Which pope ruled the longest?

Pope Pius IX (Italian: Pio IX, Pio Nono; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign.

Which pope lasted the shortest?

Pope Urban VII (Latin: Urbanus VII; Italian: Urbano VII; 4 August 1521 – 27 September 1590), born Giovanni Battista Castagna, was head of the Catholic Church, and ruler of the Papal States from 15 to 27 September 1590. His twelve-day papacy was the shortest in history.

How long does the average pope reign?

For the period since 1750, the average reign has been 14.2 years (with a median of 13 years) and a range from 0 years (John Paul I) to 32 years (Pius IX). If one goes back to the first 250 years of popes, the average reign is 11.0 years (with a median of 10 years) and a range from 1 year (Anterus) to 35 years (Peter).

Who is the longest serving pope and also the first pope in the history of the Catholic Church?

John Paul was elected pope Oct. 16, 1978, and took office officially six days later. According to tradition, the longest-serving pope was the first, St. Peter, who is believed to have led the church for 34 to 37 years.

Who was the most ruthless pope?

Alexander VI

Alexander VI was an ambitious and ruthless politician, and is commonly considered one of the most controversial popes in history.

Top 10 Longest Reigning Popes in the history of Catholic Church

How many black popes have there been?

Hidden in the archives of world history is the fact that there have been three African popes of the Catholic Church. The history of African popes is hidden from common knowledge because over the years artists created images of them with European features. St.

Why did pope Benedict step down?

His abrupt resignation after eight years made him him the first pontiff in almost 600 years to step down (the last was Gregory XII in 1415), with Benedict citing his waning health as the reason for his decision.

How long does a pope stay a pope?

The papal post is traditionally held until death, though Francis's predecessor Pope Benedict XVI resigned in 2013 after roughly seven years in office, becoming the first pope to step down in nearly 600 years.

Who was the first pope?

Peter, traditionally considered the first pope. Among these, 82 have been proclaimed saints, as have some antipopes (rival claimants to the papal throne who were appointed or elected in opposition to the legitimate pope).

How many popes have resigned?

But Benedict XVI's shocking resignation is even more curious when compared to the handful of others who have left the powerful office willingly. In the past 1000 years, only four other popes have resigned.

Are all popes saints?

Roughly 30% of all popes are saints. Starting with St. Peter, traditionally regarded as the first leader of the church after Christ's death, 52 of the first 55 popes became saints during Catholicism's first 500 years.

Where is pope Benedict now?

Benedict, now 94, has been living in the Vatican since resigning as pontiff in 2013. The lawyers were tasked with finding out who knew what and what actions they took. Attention has focused on Benedict's time as the archbishop, between 1977 and 1982, when he was called Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

Was there ever a French pope?

After eleven months, Bertrand de Got, a Frenchman and a personal friend of King Phillip IV, was elected as pope and took the name Pope Clement V. Beginning with Clement V, elected 1305, all popes during the Avignon papacy were French. However, this makes French influence seem greater than it was.

Do popes get paid?

The pope will not be affected by the cuts, because he does not receive a salary. “As an absolute monarch, he has everything at his disposal and nothing at his disposal,” Mr. Muolo said. “He doesn't need an income, because he has everything that he needs.”

Can pope be removed?

The later development of canon law has been in favor of papal supremacy, leaving no recourse to the removal of a pope involuntarily. The most recent pope to resign was Benedict XVI, who vacated the Holy See on 28 February 2013. He was the first pope to do so since Gregory XII in 1415.

Why do they destroy the pope's ring?

The ring "is a sign of authority of a particular pope and so that's why it's so important that the ring itself is destroyed once a papacy ends, so that no one can assert that authority except within whom it has been invested," Dennis told CBC News.

Who was the only pope to resign?

The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI took effect on 28 February 2013 at 20:00 CET, following his announcement of it on 11 February.

Which popes were married?

There have been at least four Popes who were legally married before taking Holy Orders: St Hormisdas (514–523), Adrian II (867–872), John XVII (1003) and Clement IV (1265–68) – though Hormisdas was already a widower by the time of his election.

Was there a female pope?

Pope Joan, legendary female pontiff who supposedly reigned, under the title of John VIII, for slightly more than 25 months, from 855 to 858, between the pontificates of St. Leo IV (847–855) and Benedict III (855–858).

Which pope is from Africa?

Three early popes were from the Roman Africa Province. These were Pope Victor I (reigned c . 189 to 199), Pope Miltiades (reigned 311 to 314) and Pope Gelasius I (492 to 496); all three were North African men.