Benedict VIII, pope of the Catholic Church (born 980)

Pope Benedict VIII

Head of the Catholic Church from 1012 to 1024

Pope Benedict VIII was bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 18 May 1012 until his death. He was born Theophylact of Tusculum to the noble family of the counts of Tusculum. Unusually for a medieval pope, he had strong authority both in Rome and abroad.