The Papacy is one of the oldest institutions, and in the Roman Catholic Church, it’s the highest office. It has over two thousand years of history, and through the years, we’ve seen many things change. It’s vital to the spiritual life of over a billion people and will remain a place of hope for people as well.
Two Weeks
The shortest papacy was less than two weeks. In 1590, Pope Urban VII’s papacy began on the 15th of September and ended on the 27th. He became known for being a charitable person, and he had a strict opposition to nepotism. Unfortunately, he died of malaria on the 27th and passed away.
Short Papacies
Most people think of the popes who only lasted a month or less when they think of the shortest papacies. However, there are about ten that lasted less than a month throughout the history of the papacy. In some cases, it was due to death; others had rumors of poisoning.
A Priest
There was a pope-elect named Stephen in 752 A.D. He was a Roman priest, but he was elected to be the new bishop. The problem was that he still needed to be consecrated as a bishop before he could be officially recognized as a bishop or a pope. Unfortunately, he died three days after the election and didn’t get consecrated. He accepted the honor, but he just didn’t get to achieve it.
Murder
It may surprise you, but thirty-seven popes have been murdered, and there are rumored to be fourteen more. About thirty-one are said to be martyrs. However, six were murdered for other reasons. If fourteen more have been murdered as well, that would mean that almost 20% of the popes have been murdered.
Sinful Activity
It’s rumored that more than nine popes have been involved in immoral physical activities that they shouldn’t have been. Because the pope is celibate, these were serious allegations, and there was a public uproar for each of the popes accused. To this day, it’s still a debated subject with many still speaking out.
Interregnum
This term is used to describe the period of time between papacies when no one is in charge. The longest one was almost three years in the 1200s. It was from November 1268 to September 1271. Usually, the reason for a waiting period of this length was that the Cardinals could be deadlocked.
Marriage
While the papacy has rules that every pope is to be celibate, you might be surprised to find that there have been at least five popes who have been married. In one case in the 800s, the pope had his wife and daughter live with him in the Lateran palace.
Careers
Some popes had a different calling before being consecrated. For example, Pope Francis worked as a chemist before he was a priest and had a love of knowledge, it was said. He has been recognized for his love and embrace of the sciences. However, it was proven untrue that he had a master’s degree in science.
Ageless
There isn’t an actual requirement for the age of the Pope. In fact, it was rumored that one of the popes of the past could have been between the ages of eleven and twenty. There have been popes at the age of eighteen and others as late in life as eighty-one. The ages of the pope are as varied as the years of election.
Multilingual
The pope has to know multiple languages because he needs to conduct business and for other reasons. Latin is the Catholic Church’s language, so he knows that, along with other languages. For instance, additional languages spoken include Italian, Portuguese, German, and French, reflecting his role as the bishop of Rome.
They Confess
The Catholic faith believes in confession; even the pope isn’t exempt. In fact, he observes the sacrament more often than others, which people believe makes him relatable. However, confession is another area that varies between each individual person. Some went weekly, and others went every two weeks. It would be a personal choice.
They Own Nothing
The pope doesn’t own anything. However, he has the custodianship of the Church’s fortune during his time in charge. Apart from that, his wants and needs, no matter what they are, are provided for him, so he doesn’t have to worry about anything. That allows him to focus on important matters.
Not So Great
Some of the popes of the past didn’t have the great reputation that you would associate with the papacy. For instance, in the 1030s, the pope sold the papacy to his godfather. Another pope who was questionable was in the late 1400s. He would put in new positions in exchange for money when the church didn’t have much funding. It was said that his abuses of the papacy were partly responsible for the Protestant Reformation. Other popes have been great.
Deficit
The Vatican is suggested to be at an $87 million shortfall as recently as 2023. The Vatican is using contributions to charitable works, Peter’s Pence, and investment income to try to cover the deficit. This is quite shocking to people who have misconceptions about the papacy and the finances that go along with it.
X
With the age of technology well upon us, the Holy See has an X account with over eighteen million followers. It’s been a wonderful way for people to keep up with him. His last tweet was on Easter. It was uplifting and, of course, inspirational, reminding us that Christ is risen. It reminds so many of us what’s truly important.
A Long History
The papacy has a long and varied history rife with secrets and unbelievable facts. Some popes were considered to be quite awful and did things they shouldn’t have, while others were considered to be kind and compassionate. Some hated nepotism, others were charitable. However, each made an impact on history and the people.
