The death of Pope Francis, on April 21, put an end to his pontificate lasted well 12 years. A time that seems short but it is not if compared, for example, with that of Pope Luciani who occupied the papal throne for only 33 days. The “official” list of the Popes, considered valid by the Holy See, recognizes 266 pontificated: the first pope was San Pietrowho assumed the assignment in the year 30 d. C; The last, as we know, was Francesco. However, The number is discussed: in the past it has happened on several occasions that in the same period two or more people claimed the title of Pope, as during the Western schism (1378-1417), during which a Pope resided in Rome and one in Avignon. In the course of the story, the Popes remained in charge for very different periods: they go to alone 13 days of Urban VII in the 16th century, up to almost 32 years pontificate by Pius IX in the 19th century.
The shorter pontificates
In growing order here are the shortest pontificates in history:
- Urban VII: 13 days, from 15 to 27 November 1590;
- Bonifacio VI: 16 days, from 11 to 26 April 896;
- Celestino IV: 17 days, from 25 October to 10 November 1241;
- Seal: 21 days, from January 15 to February 4, 708;
- Theodoro II: 21 days between the end of the year 897 and the beginning of 898 (in this case the exact dates are not known);
- Marcello II: 22 days from April 10 to May 1, 1555;
Taking into account the official list recognized by the Vatican, the shortest pontificate was that of Urban VII, At the century Giovanni Battista Castagna, who remained in office from 15 to 27 November 1590. His pontificate lasted only 13 days, the Pope, in fact, marked the malaria A few days after the election, on September 18, and on day 27 he died.
However, in 752 there was a pontificate that lasted alone 4 daysthat of Stefano II, remained in office from 23 to 26 March, when he died of an apopletic blow. However, Stefano was a simple priest At the time of the election and, before taking on the position of Pontiff, he should have been appointed bishop (the Pope, as we know, is bishop of Rome) but sudden death prevented the appointment from taking place. For this reason, The Church does not consider it a true pope: It is Urban VII to hold the record of the shortest pontificate. Attention: The Stefano II who appears in the lists is another pope with the same name, remained in charge for five years.
In recent times, the shortest pontificate was that of John Paul IAlbino Luciani, elected on August 26, 1978 and died suddenly on September 28 of the same year, after only 33 days of pontificate.
The longer pontificates
The popes who have detained the pontifical assignment longer are as follows:
- Pius IX31 years and 7 months and 21 days of pontificate (11,560 days) from 1846 to 1878;
- John Paul II26 years, 5 months and 17 days (9,665 days) from 1978 to 2005;
- Leo XIII25 years, 4 months and 29 days (9,280 days) from 1878 to 1903;
- Pious vi24 years, 6 months and 14 days (8,962 days) from 1775 to 1799;
- Adriano i23 years, 10 months and 25 days (8,738 days) from 772 to 795;
- Pius VII23 years old, 5 months and 6 days (8,559 days), from 1800 to 1823.
Pius IXin the century Giovanni Mastai Ferretti, elected June 16th 1846 and died in office on February 7th 1878after 31 years and 7 months and 21 days of pontificate, was the Muster Pope in history. In total, he occupied the papal throne for 11,560 days. During his pontificate, an event of epochal scope occurred: the conquest of Rome by the Italian state and the end of the temporal power of the popes, which took place in 1870. Pius IX was therefore also the last Pontiff who reigned on Papal States.
In theory, the first pope would have been even more long -lived: San Pietro It would have remained in office from the year 30 to the year 64 or 67 AD, for 34 or 37 years. However, at his time there were no precise mechanisms for the election to the pontificate, nor were the Pope’s functions clearly defined. Consequently, the moment in which “assumed the assignment” is not known precisely. Also, you don’t even know theyear of death (and therefore of the end of the pontificate), which could be 64 or 67 AD it is therefore impossible to define exactly the Pontificate period of Pietro and this is why we consider the most long -lived Pope Pius IX.
The last pope, Francishas remained in office for 12 years1 month and 10 days from 13 March 2013 to 21 April 2025.
