In 1799, Napoleon seized power in France. Which pope was head of the Catholic Church at the time?

The story behind the answer

Pope Pius VI is correct: he reigned from 1775 to 1799, spanning the tumultuous era of the French Revolution. French forces occupied Rome in 1798, abolished the Papal States, and took Pius VI prisoner; he died in captivity at Valence in August 1799—the same year Napoleon seized power in the Coup of 18 Brumaire (November 1799). Think: Pius “VI” vanished as Napoleon “rose.”

The other options don’t fit the year: Benedict XIV (1740–1758) and Clement IX (1667–1669) were much earlier, while Leo XIII (1878–1903) came a century later. Pius VI’s death set the stage for Pius VII, who later negotiated the Concordat of 1801 with Napoleon and witnessed Napoleon crown himself emperor in 1804.