Tony C. Cutajar's letter Facts About The Papacy (April 12) made very interesting reading. However, some things need to be clarified with regard to the list of popes provided at the end of his contribution.

There were three and not four popes called Sylvester. The "IV" (1105-1111) was an anti-Pope in opposition to Paschal II (1099-1118). There were only three Popes called Victor and two called Paschal. Victor "IV" (1159-64) and Paschal "III" (1164-68) were in a list of anti-Popes set up by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in his long struggle against the legitimate Pope Alexander III (1159-81).

Some confusion has been registered with Popes named Felix. A prelate styled as Felix II was confused with a Roman martyr of the same name and mistakenly listed as a pope (355-65) in the Liber Pontificalis. Subsequent popes bearing the name Felix were styled III, IV and V when they should have been styled II, III and IV respectively. Incidentally, the very last anti-Pope was the ex-Duke of Savoy, Amadeus VIII, who had abdicated in 1431 and was elected anti-Pope as Felix "V" in 1439. He held out for 10 years before reconciling himself with the legitimate Pope Nicholas V. The ex-duke died in 1451.

There were seven and not eight popes called Alexander. The one known as Alexander V (1409-10) is considered as a Conciliar anti-Pope. The second Borgia Pope who chose the name Alexander styled himself as VI continuing the numeration and thus adding to the confusion. More confusion surrounds popes called Martin. The last of the name was Martin V (1417-31) but there were only three popes of that name. The ones which for some centuries were considered as Martin II and Martin III were actually Marinus I (882-884) and Marinus II (942-946). A chronicler had mistakenly listed them as "Martinus" rather than Marinus.

Perhaps the most bizarre case is that of the popes called John. It is, so far, the commonest name used by popes, whether they were originally called by that name or assumed it upon election. Which reminds me that the last Pope to retain his original name was Marcellus II, who reigned for 22 days in 1555 and was uncle to Grand Master del Monte. Back to the Popes John, there were 21 of them and not 23. The one who is listed as John XVI was an anti-Pope (997-8), and came to a horrible end. He was in opposition to Gregory V (996-999). John XIX reigned from 1024-32 but owing to a lapse, the next Pope called John, who so far has been the only Portuguese Pope (1276-77), was erroneously styled as John XXI. In fact John XX never even existed.