Measuring Up To History
	The papal lineage is replete with saints, nobles and even a few knaves

Posted Sunday, April 3, 2005

-- 33 Months --
Duration of the longest papal conclave, from 1268 to 1271. The weary residents of Viterbo, Italy, turned against the bickering electors, tore the roof off the building in which they were meeting and cut their food supply to spur them into action. Gregory X soon became Pope


-- 31 years --
Duration of the longest ponticate since St. Peter. Pius IX ruled from 1846 to 1878. John Paul II was next, at 26 years, ve months and two weeks


-- 12 days --
Length of the shortest ponticate, Urban VII (1590). Others point to Stephen II (752), who died four days after his election but before his consecration as Pope


-- 28 --
Largest number of Popes to be selected in a 100-year period, from 867 (Adrian II) to 965 (John XIII)


-- 533 --
Year that Pontiffs began adopting reign names. A man named Mercurius was elected Pope, and since it would have been unseemly for the Vicar of Jesus Christ to bear the name of a pagan god, he chose to be called John II. Today a Popes choice of name may be a clue to his philosophy


-- 3 --
Number of times Benedict IX became Pope, in 1032, 1045 and 1047. He was the nephew of his two immediate predecessors and became notorious for selling the papacy and maneuvering to reclaim it

—reported by Kristina Dell/New York and Jeff Israely/Rome

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