Pope Francis’ appearance on the new cover of TIME marks his third turn inside the red border (or fourth if you count an issue that only appeared in Europe and Asia). The appearance puts him in good company: every single Pope who has held that title since TIME was first published in 1923 has been the subject of multiple cover stories.
Even if you don’t count the Vatican stories that weren’t about a particular pope (like this one and this one), there have been nearly three dozen papal portraits on the cover of TIME. Here’s a look back at nearly a century of papal history.
Pope Pius XI on the June 16, 1924, cover of TIMETIMEPope Pius XI on the Dec. 29, 1930, cover of TIMETIMEPope Pius XI on the Apr. 3, 1933, cover of TIMETIMEPope Pius XII on the Aug. 16, 1943, cover of TIMECover Credit: ANDREI HUDIAKOFFPope Pius XII on the Dec. 14, 1953, cover of TIMECover Credit: BORIS CHALIAPINPope John XXIII on the Nov. 10, 1958, cover of TIMECover Credit: BORIS CHALIAPINPope John XXIII on the Oct. 5, 1962, cover of TIMECover Credit: PIETRO ANNIGONIPope John XXIII, Person of the Year, on the Jan. 4, 1963, cover of TIMECover Credit: BERNARD SAFRANPope John XXIII on the June 7, 1963, cover of TIMECover Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESSPope Paul VI on the June 28, 1963, cover of TIMECover Credit: DAVID LEESPope Paul VI on the Sep. 24, 1965, cover of TIMETIMEPope Paul VI on the Nov. 22, 1968, cover of TIMECover Credit: LOUIS GLANZMANPope John Paul I on the Sep. 4, 1978, cover of TIMECover Credit: DAVID LEESPope John Paul I on the Oct. 9, 1978, cover of TIMECover Credit: ENRICO FERORELLIPope John Paul II on the Oct. 30, 1978, cover of TIMECover Credit: ARTURO MARIPope John Paul II on the June 18, 1979, cover of TIMECover Credit: GIANFRANCO GORGONIPope John Paul II on the Oct. 15, 1979, cover of TIMECover Credit: NEIL LEIFERPope John Paul II on the May 25, 1981, cover of TIMECover Credit: FOTAMPope John Paul II on the June 7, 1982, cover of TIMECover Credit: MARTIN CLEAVER, FRANCOIS LOCHON-GAMMA, DAVID HUME KENNERLYPope John Paul II on the Mar. 14, 1983, cover of TIMECover Credit: FRANK FOURNIERPope John Paul II on the June 27, 1983, cover of TIMECover Credit: INTERPRESS/JURGENSPope John Paul II on the Jan. 9, 1984, cover of TIMECover Credit: ARTURO MARIPope John Paul II on the Feb. 4, 1985, cover of TIMECover Credit: MARIO DONIZETTIPope John Paul II on the Feb. 24, 1992, cover of TIMECover Credit: DIRCK HALSTEAD / GIANNI GIANSANTI-SYGMA (POPE JOHN PAUL II)Pope John Paul II, Person of the Year, on the Dec. 26, 1994, cover of TIMECover Credit: ROBERT AMMIRATIPope John Paul II on the Jan. 26, 1998, cover of TIMECover Credit: GERARD RANCINANPope John Paul II on the Apr. 3, 2000, cover of TIMECover Credit: ARTURO MARIPope John Paul II on the Apr. 11, 2005, cover of TIMETIMEPope Benedict XVI on the May 2, 2005, cover of TIMETIMEPope Benedict XVI on the Nov. 27, 2006, cover of TIMECover Credit: PHOTOGRAPH BY MAX ROSSI/REUTERSPope Benedict XVI on the Apr. 14, 2008, cover of TIMECover Credit: JOHN RITTERPope Benedict XVI on the Feb. 25, 2013, cover of TIMECover Credit: EVANDRO INETTI-ZUMA PRESSPope Francis on the Mar. 25, 2013, cover of TIMECover Credit: STEFANO DAL POZZOLO / CONTRASTO / REDUXPope Francis, Person of the Year, on the Dec. 23, 2013, cover of TIMECover Credit: PORTRAIT BY JASON SEILER FOR TIMEThe Oct. 5, 2015, cover of TIMEPhotograph by Mandel Ngan–AFP/Getty Images
