See short and long reign Catholic popes.

The pope is the bishop of the Rome and the leader of the world wide Catholic Church. He is the successor of Saint Peter, the apostle and a representative of Christ on earth. He conferred power and authority which Jesus gave to St. Peter on John 21: 16-17, to feed and care for the sheep which is the church. The average reign of the pole from the middle ages was a decade, a number of those reign length can be determined from contemporary historical data are the following:

1. Pope Pius IX: He is the longest ever reigning pope. He reigned for 31years, 7 months and 23 days. From the year 1846 - 1878.

2. Pope John Paul II: He reign from 1978 - 2005. The stayed in the holy sit for 26yrs, 5 months and 18 days.

3. Leo XII: He reigned for 25 yrs, 5 months and a day, from 1878 - 1903.

4. Pius VI: The reigned for 24 yrs, 6 months and 15 days, from 1775- 1799.

5. Adrian I: He reigned for 23 yrs, 10 months and 25 days, from 772- 795.

6. Pius VI: He reigned for 23yrs, 5 months and 7 days, from 1800- 1823.

7. Alexander III: He reigned for 21years, 11months and 24 days, from 1159- 1181.

8. St. Sylvester I : He reigned for 21years, 11 months and a day, from 314- 335.

9. St. Leo 1: He reigned from 440- 461 i.e 21 years, 1 month and 13 days.

10. Urban VIII: He reigned for 20 years, 11 months and 24 days.

Conversely, there have been a number of popes whose reign lasted less than a month.

1. The shortest reigned pope is Urban VII. He reigned for 13 days. He died before his coronation. From 15-27 September 1590.

2. Borniface VI reigned for 16 days. In the year 896.

3. Celestine IV reigned for 17 days, from 25 October - 10 November 1241. He died before his consecration.

4. Theodore II reigned for 20 days. In the year 887. He was next pope after Pope Boniface VI.

5. Sisinnus reigned for 21days.

6. Marcellus II reigned for 22 days.

7. Damasus II reigned for 24 days.

8. Pius III reigned for 27 days.

9. Benedict V reigned for 33 days.

10. John Paul I also reigned for 33 days.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. May we always pray for living pope, Pope Francis I, for strength and more wisdom to leader the church of God on earth.

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