The Path to a New Pontiff

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The papal lineage is replete with saints, nobles and even a few knaves

33 months

Duration of the longest papal conclave, from 1268 to 1271. The weary residents of Viterbo, Italy, turned against the bickering electors, tore the roof off the building in which they were meeting and cut their food supply to spur them into action. Gregory X, left, soon became Pope

31 years

Duration of the longest pontificate since St. Peter. Pius IX, left, ruled from 1846 to 1878. John Paul II was next, at 26 years, five months and two weeks

12 days

Length of the shortest pontificate, Urban VII (1590). Others point to Stephen II (752), who died four days after his election but before his consecration as Pope

Largest number of Poples selected in a 100-year period, from 867 (Adrian II) to 965 (John XIII)

533

Year that Pontiffs began adopting reign names. A man named Mercurius was elected Pope, and since it would have been unseemly for the Vicar of Jesus Christ to bear the name of a pagan god, he chose to be called John II. Today a Pope’s choice of name may be a clue to his philosophy

Number of times Benedict IX, left, became Pope, in 1032, 1045 and 1047. He was the nephew of his two immediate predecessors and became notorious for selling the papacy and maneuvering to reclaim it

Sources: New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia; Lives of the Popes: The Pontiffs from St. Peter to John Paul II, by Richard P. McBrien; Conclave, by John L. Allen Jr.; Heirs of the Fisherman, by John-Peter Pham

A.D. 32

St. Peter

St. Linus

St. Anacletus

St. Clement I

St. Evaristus

100

St. Alexander I

St. Sixtus I

St. Telesphorus

St. Hyginus

St. Pius I

St. Anicetus

St. Soter

St. Eleutherius

St. Victor I

200

St. Zephyrinus

St. Callistus I

St. Urban I

St. Pontain

St. Anterus

St. Fabian

St. Cornelius

St. Lucius I

St. Stephen I

St. Sixtus II

St. Dionysius

St. Felix I

St. Eutychian

St. Caius

St. Marcellinus

300

St. Marcellus I

St. Eusebius

St. Miltiades

St. Sylvester I

St. Marcus

St. Julius I

Liberius

St. Damasus I

St. Siricius

St. Anastasius I

400

St. Innocent I

St. Zosimus

St. Boniface I

St. Celestine I

St. Sixtus III

St. Leo I

St. Hilarius

St. Simplicius

St. Felix III (II)

St. Gelasius I

Anastasius II

St. Symmachus

500

St. Hormisdas

St. John I

St. Felix IV (III)

Boniface II

John II

St. Agapetus I

St. Silverius

Vigilius

Pelagius I

John III

Benedict I

Pelagius II

600

St. Gregory I

Sabinian

Boniface III

St. Boniface IV

St. Deusdedit

Boniface V

Honorius I

Severinus

John IV

Theodore I

St. Martin I

St. Eugene I

St. Vitalian

Adeodatus

Donus

St. Agatho

St. Leo II

St. Benedict II

John V

Conon

St. Sergius I

700

John VI

John VII

Sisinnius

Time.com

The Path to a New Pontiff

On the outside, the election of a new Pope is a carefully choreographed ritual steeped in Catholic tradition. On the inside, it's often about politics and personalities.