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.