How many popes have there been?

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis died Monday at the age of 88 following a lengthy hospital stay earlier this year for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.

The Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio Francis was elected pope on March 13, 2013, becoming the first Latin American pope and the first from the Americas.

He was one of hundreds of popes that have served the Catholic Church, and his death brings about the centuries-old process of choosing the next one. 

How many popes have there been?

Big picture view:

The history of the Catholic Church includes 266 popes, dating back to St. Peter in the first century. 

File: Pope John Paul II appears for the first time on the balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. (Photo by Vittoriano Rastelli/Corbis via Getty Images)

Who was the first pope?

Timeline:

St. Peter served as the first pope of the Catholic Church, according to the Vatican, beginning in 30 AD to his death sometime between 64 to 68 AD.

The backstory:

Christian teaching says Peter was Jesus’ closest friend and disciple and that he became an apostle during his ministry. After the death of Jesus, Peter became the leader of the apostles and is often described as their spokesperson in the gospels.

He is believed to have founded the first Church in Rome and laid the foundation for all future popes to come.

Who was the oldest pope?

File: Pope Leo XIII, photograph made in 1878. (Bettmann via Getty Images)

By the numbers:

Pope Francis, who died Monday at the age of 88, was one of the oldest popes ever. 

But the oldest pope was Pope Leo XIII, who died in 1903 at 93. He served as the 256th pope for 25 years.