Age matters: Popes elected as young as 24, as old as 81 (Papal Trivia!)

cns ^ | February 21, 2013 | Cindy Wooden

[NYer]

Pope Leo XIII is the oldest pope in history, living until age 93. He was elected at age 67. (CNS graphic)

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- When Pope Benedict XVI, 85, announced his resignation, he said that "both strength of mind and body are necessary" to carry out the papal ministry in the modern world.

He was elected in 2005, just after his 78th birthday. Of the 102 popes whose exact age at election is known, Pope Benedict was one of 17 churchmen elected bishop of Rome while between the ages of 71 and 80.

Ambrogio Piazzoni, vice prefect of the Vatican Library and author of a book on the history of papal elections, distributed a sheet of "some curiosities" about elections to reporters Feb. 21, the day after briefing journalists at the Vatican.

On the topic of the age of the pope at election, he said:

-- Three popes were under the age of 25. The last was Pope Gregory V, who was 24 when elected in 996.

-- Seven were between 25 and 40 years old. The last was Pope Leo X, who was 37 in 1513.

-- Eleven were between 41 and 50. The last was Pope Clement VII, who was elected in 1523 at the age of 44.

-- 24 popes were in their 50s. The most recent was Blessed John Paul II, who was 58 years old when he began his papal ministry in 1978.

-- 37 were between 61 and 70 years old. The last was Pope John Paul I, who was 65 when he began his 33-day papacy in 1978.

-- Only three popes were over 80 when elected. The last, chosen by cardinals in 1406, was Pope Gregory XII. He was 81.

FAMOUS LASTS

Piazzoni also provided a list of "lasts":

-- The last pope who was not a cardinal yet when elected was Pope Urban VI in 1378.

-- The last who was not even a priest yet was Pope Leo X.

-- The last born in Rome was Pope Pius XII, elected in 1939. (He was also the last serving Vatican secretary of state elected.)

-- The last African was Pope Gelasius, elected in 492.

-- The last native of Dalmatia, an ancient Roman province, was Pope John IV in 640.

-- The last Frenchman elected was Pope Gregory XI, in 1370.

-- The last Greek was Pope Zachary in 741.

-- The last Englishman was Pope Adrian IV in 1154.

-- The last Italian was Pope John Paul I.

-- The last Dutchman was Pope Adrian VI in 1522.

-- The last Palestinian was Pope Theodore in 642.

-- The last Pole was Pope John Paul II in 1978.

-- The last Portuguese was Pope John XXI in 1276.

-- The last Syrian was Pope Gregory III in 731.

-- The last Spaniard was Pope Alexander VI in 1492.

-- The last German was Pope Benedict XVI, elected in 2005. It had been 950 years since a German -- Pope Victor II -- had been elected.

[NYer]

And here is another interesting tidbit of trivia. Pope John Paul I survived only 33 days in office, passing away Sept. 28, 1978. It created a rare year of three popes, and JPI was the first pope born and the last to die in the 20th century. He was the first pope to take two names, and the first to use “the first” in his regal name.

[Perdogg]

One of the Popes might have been as young as 12.

[humblegunner]

He was the first pope to take two names, and the first to use “the first” in his regal name.

Where are the birthers on this?

What about social security numbers? What about Orly Taitz?

[Perdogg]

I thought in order to be Pope, both parents had to be Catholic at the time of birth. ;)

[KarlInOhio]

I demand to see an original copy of his baptismal certificate.

[tnlibertarian]

Since there is the belief out there that the next Pope is the last one, how about electing one that’s 3? With all of his great-great grandparents alive in their 90s. Just in case.

[WCH]

Are there any teenage Pope nominees?

[plain talk]

... Right. He could have gone to baptist church for his whole childhood but if his mother was Catholic then that makes him a NBC - Natural Born Catholic. Is that where you’re going?

Just jiving. Hope no one is offended.

[Focault's Pendulum]

I am the Pope! No wait! I am Spartacus! No wait...ah never mind..it’s my day off.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Are there any teenage Pope nominees?

I believe I Was A Teenage Pope is a 1950's drive-in flick starring Fabian and Mamie Van Doren.

[Sacajaweau]

John Paul I was known as the "smiling pope". I have a rare medal of him. My jeweler admired the workmanship of the engraved image on the medal and remarked "such talent".

The artist was Silvio Gazzaniga, sculptor of the FIFA World Cup. There is no better.

[wesagain]

How many were women?

[ArrogantBustard]

ZERO.

(But you already knew that.)

[wesagain]

Haha.....wrong answer.

[wesagain]

Haha.....wrong answer.

[ArrogantBustard]

Haha!

Right answer.

But you already knew that.

And I'm gettin' ready to laugh in your deluded face, bucko.

[Verginius Rufus]

The last pope who had been married was Clement IV (1265-1268).

The last married pope whose wife was still alive when he became pope was Adrian II (867-872)--his wife lived with him in the Lateran Palace but she was killed in 868.

Two other popes are known to have been widowers: St. Hormisdas (pope 514-523) and John XVII (pope June 13 to November 6, 1003).

