How Young May the Next Pope Be?
When Karol Wojtyła stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in 1978 as John Paul II, he was only 58. Though that seemed unusual at the time, the previous century saw Pius IX elected at 54. Although we aren’t likely to see a pope as young as 20-year-old Benedict IX, elected in 1031, it’s safe to say that Pius and John Paul have broken the mold and made it possible for virtually anyone to be elected to the See of Peter.
Elderly popes had been the norm for several reasons. Wisdom, of course, comes with age. So does a proven track record. Near-octogenarians have also been elected as “stop-gaps,” such as John XXIII who followed upon the 20-year reign of Pius XII. Although il papa buono occupied the throne for less than five years, he rocked the Barque of Peter by convoking an ecumenical council now known as Vatican II.
Pope Clement X, elected just shy of his 80th birthday in 1670, had enough vigor to pass the five-year mark and preside over the Holy Year of 1675 before dying the following year. Albino Luciani, 65 when elected as John Paul I in 1978, was not meant to be a stopgap, but still, he only lasted 33 days. Non si sa mai, as t
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