How long does a pope have on the throne?

Answer 1

In almost all cases, Popes serve for the rest of their lives once they are elected to the papacy. Pope Benedict XVI recently retired, but he is the first Pope in 600 years to retire. Usually a Pope will die in office.

Answer 2

There is no "average length", it depends entirely on how old the pope is when he is elected, and how long he lives. For a complete list of all the popes and their dates serving as popes, see the list below:

1.St. Peter (32-67)

2.St. Linus (67-76)

3.St. Anacletus (Cletus) (76-88)

4.St. Clement I (88-97)

5.St. Evaristus (97-105)

6.St. Alexander I (105-115)

7.St. Sixtus I (115-125) Also called Xystus I

8.St. Telesphorus (125-136)

9.St. Hyginus (136-140)

10.St. Pius I (140-155)

11.St. Anicetus (155-166)

12.St. Soter (166-175)

13.St. Eleutherius (175-189)

14.St. Victor I (189-199)

15.St. Zephyrinus (199-217)

16.St. Callistus I (217-22) Callistus and the following three popes were opposed by St. Hippolytus, antipope (217-236)

17.St. Urban I (222-30)

18.St. Pontain (230-35)

19.St. Anterus (235-36)

20.St. Fabian (236-50)

21.St. Cornelius (251-53) Opposed by Novatian, antipope (251)

22.St. Lucius I (253-54)

23.St. Stephen I (254-257)

24.St. Sixtus II (257-258)

25.St. Dionysius (260-268)

26.St. Felix I (269-274)

27.St. Eutychian (275-283)

28.St. Caius (283-296) Also called Gaius

29.St. Marcellinus (296-304)

30.St. Marcellus I (308-309)

31.St. Eusebius (309 or 310)

32.St. Miltiades (311-14)

33.St. Sylvester I (314-35)

34.St. Marcus (336)

35.St. Julius I (337-52)

36.Liberius (352-66) Opposed by Felix II, antipope (355-365)

37.St. Damasus I (366-83) Opposed by Ursicinus, antipope (366-367)

38.St. Siricius (384-99)

39.St. Anastasius I (399-401)

40.St. Innocent I (401-17)

41.St. Zosimus (417-18)

42.St. Boniface I (418-22) Opposed by Eulalius, antipope (418-419)

43.St. Celestine I (422-32)

44.St. Sixtus III (432-40)

45.St. Leo I (the Great) (440-61)

46.St. Hilarius (461-68)

47.St. Simplicius (468-83)

48.St. Felix III (II) (483-92)

49.St. Gelasius I (492-96)

50.Anastasius II (496-98)

51.St. Symmachus (498-514) Opposed by Laurentius, antipope (498-501)

52.St. Hormisdas (514-23)

53.St. John I (523-26)

54.St. Felix IV (III) (526-30)

55.Boniface II (530-32) Opposed by Dioscorus, antipope (530)

56.John II (533-35)

57.St. Agapetus I (535-36) Also called Agapitus I

58.St. Silverius (536-37)

59.Vigilius (537-55)

60.Pelagius I (556-61)

61.John III (561-74)

62.Benedict I (575-79)

63.Pelagius II (579-90)

64.St. Gregory I (the Great) (590-604)

65.Sabinian (604-606)

66.Boniface III (607)

67.St. Boniface IV (608-15)

68.St. Deusdedit (Adeodatus I) (615-18)

69.Boniface V (619-25)

70.Honorius I (625-38)

71.Severinus (640)

72.John IV (640-42)

73.Theodore I (642-49)

74.St. Martin I (649-55)

75.St. Eugene I (655-57)

76.St. Vitalian (657-72)

77.Adeodatus (II) (672-76)

78.Donus (676-78)

79.St. Agatho (678-81)

80.St. Leo II (682-83)

81.St. Benedict II (684-85)

82.John V (685-86)

83.Conon (686-87)

84.St. Sergius I (687-701) Opposed by Theodore and Paschal, antipopes (687)

85.John VI (701-05)

86.John VII (705-07)

87.Sisinnius (708)

88.Constantine (708-15)

89.St. Gregory II (715-31)

90.St. Gregory III (731-41)

91.St. Zachary (741-52)

92.Stephen II (752) Because he died before being consecrated, many authoritative lists omit him

93.Stephen III (752-57)

