Before him, only Leo XIII was the Pope who had reached the highest age.
Newsroom (September 4, 2020 Gaudium Press) — Until now, Leo XIII was the Pope who had lived the longest. In fact, Pope Pecci was born on March 2, 1810, and died on July 20, 1903, while still Pope, in Rome. He died at the age of 93.
But now, Benedict XVI is the person who, having been a Roman pontiff, has reached the most age in all history: 34,108 days of life. Benedict XVI was born on April 16, 1927, in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, in Germany.
Despite his advanced age, Benedict XVI’s pontificate was relatively short, from 2005 to 2013, having been elected when he was 78 years old.
The longest pontificate in history is that of Pius IX, with 31 years, 7 months, and 22 days, followed by St. John Paul II with 26 years, 5 months, and 18 days. They are followed by Pope Leo XIII with 25 years of pontificate. The shortest pontificate in History belongs to Urban VII, who, in 1590, governed the Church for only 13 days.
