Amid wars, epidemics, and the fall of the Western Roman Empire, twelve pontiffs upheld the Church in silence. This book rescues the figures of little-remembered popes-from Zosimus to Gelasius I-who, despite their brief or conflict-ridden reigns, marked the transition toward a papacy capable of surviving Rome's collapse. Drawing on ancient sources and a critical historical reading, the author shows how these popes, relegated to the shadows, laid the foundations of the medieval Church. More than a correction, this work is a complement: a journey through forgotten pontificates that reveal how the greatness of the Church was forged in discretion and silent resilience.