Ten Countries - Ten Popes Trivia Quiz

Affectionately known as the "Good Pope John", Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was elected pope at the age of 76 after a long career as a diplomat. Despite his short papacy, he made a significant impact by convening the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II), which modernised many aspects of the Catholic Church by promoting openness, ecumenism and reform.

He gained a reputation for his warmth, humour and humility and presented a more approachable image of the papacy than many of his predecessors.

Born Joseph Ratzinger in Bavaria, he was a professor of theology at several German universities and became renowned for his scholarly work on dogma and church doctrine. In 1977, he was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising and made a cardinal.

In 1981, he was summoned to Rome to head the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Elected pope in 2005, he focused on upholding traditional doctrine, promoting interfaith dialogue and addressing challenges such as secularism and church scandals. In 2013, he became the first pope in almost 600 years to resign.

Karol Józef Wojtyła was born in Wadowice and secretly studied literature and theology during the Nazi occupation of Poland. He was ordained as a priest in 1946. After earning doctorates in Rome, he returned to Poland and became Archbishop of Kraków in 1964 and a cardinal three years later.

Under communist rule, Wojtyła played an active role in Poland's intellectual and spiritual life and supported religious freedom. Elected pope in 1978, he was the first non-Italian pope for over four hundred years. He became a global figure and was known for his extensive travels, dialogue with other faiths and his role in the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe.

Urban II was born Odo of Chātillon in northern France and studied at the cathedral school in Reims. He later became Prior of the influential Abbey of Cluny. Renowned for his administrative abilities, he was appointed Bishop of Ostia in 1078 and served as a trusted advisor to Pope Gregory VII in Rome.

Elected pope in 1088 amid conflict with the Holy Roman Empire, Urban II continued the Gregorian Reform, asserting papal authority over secular rulers, combating simony and promoting clerical celibacy. He is best known for launching the First Crusade in 1095 at the Council of Clermont, when he urged Western Christians to support the Byzantine Empire and retake Jerusalem from the Muslims.

Callixtus III was born Alfonso de Borja in the Kingdom of Valencia. He was a professor of law at the University of Lleida and served as a diplomat and legal advisor to the Crown of Aragon. His loyalty to the papacy during the Western Schism earned him a cardinal's hat in 1444.

Elected pope at the age of 76 in 1455, he organised a crusade against the Ottoman Empire following the fall of Constantinople. Although the campaign was only partially successful, he ordered the bells of Rome to ring at midday to encourage prayers for the Christian forces - a tradition that is still observed in some places today. He also reopened the trial of Joan of Arc, which led to her posthumous exoneration.

He was born Pedro Julićo in Lisbon and studied medicine, philosophy and theology at universities in Paris and, possibly, Montpellier and later taught logic and Aristotelian philosophy. He served as a royal physician to King Afonso III of Portugal and held several ecclesiastical offices, including the positions of Archbishop of Braga and Cardinal-Bishop of Tusculum.

Elected pope in 1276, he sought to reform the administration of the Church and improve relations between the papacy and various European monarchs. However, his papacy was cut short when he died from injuries sustained when the ceiling collapsed in his study at the papal palace in Viterbo.

Adrian IV was born Nicholas Breakspear in England and is the only English pope in history. After joining the Abbey of St. Rufus in France, he became abbot and was later appointed Cardinal Bishop of Albano.

Elected pope in 1154, he dedicated his papacy to strengthening papal authority in Italy and Europe. Notably, he issued the papal bull "Laudabiliter", which granted King Henry II of England the right to govern Ireland and marked a significant moment in Irish history. However, his reign was also characterised by political conflicts in Italy, including disputes with the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick I.

Pope Adrian VI was born Adriaan Florenszoon Boeyens in Utrecht. He studied theology at the University of Leuven, where he later became professor and rector. He served as a tutor to the future Emperor Charles V and held high-ranking positions in the Spanish Netherlands, including Bishop of Tortosa and Inquisitor General of Aragon.

Elected pope in 1522, he was both the only Dutch pope and the last non-Italian pope for over 450 years. He focused his papacy on reforming the Church from within and addressing the growing threat of the Protestant Reformation, but his efforts faced strong resistance in Rome. He died after just over a year in office.

Born Bruno of Carinthia in what is now Austria, he came from a powerful noble family and was the great-nephew of Emperor Otto I. Educated in theology and the liberal arts, he became chaplain to his cousin, Emperor Otto III. At the age of 24, he was elected pope - the first Germanic pope and the first from the lands of modern-day Austria.

His brief papacy was marked by close cooperation with the emperor, including Otto's imperial coronation, as well as conflict with the antipope John XVI. He died in 999, just three years after his election.

Sixtus II was born in Greece and served as a deacon in the Church of Rome before being elected pope at a time of intense persecution of Christians under Emperor Valerian. Although his papacy lasted only a few months, he made efforts to support and organise the Christian community under threat.

He was the first pope to choose a name that had previously been used. Sixtus II was arrested and martyred in 258 alongside several of his deacons. He is honoured as a saint and martyr in the Catholic Church, and his feast day is celebrated on 6 August.