Infallible But Not Immortal

In the 2000 years of the Catholic church, there have been 267 popes (give or take a couple of antipopes). As head of the world's smallest country and some 1.4 billion Catholics, the pope has a lot on his plate, and some handle these issues more successfully than others. Of course, some popes also reigned much longer than others; let's look at some of the longest and shortest reigns over the Holy See.

Series: Reagan White House Photographs, 1/20/1981 - 1/20/1989 Collection: White House Photographic Collection, 1/20/1981 - 1/20/1989 on Wikimedia

1. Saint Peter

The first Pope, Saint Peter was also the longest-reigning one, reigning for somewhere between 31 to 38 years. Peter was considered one of the three pillars of the early church, founding the first Church in Rome and establishing apostolic succession. Peter was martyred for his faith under the Emperor Nero.

Peter Paul Rubens on Wikimedia

2. Pope Pius IX

The Pope with the longest verified reign (records from Peter's days aren't always reliable) was Pope Pius IV, who reigned for 32 years. Pius is best known for formally defining the dogma of Immaculate Conception in 1854. Pius was beatified in 2000 by the next longest-reigning pope, a decision some people found controversial.

George Peter Alexander Healy on Wikimedia

3. Pope John Paul II

One of the most beloved popes of the modern era, John Paul II reigned for 26 years. John Paul II was the most well-traveled pope and sought a truly global papacy, promoting interfaith reconciliation and globalism. John Paul II was canonized as a saint in 214. 

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4. Pope Leo XIII

The working man's pope, Pope Leo XIII reigned for 25 years. Leo's doctrine was based on intellectualism and diplomacy; he advocated for worker's rights, property rights, and trade unions. Additionally, Leo was the first pope whose voice was recorded and the first pope to appear on film—possibly the earliest-born person to appear on film ever!

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5. Pope Pius VI

Reigning for 24 years, Pius VI took the papal throne in a turbulent time, his reign coinciding with the American and French Revolutions. Pius helped develop the Church in the burgeoning United States, expanded the Vatican Museum, and stabilized the Papal States' finances. Pius was taken prisoner by Napoleon's army in 1798 and perished in prison.

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6. Pope Adrian I

Pope Adrian reigned for 23 years—not too bad for the 8th century! Born into an aristocratic military family, Adrian maintained a close relationship with the great Frankish king, Charlemagne. While the two leaders did not always see eye to eye, their relationship was the ideal medieval union between church and state.

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7. Pope Pius VII

Reigning for 23 years, Pope Pius VII had to tread carefully after Napoleon took his predecessor prisoner. After a grueling 14-week conclave, one of the first things Pius sought was peace with Napoleon which, while, ultimately unsuccessful, generated great sympathy for him. Pius was a humanist pope, sponsoring educational reform and encouraging great artists to take up residence in Rome.

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8. Pope Alexander III

Pope Alexander III reigned just one week shy of 22 years. Alexander's reign got off to a rocky start, with antipope Victor IV and Holy Roman Empire Frederick Barbarossa laying claim to the papacy. Nonetheless, Alexander weathered the Church through several rocky years, creating an Archbishopric in Swden and helping Portugal on its path to becoming an independent nation.

Artaud de Montor (1772–1849) on Wikimedia

9. Pope Sylvester I

Pope Sylvester I (later St. Sylvester) had an interesting reign: he reigned for 21 years in one of the most important eras of the Church, though little is known of his life. Sylvester is best known for his role in the Council of Nicaea and his baptism of Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman emperor. Sylvester was also one of the youngest popes, elected at around age 30.

Artaud de Montor (1772–1849) on Wikimedia

10. Pope Leo I

Known as Leo the Great, Pope Leo I reigned for 21 years. While Leo was far from the first pope, he was the first for whom the term Pope became synonymous with the job, rather than applying to any bishop. Leo was best-known for turning away Attila the Hun as he prepared to sack Rome.

Artaud de Montor (1772–1849) on Wikimedia

Now that we've looked at some of the popes with the longest reigns, let's look at a few who didn't reign long enough to make an impact

1. Pope Urban VII

Poor Urban VI has the distinction of being the shortest-reigning pope in history at just 13 days. Urban succumbed to malaria before his coronation, so we can only wonder what his reign wold have been. Urban was known for his charity, and also for instituting the first public smoking ban in 1590.

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2. Pope Boniface VI

Pope Boniface VI's reign of just 16 days was doomed from the start. Boniface has the distinction of being one of the few popes was was likely taken out by his successor; either that, or he succumbed to doubt. Two years after his election, Boniface's papacy was denounced.

Artaud de Montor (1772–1849) on Wikimedia

3. Pope Celestine IV

Pope Celestine IV reigned for just 17 days, a rule which was almost certainly shortened by a stressful conclave. In fact, Celestine was the first pope to be elected by conclave—while the practice had been used before, Celestine's election was the first to have the cardinals forcibly sequestered. Celestine succumbed to dysentery, though stress due to food and heat shortages definitely contributed!

Artaud de Montor (1772–1849) on Wikimedia

4. Pope Theodore II

Despite reigning for just 20 days, Pope Theodore II left his mark on the church. One of Theodore's first acts was to annul the Cadaver Synod, which saw the body of Pope Formosus dug up and put on trial. Theodore gave Formosus an honorable burial, though his sudden death may suggest this choice being unpopular.

Giovanni Battista de'Cavalieri on Wikimedia

5. Pope Sisinnius

The only pope to bear the name Sisinnius, Pope Sisinnius reigned for 21 days. Sisinnius suffered severely from gout at the time of his election and was unable to feed himself. Despite his short reign and disabling disease, Sisinnius ordered Rome's walls reinforced to keep out invaders.

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6. Pope Marcellus II

Passing due to a stroke 22 days into his reign, Pope Marcellus II grew up in proximity to the papacy. Not only was his father a close friend of Clement VII, but Marcellus served as secretary for Paul III. Marcellus was the last pope to use his birth name (Marcello) as his papal name.

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7. Pope Damasus II

Pope Damasus reigned for just 24 days at a time of chaos. A few years earlier, three popes were elected at the same time, leading to street brawls and widespread scandal. Rather than being elected by his fellow cardinals, Damasus was elected by the Holy Roman Emperor, but perished due to what was likely malaria.

Artaud de Montor (1772–1849) on Wikimedia

8. Pope Pius III

Pope Pius III was the nephew of the previous Pope Pius; however, this family connection did not extend his reign of just 27 days. Pius took the throne in the wake of one of the most controversial popes of all time, Alexander VI, and had the unsavory task of repelling the late pope's son, Cesare Borgia. Pius's reign was cut short by a septic ulcer in his leg.

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9. Pope Leo XI

Tied with Pius III, Pope Leo XI's reign lasted 27 days. Born into the prosperous Medici family, Leo's family connections meant his candidacy was sponsored by royal money. Leo was already 70 when he was elected, and caught a cold during a public appearance.

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10. Pope Benedict V

Depending on who you ask, Pope Benedict V reigned for 28 days as either pope or antipope.While Benedict was renowned as a learned man, his election as pope was supremely unpopular. Unlike the other popes on this list, Benedict's reign ended not with illness, but with overthrow by the Holy Roman Emperor.

Giovanni Battista de'Cavalieri on Wikimedia