Papal Trivia. Ages & Lasts

AGES OF POPES

-- Three popes were under the age of 25. The last was Pope Gregory V, who was 24 when elected in 996.

-- Seven were between 25 and 40 years old. The last was Pope Leo X, who was 37 in 1513.

-- Eleven were between 41 and 50. The last was Pope Clement VII, who was elected in 1523 at the age of 44.

-- 24 popes were in their 50s. The most recent was Blessed John Paul II, who was 58 years old when he began his papal ministry in 1978.

-- 37 were between 61 and 70 years old. The last was Pope John Paul I, who was 65 when he began his 33-day papacy in 1978.

-- Only three popes were over 80 when elected. The last, chosen by cardinals in 1406, was Pope Gregory XII. He was 81.

FAMOUS LASTS

Piazzoni also provided a list of "lasts":

-- The last pope who was not a cardinal yet when elected was Pope Urban VI in 1378.

-- The last who was not even a priest yet was Pope Leo X.

-- The last born in Rome was Pope Pius XII, elected in 1939. (He was also the last serving Vatican secretary of state elected.)

-- The last African was Pope Gelasius, elected in 492.

-- The last native of Dalmatia, an ancient Roman province, was Pope John IV in 640.

-- The last Frenchman elected was Pope Gregory XI, in 1370.

-- The last Greek was Pope Zachary in 741.

-- The last Englishman was Pope Adrian IV in 1154.

-- The last Italian was Pope John Paul I.

-- The last Dutchman was Pope Adrian VI in 1522.

-- The last Palestinian was Pope Theodore in 642.

-- The last Pole was Pope John Paul II in 1978.

-- The last Portuguese was Pope John XXI in 1276.

-- The last Syrian was Pope Gregory III in 731.

-- The last Spaniard was Pope Alexander VI in 1492.

-- The last German was Pope Benedict XVI, elected in 2005. It had been 950 years since a German -- Pope Victor II -- had been elected.



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