The last pope to be the legitimate son of another pope was Silverius (pope June 536 to March 537), son of Pope Hormisdas. Pope John XI was alleged (by a hostile contemporary) to be the illegitimate son of Pope Sergius III (904-911) but this appears to be unlikely.

[Salvation]

Age matters: Popes elected as young as 24, as old as 81 (Papal Trivia!)

What This Protestant Pastor Would Like to See in the New Pope
Italian Cardinal Scola Once Again Emerging as Papal Favorite
Quid est in nomine? Latin name is first clue to new pope’s identity
Before Smoke Rises at Vatican, It’s Romans vs. the Reformers
The springtime has failed, the time has come for the sowing season
Why is Cardinal Mahony Voting in the Conclave?
'The will of God is not entirely clear': Cardinal hints at tough task facing church
The Church That the New Pope Will Govern (some surprising stats)
Press Coverage on the Eve of the Conclave
Cardinals Pray Before Conclave To Choose New Pope

Top Contenders To Be The Next Pope
Day Six: Timeless Skies – and Electoral Blocs
Dare we hope for Burke?
Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco Pope? [Gays Worst Nightmare: Received Death Threats!]
Cardinal Dolan eager for conclave to start
A few “bloopers” (Cardinal Dolan addresses misunderstandings about the papacy)
The men who could be pope: Cardinal Leonardo Sandri (A diplomat who tames enemies)
The men who could be pope: Cardinal Seán O’Malley (The Capuchin with a gentle heart)
Catholics worldwide mobilize support for new Pope
An Illustrated Guide to the Conclave (how the entire process works)

The lesson of Sistine Chapel (What the Cardinals electors will see when they enter the Conclave)
Letter #39: 48 Hours To Go (until the Conclave)
The men who could be pope: Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle
The men who could be pope: Cardinal Timothy Dolan
The men who could be pope: Cardinal Peter Turkson
The men who could be pope: Cardinal Angelo Scola
Conclave: timetable for first days
Day Four: The Great Game Begins (Daily Conclave Report)
What have the cardinals been doing? One of them explains
BREAKING NEWS: Cardinals select Tuesday, March 12 for conclave

Inside the Conclave: A Visual Chart
You’ve heard about Pope on a rope — how about a cardinal on a bike?
Where cardinals will stay during Conclave
Letter #37: A Living Stone
Conclave date to be announced after 7 pm local time
Is this Cardinal, Pope Emeritus Benedict's candidate to be his successor
Cardinal plotting anti-Ratzinger progressive Papacy
Vatican post office sells over 150k Vacant See sets
General congregations: With all electors present still no date for Conclave
LA's Cardinal Mahony tweets: We're close to setting conclave date

Patriarch Raï: The Conclave from a Middle Eastern perspective
Curia silences U.S. cardinals: “You talk too much”
Little-known Facts about a Papal Conclave
Filipino Cardinal Stirs Papal Talk With Rapid Rise
Letter #36: Silence (victory for the “old guard” of the Vatican)
General congregations: Profile of future Pope emerging from sessions
Cardinals contemplate insider, outsider papal candidates
College of Cardinals imposes media silence after breach
Last Two Cardinal Electors Will be in Rome by Thursday
Letter #33: Sistine Chapel Closed (approx 5 days for workers to prepare for conclave)

Pope Prediction: 10 Reasons Cardinal Burke Will Be the Next Pope
Popeless but not Hopeless
Election of Pope Trivia Quiz
Black Socialist Pope to Follow Black Socialist President?
Pope watchers keeping tabs on Vatican 'backroom boys'
Catholicism, True Reform and the Next Pope
Cardinals announce adoration, Vespers ceremony for conclave
When Will the Conclave Start? Pope Benedict's Final Legislative Act
Vatican Diary / The "who's who" of the new pope's electors (broken down by continent)
Letter #31: The Program, and the Sheriff (Mahony, Sandri, Anti-Pope)

Famous last tweets before cardinals enter media blackout of conclave
Cardinal O'Malley lists sex abuse, Curia reform as priorities
Old establishment cardinals hope for quick conclave
Cardinals Begin Pre-Conclave Meetings Amid Scandal
Lombardi: 12 Cardinal electors yet to arrive as 1st Congregation concludes
A ticket to vote for the first Latin-American Pope
Three candidates for Pope who are on few people's lists
Omens and portents and signs! OH MY! (minor earthquake near Castel Gandolfo)
‘Church changing big time,’ says Cardinal Dolan
Letter #30: The Next and the Last (media, papabili, Ganswein in tears)

Editorial: "Religious correspondents", "Vaticanists": don't know more about Conclave than us
During “Sede Vacante” what must priests say in the Eucharistic Prayer now that there is no Pope?
What is a [Catholic] Cardinal? A Basic Review of the College of Cardinals in History and Today
Benedict XVI's first night as Pope emeritus
Toward the Conclave. The Pressure on the Cardinals [Catholic Caucus]
Papal Apartments, Basilica Sealed for Sede Vacante
Update on Conclave Start Date
Cardinal Dolan: Pope Benedict 'fragile' on last day of papacy (good handling of msm)
Prayer for the Election of a New Pope
Interregnum Terms and Expressions, Q and A Format (Nuts & Bolts-current situation) [Catholic Caucus]