94.St. Paul I (757-67)

95.Stephen IV (767-72) Opposed by Constantine II (767) and Philip (768), antipopes (767)

96.Adrian I (772-95)

97.St. Leo III (795-816)

98.Stephen V (816-17)

99.St. Paschal I (817-24)

100.Eugene II (824-27)

101.Valentine (827)

102.Gregory IV (827-44)

103.Sergius II (844-47) Opposed by John, antipope (855)

104.St. Leo IV (847-55)

105.Benedict III (855-58) Opposed by Anastasius, antipope (855)

106.St. Nicholas I (the Great) (858-67)

107.Adrian II (867-72)

108.John VIII (872-82)

109.Marinus I (882-84)

110.St. Adrian III (884-85)

111.Stephen VI (885-91)

112.Formosus (891-96)

113.Boniface VI (896)

114.Stephen VII (896-97)

115.Romanus (897)

116.Theodore II (897)

117.John IX (898-900)

118.Benedict IV (900-03)

119.Leo V (903) Opposed by Christopher, antipope (903-904)

120.Sergius III (904-11)

121.Anastasius III (911-13)

122.Lando (913-14)

123.John X (914-28)

124.Leo VI (928)

125.Stephen VIII (929-31)

126.John XI (931-35)

127.Leo VII (936-39)

128.Stephen IX (939-42)

129.Marinus II (942-46)

130.Agapetus II (946-55)

131.John XII (955-63)

132.Leo VIII (963-64)

133.Benedict V (964)

134.John XIII (965-72)

135.Benedict VI (973-74)

136.Benedict VII (974-83) Benedict and John XIV were opposed by Boniface VII, antipope (974; 984-985)

137.John XIV (983-84)

138.John XV (985-96)

139.Gregory V (996-99) Opposed by John XVI, antipope (997-998)

140.Sylvester II (999-1003)

141.John XVII (1003)

142.John XVIII (1003-09)

143.Sergius IV (1009-12)

144.Benedict VIII (1012-24) Opposed by Gregory, antipope (1012)

145.John XIX (1024-32)

146.Benedict IX (1032-45) He appears on this list three separate times, because he was twice deposed and restored

147.Sylvester III (1045) Considered by some to be an antipope

148.Benedict IX (1045)

149.Gregory VI (1045-46)

150.Clement II (1046-47)

151.Benedict IX (1047-48)

152.Damasus II (1048)

153.St. Leo IX (1049-54)

154.Victor II (1055-57)

155.Stephen X (1057-58)

156.Nicholas II (1058-61) Opposed by Benedict X, antipope (1058)

157.Alexander II (1061-73) Opposed by Honorius II, antipope (1061-1072)

158.St. Gregory VII (1073-85) Gregory and the following three popes were opposed by Guibert ("Clement III"), antipope (1080-1100)

159.Blessed Victor III (1086-87)

160.Blessed Urban II (1088-99)

161.Paschal II (1099-1118) Opposed by Theodoric (1100), Aleric (1102) and Maginulf ("Sylvester IV", 1105-1111), antipopes (1100)

162.Gelasius II (1118-19) Opposed by Burdin ("Gregory VIII"), antipope (1118)

163.Callistus II (1119-24)

164.Honorius II (1124-30) Opposed by Celestine II, antipope (1124)

165.Innocent II (1130-43) Opposed by Anacletus II (1130-1138) and Gregory Conti ("Victor IV") (1138), antipopes (1138)

166.Celestine II (1143-44)

167.Lucius II (1144-45)

168.Blessed Eugene III (1145-53)

169.Anastasius IV (1153-54)

170.Adrian IV (1154-59)

171.Alexander III (1159-81) Opposed by Octavius ("Victor IV") (1159-1164), Pascal III (1165-1168), Callistus III (1168-1177) and Innocent III (1178-1180), antipopes

172.Lucius III (1181-85)

173.Urban III (1185-87)

174.Gregory VIII (1187)

175.Clement III (1187-91)

176.Celestine III (1191-98)

177.Innocent III (1198-1216)

178.Honorius III (1216-27)

179.Gregory IX (1227-41)

180.Celestine IV (1241)

181.Innocent IV (1243-54)

182.Alexander IV (1254-61)

183.Urban IV (1261-64)

184.Clement IV (1265-68)

185.Blessed Gregory X (1271-76)

