(Catholic) Ladies and Gentlemen....

HERE'S YOUR POPE!

(Cue march of the pope)


CARDINAL JOSEPH RATZINGER from GERMANY!!!

Like a lot of people, I've only just gotten to know John Paul II after his passing and he really seemed like a great guy. And, in the end, no matter the religion, that's what really counts. But, here's some interesting papal (yes Virginia, there is an adjective that means popeish) tidbits.

1.) Technically, anyone Catholic man can be pope, whether he be clergy or not. And while it hasn't happened much, it has laymen have become pope. Leo VII was the first. He had to actually be consecrated a bishop just before taking office and he wouldn't even hold the office for more than a year (4 December 963 to 1 March 964). Also, three consecutive popes were laymen. Pope Benedict VIII, Pope John XIX, and Pope Benedict IX (from 1012-1044).

2.) Some rumors claim that Pope Benedict IX was only eleven when he began his term. Records from this period are a little off, though. The youngest known pope was Pope John XII. He was only 18.

3.) Innocent I (401-417) directly followed his father's, Anastasius I (399-401), term. But, they're not the only father and son duo in papal history. There's Pope Hormisdas (514-523) and his son, Pope Silverius (536-537). Both of the sons were born before their father's entered the priesthood. But, Pope John XI (931-935) was allegedly the illegitimate son of Pope Sergius III (904-911).

4.) Pope Benedict IX served beats out President Grover Cleveland with three non-consecutive terms (between 1032-1048).

5.) Celestine V (July-December of 1294) was a monk who lived the life of a hermit before his term. He was uncomfortable with the position and was the first to claim a pope's right to abdicate the Papacy. He left after only eight months, but was imprisoned by his successor, Pope Boniface VIII (1294-1303), and died in prison.

6.) In 1590, Pope Urban VII caught malaria during the election and died 12 days into 1590. He was never actually crowned.

7.) The longest reign of a pope was said to be the first, Peter, although the actual dates are not known. But, Pius IX comes in second with 32 years from 1846-1878 and John Paul II comes right after with 27 from 1978-2005.


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