Benedict XVI Could Be the Oldest Pope in Church History
L'intérieur de la basilique Saint-Paul hors les murs avec les mosaïques des papes
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has recovered from the facial erysipelas that made him suffer this summer, according to a statement by his personal secretary, Mgr. Georg Gänswein, to the German newspaper Südkurier on August 9, 2020.
Benedict XVI, who was born on April 16, 1927, turned 93 years and 141 days on September 3, which would make him the oldest pope in the history of the Church, if he had not resigned. Indeed, Leo XIII lived 93 years and 140 days. Born July 20, 1810, elected Pope February 20, 1878, died July 20, 1903, he reigned for twenty-five years.
However, it is difficult to know for sure the ages of some popes from remote periods in Church history who may have lived to a later age.
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(Sources : Cath.ch/Südkurier – DICI n°400, septembre 2020)
Illustration : Antoine Taveneaux / CC BY-SA
