Try “Becket”, “Moscow” or a year such as “1492”.

1,501 leaders in 14 lines of succession. Lists in the order they begin; names newest first.

Every archbishop, pope and patriarch. Side by side, century by century.

Canterbury, Rome and Constantinople on one shared timeline, and eleven more lines besides. Open anyone to read their story.

Begin with the apostles

or follow one leader’s line back

Behind the heading, the names of all 1,501 leaders on this site, list by list.

All three trace themselves to Jesus of Nazareth (c. 4 BC – c. AD 33) and his apostles.

ClickTap anyone for their story + more shows everyone in a century A dotted circle opens a family of churches

AnglicanArchbishops of Canterbury
CatholicBishops of Rome
OrthodoxPatriarchs of Constantinople
1054

Catholic and Orthodox divide: Rome and Constantinople exchange excommunications.

1534

Anglican and Catholic divide: Henry VIII made head of the English Church.

Cyril Lucaris1620–1638Sent Codex Alexandrinus to England.

All three trace themselves to Jesus of Nazareth (c. 4 BC – c. AD 33) and his apostles.

ClickTap anyone for their story + more shows everyone in a century A dotted circle opens a family of churches

St PeterRome · d. c. 64, by tradition · 1stLed the apostles; martyred in Rome.St AndrewByzantium · 1st century, by traditionFounded the see, by tradition.Clement IRome · c. 88–c. 99 · 4thCredited with the letter to Corinth.

Gregory of NazianzusConstantinople · 379–381Preached the Theological Orations.

John ChrysostomConstantinople · 398–404Preached reform; died in exile.Leo IRome · 440–461 · 45thHis Tome was affirmed at Chalcedon.

451 After 451, churches rejecting Chalcedon parted from Rome and Constantinople alike.

Oriental Orthodox churches · 451Explore the family ›

John IV the FasterConstantinople · 582–595Took the title ‘Ecumenical’.Gregory IRome · 590–604 · 64thSent Augustine to England, 597.

AugustineCanterbury · 597–604 · 1stSent to England by Gregory I.TTTheodore of TarsusCanterbury · 668–690 · 7thOrganised the English Church.

TarasiosConstantinople · 784–806Led the Second Council of Nicaea.

Leo IIIRome · 795–816 · 96thCrowned Charlemagne emperor, 800.Photios IConstantinople · 858–867, 877–886Challenged Rome over the Filioque.

Michael I CerulariusConstantinople · 1043–1058Condemned the papal legates, 1054.Leo IXRome · 1049–1054 · 152ndHis legates went east in 1054.

1054 Catholic and Orthodox divide: Rome and Constantinople exchange excommunications.

AnselmCanterbury · 1093–1109 · 36thArgued for God in the Proslogion.Thomas BecketCanterbury · 1162–1170 · 40thMurdered in his cathedral, 1170.

Innocent IIIRome · 1198–1216 · 176thCalled the Fourth Lateran Council.Stephen LangtonCanterbury · 1207–1228 · 44thHelped negotiate Magna Carta.

Gennadius ScholariusConstantinople · 1454–1456First patriarch under the Ottomans.

Protestant churches · 1517Explore the family ›
Clement VIIRome · 1523–1534 · 219thRefused Henry VIII’s annulment.

1534 Anglican and Catholic divide: Henry VIII made head of the English Church.

Thomas CranmerCanterbury · 1533–1555 · 69thCompiled the Book of Common Prayer.Matthew ParkerCanterbury · 1559–1575 · 71stShaped the Elizabethan Church.Jeremias IIConstantinople · 1572–1595Made Moscow a patriarchate, 1589.
Orthodox churches · 1589Explore the family ›

Cyril LucarisConstantinople · 1620–1638Sent Codex Alexandrinus to England.William LaudCanterbury · 1633–1645 · 76thEnforced ceremony; executed 1645.

Anglican churches in North America · 1784Explore the family ›

Pius IXRome · 1846–1878 · 255thCalled the First Vatican Council.

Athenagoras IConstantinople · 1948–1972Lifted the anathemas with Paul VI.Michael RamseyCanterbury · 1961–1974 · 100thMet Paul VI in Rome, 1966.Paul VIRome · 1963–1978 · 262ndLifted the 1054 anathemas, 1965.John Paul IIRome · 1978–2005 · 264thTravelled to 129 countries.

Bartholomew IConstantinople · 1991–First among equals in Orthodoxy.Rowan WilliamsCanterbury · 2002–2012 · 104thCame to Canterbury from Wales.Justin WelbyCanterbury · 2013–2025 · 105thCrowned King Charles III, 2023.Leo XIVRome · 2025– · 267thFirst pope from the United States.Sarah MullallyCanterbury · 2026– · 106thFirst woman Archbishop of Canterbury.

Jesus is named above the three lines as the origin all three claim; he is not drawn into any one of them. Rome sits in the centre column only for layout, not as a claim the other churches accept: the Orthodox see 1054 as Rome’s departure, and Anglicans see 1534 as a reform, not a founding.

Each figure sits in the century, and on the side of 1054 or 1534, in which most of their tenure fell. Source: Wikipedia, September 2026.

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