Year of three popes

Not to be confused with the Western Schism, which from 1409 to 1414 saw three simultaneous claimants to the Papacy.

A year of three popes is a year when the College of Cardinals of the Catholic Church is required to elect two new popes within the same calendar year, in particular the last instance in 1978. ^{[1] [2]} Such a year has historically occurred when a newly elected pope dies very early into his papacy. This results in the Catholic Church being led by three different popes during the same calendar year. ^[3] In one instance, in 1276, there was a year of four popes. ^[4]

Instances

There have been twelve instances in which exactly three popes have held office in a given calendar year.

• 827: Eugene II ^[5]  — Valentine ^[6]  — Gregory IV ^[7] (Valentine was Pope for just 41 days when he died.)
• 896: Formosus ^[8]  — Boniface VI ^[9]  — Stephen VI ^[10] (After a pontificate of fifteen days, Boniface is said by some to have died of the gout or been forcibly ejected)
• 897: Stephen VI ^[10]  — Romanus ^[11]  — Theodore II ^[12] (Pontificate of Romanus ended when he was deposed and confined to a monastery.)
• 964: Leo VIII ^[13]  — Benedict V ^[14]  — John XIII ^[15] (First Leo was overthrown, then Benedict himself was overthrown)
• 1003: Sylvester II ^[16]  — John XVII ^[17]  — John XVIII ^[18] (John XVII died less than six months after taking office)
• 1045: Sylvester III ^{[19] [a]}  — Benedict IX (second reign) ^[20]  — Gregory VI ^{[21] [a]} (Benedict gave up the papacy to his godfather after a month in exchange for money)
• 1187: Urban III ^[22]  — Gregory VIII ^[23]  — Clement III ^[24] (Gregory VIII died of fever after 57 days in office)
• 1503: Alexander VI ^[25]  — Pius III ^[26]  — Julius II ^[27] (Pius III died of a septic ulcer on his leg after 26 days in office)
• 1555: Julius III ^[28]  — Marcellus II ^[29]  — Paul IV ^[30] (Marcellus died of a stroke after 22 days in office)
• 1590: Sixtus V ^[31]  — Urban VII ^[32]  — Gregory XIV ^[33] (Urban died of malaria after 12 days in office, making him the shortest serving pope)
• 1605: Clement VIII ^[34]  — Leo XI ^[35]  — Paul V ^[36] (Leo died of fever after 27 days in office)
• 1978: Paul VI — John Paul I — John Paul II (John Paul I died, likely from a heart attack, after 33 days in office) ^[2]

There was also a year in which the Roman Catholic Church was led by four popes, called the Year of Four Popes:

• 1276: Gregory X ^[37]  — Innocent V ^[38]  — Adrian V ^[39]  — John XXI ^[40] (Innocent died after five months in office, then Adrian died after one month) ^[4]

See also

• Catholicism portal

• List of popes by length of reign
• Western Schism, which from 1409 to 1414 saw three simultaneous claimants to the Papacy
• Year of the Three Kings
• Year of the Three Emperors
• Year of three prime ministers

Notes

1. Sylvester III and Gregory VI are sometimes considered antipopes.

References

Footnotes

1. "1978:– The Year of Three Popes". Kildare and Leighlin Diocese. 30 August 2008. Archived from the original on 28 December 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
2. History, Made by (22 April 2025). "Expect the Unexpected From the Papal Conclave". TIME. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
3. Rogers, Mal. "1978 — the year of the three popes". The Irish Post.
4. "The Year of the Four Popes".
5. "Pope Eugene II". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 9 August 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
6. "Pope Valentine". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 9 August 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
7. "Pope Gregory IV". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 30 October 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
8. "Pope Formosus". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 3 November 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
9. "Pope Boniface VI". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 4 November 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
10. "Pope Stephen (VI) VII". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 3 November 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
11. "Pope Romanus". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 7 August 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
12. "Pope Theodore II". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 9 August 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
13. "Pope Leo VIII". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 4 November 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
14. "Pope Benedict V". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 7 August 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
15. "Pope John XIII". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 9 August 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
16. "Pope Silvester II". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2 November 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
17. "Pope John XVII (XVIII)". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 26 November 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
18. "Pope John XVIII (XIX)". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 21 October 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
19. "List of Popes". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 26 September 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
20. "Pope Benedict IX". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 1 August 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
21. "Pope Gregory VI". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 9 August 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
22. "Pope Urban III". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
23. "Pope Gregory VIII". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
24. "Pope Clement III". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 17 May 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
25. "Pope Alexander VI". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 19 September 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
26. "Pope Pius III". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 7 August 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
27. "Pope Julius II". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 27 October 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
28. "Pope Julius III". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 5 October 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
29. "Pope Marcellus II". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 4 October 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
30. "Pope Paul IV". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
31. "Pope Sixtus V". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 26 September 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
32. "Pope Urban VII". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 9 August 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
33. "Pope Gregory XIV". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
34. "Pope Clement VIII". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 5 November 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
35. "Pope Leo XI". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 4 November 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
36. "Pope Paul V". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
37. "Pope Gregory X". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2 July 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
38. "Pope Innocent V". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2 August 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
39. "Pope Adrian V". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 7 August 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
40. "Pope John XXI (XX)". Catholic Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2010.

Bibliography

• Hebblethwaite, Peter (1979). The Year of Three Popes . William Collins. ISBN   978-0-529-05652-8.