186.Blessed Innocent V (1276)

187.Adrian V (1276)

188.John XXI (1276-77)

189.Nicholas III (1277-80)

190.Martin IV (1281-85)

191.Honorius IV (1285-87)

192.Nicholas IV (1288-92)

193.St. Celestine V (1294)

194.Boniface VIII (1294-1303)

195.Blessed Benedict XI (1303-04)

196.Clement V (1305-14)

197.John XXII (1316-34) Opposed by Nicholas V, antipope (1328-1330)

198.Benedict XII (1334-42)

199.Clement VI (1342-52)

200.Innocent VI (1352-62)

201.Blessed Urban V (1362-70)

202.Gregory XI (1370-78)

203.Urban VI (1378-89) Opposed by Robert of Geneva ("Clement VII"), antipope (1378-1394)

204.Boniface IX (1389-1404) Opposed by Robert of Geneva ("Clement VII") (1378-1394), Pedro de Luna ("Benedict XIII") (1394-1417) and Baldassare Cossa ("John XXIII") (1400-1415), antipopes

205.Innocent VII (1404-06) Opposed by Pedro de Luna ("Benedict XIII") (1394-1417) and Baldassare Cossa ("John XXIII") (1400-1415), antipopes

206.Gregory XII (1406-15) Opposed by Pedro de Luna ("Benedict XIII") (1394-1417), Baldassare Cossa ("John XXIII") (1400-1415), and Pietro Philarghi ("Alexander V") (1409-1410), antipopes

207.Martin V (1417-31)

208.Eugene IV (1431-47) Opposed by Amadeus of Savoy ("Felix V"), antipope (1439-1449)

209.Nicholas V (1447-55)

210.Callistus III (1455-58)

211.Pius II (1458-64)

212.Paul II (1464-71)

213.Sixtus IV (1471-84)

214.Innocent VIII (1484-92)

215.Alexander VI (1492-1503)

216.Pius III (1503)

217.Julius II (1503-13)

218.Leo X (1513-21)

219.Adrian VI (1522-23)

220.Clement VII (1523-34)

221.Paul III (1534-49)

222.Julius III (1550-55)

223.Marcellus II (1555)

224.Paul IV (1555-59)

225.Pius IV (1559-65)

226.St. Pius V (1566-72)

227.Gregory XIII (1572-85)

228.Sixtus V (1585-90)

229.Urban VII (1590)

230.Gregory XIV (1590-91)

231.Innocent IX (1591)

232.Clement VIII (1592-1605)

233.Leo XI (1605)

234.Paul V (1605-21)

235.Gregory XV (1621-23)

236.Urban VIII (1623-44)

237.Innocent X (1644-55)

238.Alexander VII (1655-67)

239.Clement IX (1667-69)

240.Clement X (1670-76)

241.Blessed Innocent XI (1676-89)

242.Alexander VIII (1689-91)

243.Innocent XII (1691-1700)

244.Clement XI (1700-21)

245.Innocent XIII (1721-24)

246.Benedict XIII (1724-30)

247.Clement XII (1730-40)

248.Benedict XIV (1740-58)

249.Clement XIII (1758-69)

250.Clement XIV (1769-74)

251.Pius VI (1775-99)

252.Pius VII (1800-23)

253.Leo XII (1823-29)

254.Pius VIII (1829-30)

255.Gregory XVI (1831-46)

256.Blessed Pius IX (1846-78)

257.Leo XIII (1878-1903)

258.St. Pius X (1903-14)

259.Benedict XV (1914-22)

260.Pius XI (1922-39)

261.Pius XII (1939-58)

262.Blessed John XXIII (1958-63)

263.Paul VI (1963-78)

264.John Paul I (1978)

265.John Paul II (1978-2005)

266.Benedict XVI (2005-2013)

Answer 3

Supposedly until the Pope dies or is unable to work.

Answer 4

Pope Benedict XVI has been the pope since April of 2005.

Answer 5

The pope rules until he either dies or retires.

Answer 6

Once elected, a pope serves for life unless he should resign or for some reason be deposed.

Answer 7

Unless the pope abdicates (retires, resigns) he is pope for life.

Answer 8

Unless a pope abdicates (resigns, retires) he serves for life.

Answer 9

The Pope serves until death.

Answer 10

how long does a pope serve?