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In the history of the Catholic Church, there have been 266 popes of all ages. Some died in office while others resigned due to their age or other factors. The youngest pope to have ever taken office is reportedly Pope John XII. While his birthdate is uncertain, it is recorded that he began his papacy in 955 when he was between 18 and 25 years old. His youth is an anomaly in the otherwise mature history of the papacy, where many men of advanced age have taken over leadership of the Vatican.
One of the oldest popes in history was Pope Francis, who died on April 21, 2025, on Easter Monday. Pope Francis was 88 years old.
Want to know more about the oldest popes? Click through the gallery for more information.
The second-oldest pope to hold office was Pope Francis. Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, served as pope for over a decade. Beginning his papacy in 2013, he passed away aged 88 in 2025.
Pope Francis, known for holding progressive views, tried to revive the relevance of the Church, in particular, for young people. This was an issue of ideological controversy during his time in office.
Due to the ideological divisions marking the Church, Pope Francis rushed to ensure that key initiatives and appointments that aligned with his inclusive views on religion were made before a successor would take over.
The Pope battled a number of health issues over the years. Throughout his papacy, he underwent a number of hospitalizations and operations. In February 2025, he was hospitalized with a severe respiratory illness, which left him in critical condition. He managed to survive this near-death experience and was discharged from hospital a month later, but he later passed away on April 21, Easter Monday.
The first pope ever to change his birth name after being elected was Pope John II. Born Mercius, he allegedly thought that having a pagan name wasn’t suitable for the role.
The trend continued but wasn't picked up by every pope. The final pope to use his birth name was reportedly Marcello Cervini, who went by the name of Pope Marcellus II.
Pope Marcellus II only served for 22 days before dying in office in 1555. While his reign was short-lived, many others not only served for an extensive period but also lived for a long time.
There are two ways to measure the oldest popes in history. One is the age they were when they were elected, and the other is the maximum age they reached while in office.
Considering the age of election, the fifth-oldest pope to have taken office is Anastasius IV. In 1153, Anastasius IV became the pope at the age of 80.
In fourth place, there is Lucius III. Lucius III was just over 81 years old when he became the Pope in 1181.
The third-oldest pope to have taken office was Gregory VIII, who was 82 years old when he began his papacy in 1187.
He is closely followed by Celestine III, the second-oldest pope to have taken office. He began his papacy at 86 years old in 1191.
Boniface VI is the oldest elected pope on record. He began his papacy at the age of 90.
For the popes whose ages we know, most enter the role at an advanced age, usually over 60. This is because rising through the ranks of the church takes a long time.
Due to the time this takes, especially in contemporary times, it is increasingly impossible for a young pope to be elected to office.
When analyzing the oldest popes based on the maximum age reached in-office, the list becomes more diverse.
Benedict XVI was the fifth-oldest pope to have served. Holding his position from 2005-2013, he was pope for just under eight years before resigning at the age of 85.
Pope Benedict XVI, born Joseph Alois Ratzinger, resigned from his role on World Day of the Sick due to his advanced age.
Benedict XVI held very conservative views, likely contributing to the alienation that young people felt from the Church during this period in particular.
The fourth-oldest pope to have held office was Clement X, born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri. Clement X held the post from 1670-1676 when he died in office at the age of 86.
Clement X struggled against the imperial ambitions of France’s Louis XIV (pictured). Dedicated to maintaining peace in Europe, Clement X had many confrontations with the "Sun King."
An interesting part of his papal history is that, despite being elected, he had initially refused the role due to his advanced age, but eventually accepted it.
Clement XII, born Lorenzo Corsini, served as the Pope for nearly a decade, from 1730 until his death in 1740. He was 87 years old when he died.
Clement XII was known for his contributions to architectural projects, such as the Trevi Fountain and a new facade of the Saint John Lateran Basilica.
Before his reign, papal finances were struggling due to corruption and misuse of funds. One of his first measures was to repair the issue through the public lottery. He used these funds for the architectural projects he mandated during his papacy.
The oldest pope was Pope Leo XIII, born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci. He served over 25 years in his role as pope, from 1878 through 1903, when he died in office at age 93.
Leo XIII was known for his dedication to workers' rights, collective bargaining, and unionization, earning him the monikers the “Social Pope” and “Pope of the Workers.”
Leo XIII believed that the church had a critical role to play in terms of social justice. His vision was that pastoral activity, in particular, could positively impact human rights.
The retired Pope Benedict XVI ended up living to the age of 95, so had he not resigned, he would have officially surpassed Pope Leo XIII.
Sources: (Politico) (Catholic Hierarchy) (Statista) (Britannica) (The Guardian) (Vatican News) (Vatican Tips)
See also: Sacred secrets? Surprising papal facts you might not know
The oldest popes to hold office
The role has included popes of many ages
LIFESTYLE Catholic church
In the history of the Catholic Church, there have been 266 popes of all ages. Some died in office while others resigned due to their age or other factors. The youngest pope to have ever taken office is reportedly Pope John XII. While his birthdate is uncertain, it is recorded that he began his papacy in 955 when he was between 18 and 25 years old. His youth is an anomaly in the otherwise mature history of the papacy, where many men of advanced age have taken over leadership of the Vatican.
One of the oldest popes in history was Pope Francis, who died on April 21, 2025, on Easter Monday. Pope Francis was 88 years old.
Want to know more about the oldest popes? Click through the gallery for more information.