The first pope is traditionally considered to be Saint Peter , one of Jesus Christ’s twelve apostles, who is believed to have led the Christian community in Rome in the mid‑1st century, around the decades 30–60 AD.

Quick Scoop: When was the first pope?

  • The Catholic Church holds that Saint Peter was the first pope (the first Bishop of Rome).
  • He likely began his leadership role in the mid‑1st century , after Jesus’ death, somewhere between about 30 AD and 70 AD (exact dates are unknown).
  • Peter is believed to have been martyred in Rome under Emperor Nero , probably in the 60s AD.

So, in timeline terms:

The “first pope” is not tied to a single exact year, but to Peter’s leadership of the Roman Christian community in the first century AD , roughly starting a few decades after Jesus’ crucifixion.

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