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This is a list of ages of popes.
Date range | Average age | Average years served as pope | |
---|---|---|---|
At election | At death | ||
1503 to 1700 | 63 | 70 | 7 |
1700 to 2005 | 65 | 78 | 13 |
1503 to 2005 | 64 | 74 | 10 |
The information to determine the age of the youngest popes upon election is frequently unavailable, as many popes have completely unknown dates of birth. The probable youngest popes are:
Three of these (all except Gregory V) were members of the Theophylacti family that dominated Roman politics during the 10th century. This period is known to historians as the saeculum obscurum.
Pope | Year elected | Elected at age | Age at end of pontificate | Length of pontificate |
---|---|---|---|---|
Clement X | 1670 | 79 years, 290 days | 86 | 6 years, 84 days |
Alexander VIII | 1689 | 79 years, 177 days | 80 | 1 year, 118 days |
Paul IV | 1555 | 78 years, 330 days | 83 | 4 years, 87 days |
Clement XII | 1730 | 78 years, 100 days | 87 | 9 years, 209 days |
Benedict XVI | 2005 | 78 years, 3 days | 85 ( resignation ) / today 94 | 7 years, 315 days |
John XXIII | 1958 | 76 years, 337 days | 81 | 4 years, 218 days |
Innocent XII | 1691 | 76 years, 124 days | 85 | 9 years, 77 days |
Callixtus III | 1455 | 76 years, 98 days | 79 | 3 years, 120 days |
Francis | 2013 | 76 years, 86 days | Current / today 84 | ≥ 8 years, 214 days |
Benedict XIII | 1724 | 75 years, 91 days | 81 | 5 years, 268 days |
Pope | Year elected | Elected at age | Age at end of pontificate | Length of pontificate |
---|---|---|---|---|
Leo XIII | 1878 | 67 | 93 years, 140 days | 25 years, 150 days |
Clement XII | 1730 | 78 | 87 years, 305 days | 9 years, 209 days |
Clement X | 1670 | 79 | 86 years, 9 days | 6 years, 84 days |
Benedict XVI | 2005 | 78 | 85 years, 318 days ( resignation ) / alive 94 years, 180 days [2] | 7 years, 315 days |
Pius IX | 1846 | 54 | 85 years, 270 days | 31 years, 236 days |
Innocent XII | 1691 | 76 | 85 years, 107 days | 9 years, 77 days |
John Paul II | 1978 | 58 | 84 years, 319 days | 26 years, 168 days |
Francis | 2013 | 76 | Current pope / today 84 years, 300 days | 8 years, 214 days |
Gregory XIII | 1572 | 70 | 83 years, 92 days | 12 years, 332 days |
Paul IV | 1555 | 78 | 83 years, 51 days | 4 years, 87 days |
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