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Black smoke emanating from the Sistine Chapel means the cardinals haven’t chosen a pope yet. Every time until the white smoke comes the nationality issue is on the agenda in every news station…

Pope? Who is the Pope?
The Pope is the bishop of Rome (name derives from a Greek word pappas, meaning father) In the Catholic Church. The Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter (Πέτρος - Petros is derived from πέτρα - petra, means rock ) the Apostle.

Greece now days means Orthodoxy but believe it or not, they were many Greek Pope’s… lets see some of them just for the “nationality issue”…

St. Anacletus (Cletus), by origin a Greek from Athens and possibly a martyr. His name, correctly Anencletus, means 'blameless'

St. Evaristus, perhaps a martyr and almost certainly of Hellenic/Jewish origin.

St. Sixtus (Xystus) I , possibly a martyr. A Roman of Greek origin.

St Telesphorus, a martyr, Greek by origin.

St. Hyginus , by origin a Greek philosopher from Athens.

St. Eleuterus, or Eleutherius, (Greek: Ελευθέριος) was Bishop of Rome from about 174 to 189 (the Vatican cites 171 or 177 to 185 or 193). He was born in Nicopolis in Epirus. His name is Greek for free.

St. Anterus was Pope from 21 November 235 to 3 January 236. He succeeded Pope Pontian, who had been deported from Rome to Sardinia (along with the antipope Hippolytus).

St Stephen I served as Bishop of Rome from 12 May 254 to 2 August 257. Of Roman birth but of Greek ancestry

St. Soter, of Greek descent

St. Eleutherius, Greek, possibly martyred

St. Zephyrinus, of Greek descent. Although not a strong character, he still fought for Orthodoxy against Adoptionism and Modalism and may have been martyred for it

St. Callistus I, the fifteenth pope and originally a slave. Pope Callistus, with his Greek name, was known for his mercifulness and defended married clergy against fanatics.

St. Antherus, Greek and perhaps martyred.

St. Sixtus II (a corruption of Greek Ξυστος, Xystus, "polished"), an Athenian. He was 'a good and peace-loving man' who was much helped by Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria.

St. Dionysius born in Magna Græcia, was pope from 22 July 259 to 26 December 268.

St. Eusebius, (from Greek Εὐσέβιος "pious", from eu (εὖ) "well" and sebein (σέβειν) "to respect") the thirtieth pope and a Greek by origin. He was deported to Sicily by the Emperor and died there as a confessor.

St. Miltiades, probably from Rome, although he had a Greek name. The Emperor Constantine gave him a palace on the Lateran as his residence.

St Zosimus , the fortieth Pope, by origin a Greek.

St Boniface III son of John Cataadioce, he was a Roman by birth although of Greek extraction. Despite his short time as Pope he made a significant contribution to the organization of the Catholic Church.

St Theodore I (name means Theo - God + Doro - Gift) a Greek born in Jerusalem.

St. Agatho, Sicilian of Greek origin. Preceded by two popes who are not saints, he was a kindly and generous man, who also helped call the Sixth Oecumenical Council and helped end monotheletism.

St John VI was a Anatolia pope from Ephesus who reigned during the Byzantine Papacy

St John VII the successor of John VI, he was (like his predecessor) of Greek ancestry.

St. Leo II, Sicilian, possibly of Greek descent. He confirmed the condemnation of a predecessor, the heretical Pope Honorius I (+ 63😎, who had fallen into the monothelite heresy. He loved the poor and was also much concerned with church music. Feast: 3 July.

St Zacharias, a Greek, he opposed iconoclasm, adorned churches with frescos, and did much for missionary work and peace all over western Europe.

St Innocent VIII, was born in Genoa of Greek ancestry.

St Julius II, Giuliano della Rovere was the son of Rafaello della Rovere nephew of Pope Sixtus IV and of Theodora Manerola, a lady of Greek extraction

well....

FYROMians may see some Macedonians in the list… I hope you have empty places for more statues with Greeks in your towns