After the death of Pope Francis Last Monday, April 21, the highly pontiff was in charge of the Catholic Church for 12 years and 39 days, a pontificate longer than that of its predecessor, Benedict XVI, who was the sovereign of the Vatican City for seven years and 315 days, until it resigned on February 28, 2013.
However, not even the Pontificate of Francisco and Benedict XVI combined (19 years and 354 days) can reach the amount of time that San Juan Pablo II He was as a pastor of the universal church on earth: 26 years and 168 dayswho on October 16, 1978 became the first pontiff Polish and the first non -Italian in 455 years.
John Paul II was the Pope who lasted the most throughout the 20th century, surpassing a Pablo VI With 15 years and 46 days, to the venerable Pius XII With 19 years and 221 days, to Pius XI With 17 years and four days, already San Pío X. with 11 years and 16 days; Four key pontiffs for the Church in a period marked by social, political, technological and scientific changes.
However, although San Juan Paul II was the Pope who has lasted the most in recent 147 yearsThe Supreme Pontiff that has been in charge of the Catholic Church throughout history was the Blessed Pío IXregistered at birth as Giovanni Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai Ferreti in the Italian region of Brands on May 13, 1792.
Pío IX: The Pope with the longest pontificate
Blessed Pío IX It was the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church by 31 years and 236 daysfrom June 16, 1846 to February 7, 1878. He is remembered for having summoned the first assembly of religious authorities in the Vatican, with the aim of facing the Galicanisma current that requested the subordination of religion.
During his pontificate, Pío IX lost the Church Pontifical States in favor of Italy in 1870. These territories in the Italic Peninsula were under the direct authority of the Pope and at their maximum extension covered the modern regions of LimpBrands, Umbria and Emilia-Romaña; until they fell in front of thousands of Italian soldiers.
Despite that, Pío IX managed to define the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, also known as the Purísima Concepción, in which he maintains that the Virgin Mary was free of the original sin From the first moment of his conception for his son’s merits Jesuscollecting the feeling of the Christian tradition about it.
Subsequently, Blessed defined the dogma of the infallibility Pontificalwhere he argues that the Pope “would be preserved to make a mistake” when it promulgates the Church a dogmatic teaching in moral issues, so it should be considered a Truth of faith and no discussion is allowed within the Roman Catholic Church.
At present there is a dilemma within contemporary Catholicism, because many people consider that the Pope with the longest pontificate was San Pedroone of the 12 apostles of Jesus. At present, the Catholic Church recognizes it as the first Pope, since it was designated by Christ, and for that reason there is confusion.
According to the Church’s records, San Pedro led the Christian community by approximate 32 or 33 years. However, since it is such a remote period, there are no precise data that can confirm the exact duration of their leadership, and for that reason many people decide not to take into account the Ecclesiastical tradition.