Is Pope Stepping Down After Christmas?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Emeritus

Pope

Benedict XVI has marked the eighth anniversary of his historic

resignation

by insisting that he

stepped down

knowingly and that “there is only one

pope

” — Francis.

When did Pope Francis resign?

When he turned 75 in

December 2011

, Bergoglio submitted his resignation as archbishop of Buenos Aires to Pope Benedict XVI as required by canon law.

Who is the Pope that stepped down?


Benedict

, now 93, became the first pope in more than 600 years to resign instead of ruling for life, saying he no longer had the strength to govern the 1.3 billion-member church.

Has a pope ever been removed?

A papal renunciation (Latin: renuntiatio) occurs when the reigning pope of the Catholic Church voluntarily steps down from his position. The most recent pope to resign was Benedict XVI, who vacated the Holy See on 28 February 2013. … He was the first pope to do so since Gregory XII in 1415.

Did the Pope steps down?

Emeritus

Pope

Benedict XVI has marked the eighth anniversary of his historic

resignation

by insisting that he

stepped down

knowingly and that “there is only one

pope

” — Francis.

Who was the youngest pope ever?

  • John XI (931–935, who was 20 at the beginning of his papacy)
  • John XII (955–964, became pope at either 18 or 25 years old)
  • Gregory V (996–999, who was 24 at the beginning of his papacy)
  • Benedict IX (pope from 1032–1044, 1045, 1047–1048, first elected pope at about 20 years of age)

How many popes are alive today?

There are currently

no less than 4 reigning popes

: Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of the State of the Vatican City. Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark.

How much is the pope worth?

Bankers’ best guesses about the Vatican’s wealth put it at

$10 billion to $15 billion

. Of this wealth, Italian stockholdings alone run to $1.6 billion, 15% of the value of listed shares on the Italian market.

How many times has the Vatican been struck by lightning?

Lightning struck the Vatican

not once but TWICE – hours

after Pope Benedict XVI’s shock resignation. The spooky moment, believed by some, to be a sign from God, was caught on camera by AFP photographer Filippo Monteforte.

Can the pope marry?

Name Felix III Reign(s) (483–492) Relationship Widowed before he was elected as pope Offspring Yes

How long does the pope stay the pope?

The papal post is

traditionally held until death

, though Francis’s predecessor Pope Benedict XVI resigned in 2013 after roughly seven years in office, becoming the first pope to step down in nearly 600 years.

What has Pope Francis done for the world?

Pope Francis is the spiritual leader to more than one-sixth of the world’s population, 1.3 billion people. He has made it his personal mission to

transform the longstanding conservative image of the Catholic Church

. In November 2016 he gave priests the power to forgive women who undergo abortions.

How many popes have been married?

There have been

at least four Popes

who were legally married before taking Holy Orders: St Hormisdas (514–523), Adrian II (867–872), John XVII (1003) and Clement IV (1265–68) – though Hormisdas was already a widower by the time of his election.

Who is the most evil pope?


Pope Alexander VI
Papacy began 11 August 1492 Papacy ended 18 August 1503 Predecessor Innocent VIII Successor Pius III

Which pope has served the longest?

  • Bl. …
  • St. …
  • Leo XIII (1878–1903): 25 years, 5 months and 1 day (9,281 days).
  • Pius VI (1775–1799): 24 years, 6 months and 15 days (8,962 days).
  • Adrian I (772–795): 23 years, 10 months and 25 days (8,729 days).
  • Pius VII (1800–1823): 23 years, 5 months and 7 days (8,560 days).

Who was the 12 year old Pope?

From 1958 to 2013, the average age of a man elected to the papacy was 70, while the average age at death was 79, according to data crunched from FiveThirtyEight. But that couldn’t be further from the reality of

Pope Benedict IX

, the youngest pontiff to have ever taken the throne at the pre-teen age of 12 in 1032.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.