There is no official list of popes, but the Annuario Pontificio, published every year by the Vatican, contains a list that is generally considered to be the most authoritative. It is provided here. The Annuario Pontificio lists Benedict XVI, the current pope as of this writing, as the 265th pope of Rome. In 2001 a rigorous study was made by the Catholic Church into the history of the papacy. Based on that research, in 2008 there have been 265 Popes and 267 pontificates. The difference can be accounted for by the fact that Benedict IX reigned three different times between 1032 and 1048. __TOC__