History: First Pontifex from the USA – papal superlatives

From 18 to over 80 years: In the course of the long history of the papacy, there were very different officials. Not all of the 266 Pontifexe so far had time to set up in the highest office of the Catholic Church. With Robert Francis Prevost, an American has now been elected Pope for the first time.

Also close to the human being and now at the head of the Catholic Church: Robert Francis Prevost is the 267th Pontifex. The 69-year-old archbishop from Chicago chose the Pope name Leo XIV. He will be the first American to lead the 1.4 billion members of the World Church.

As the first Pope, the Catholic Church leads the apostle Peter, one of the disciples of Jesus. He died in 64 or 67 in Rome. All other popes are considered his successors.

The most recent Pope ever elected was John XII, who became the head of the Catholic Church in 955 at the age of 18.

The elders in the election

The oldest Popes each chosen were Coelestin III. and Coelestin V., elected in 1191 and 1294. Both were 84 years old at the time of election.

The elders at all

Older than the Italian Pope Leo XIII. none was in office. He died in 1903 at the age of 93. Benedict XVI.: The German Pope – bourgeois: Joseph Ratzinger – was 95 when he died on New Year’s Eve 2022. However, he had already resigned in 2013.

The Pope with the shortest term was urban VII. In 1590 he died to malaria just 12 days after his election. The Italian Johannes Paul I in 1978 was not in office for much longer: only 33 days.

Pius IX’s pontificate. lasted more than 31 years. He died in 1878.