestine.
+4
Level 82
Mar 27, 2020
except that's kinda in Israel.
+12
Level 54
Mar 27, 2020
Do you know how to read a map? Have you seen one of the Middle East?
+2
Level 46
Apr 3, 2023
It definitely isn't
+3
Level 45
Mar 30, 2020
Palestine is not a country and never was
+10
Level 54
Mar 30, 2020
1st of all that is wrong. 2nd, even if true, it still wouldn't make Bethlehem part of Israel. That is false. Look at a map.
+1
Level 46
Jan 2, 2024
Depends how you qualify a country... JetPunk does clarify this though
+2
Level 59
Jul 19, 2021
Perhaps look at the JetPunk standard? That may help you understand better.
+2
Level 56
Jun 28, 2020
Ugh. Only forgot to guess one Yugoslav country. Croatia...
+3
Level 31
Jul 24, 2021
Pope Gregory V was born in Austria..
+2
Level 57
Dec 31, 2022
Was just about to comment on the lack of Austria in this quiz...
+3
Level 57
Dec 31, 2022
Two of the German Popes are wrong: Pope Gregory V was born in Austria and Pope Leo IX was a German but was born in Egisheim in what is now Alsace, France.
+1
Level 60
Apr 3, 2023
i think that is missing some Popes. like 5 italians, 1 from iberian peninsula, 2 from africa, some from greece.
+1
Level 65
Apr 3, 2023
Funnily enough, when you look up for Syrian Popes, you get a list of 6. Then on a more close scrutiny, you find out that 3 of the Syrian Popes where born on what then was Syrian but now it's not.
+1
Level 66
Apr 3, 2023
Could've sworn one was from Austria.
+2
Level 67
Apr 4, 2023
Just missed Libya. I was considering guessing North African countries just to mess around but I got lazy and didn't feel like it
+2
Level 59
Apr 5, 2023
Argentina is a bit random.
+1
Level 46
Jan 2, 2024
Francis B)
+1
Level 63
Apr 5, 2023
Austria belongs here.
+1
Level 21
Apr 21, 2023
YAS SLAY QUEEEN
+1
Level 21
Apr 21, 2023
DO MY MAPS PLEASE

THERE AWESOME

+1
Level 69
Aug 25, 2023
My favorite pope is Boniface VI, who was elected in the year 896 at the ripe age of 90 years and died two weeks later