List of 10 shortest-reigning popes
This is a list of the 10 shortest-reigning popes.
- Urban VII (September 15 - September 27 , 1590): reigned for 13 calendar days
- Boniface VI (April, 896): reigned for 16 calendar days
- Celestine IV (October 25 - November 10, 1241): reigned for 17 calendar days
- Sisinnius (January 15 - February 4, 708): reigned for 21 calendar days
- Theodore II (December, 897): reigned for 21 calendar days
- Marcellus II (April 10 - May 1, 1555): reigned for 22 calendar days
- Damasus II (July 17 - August 9, 1048): reigned for 24 calendar days
- Pius III (September 22 - October 18, 1503): reigned for 27 calendar days
- Leo XI (April 1 - April 27, 1605): reigned for 27 calendar days
- Benedict V (May 22 – June 23, 964): reigned for 33 calendar days.
Notes
The number of calendar days includes part days, so if a pope died the day after he was consecrated, this would count as having reigned for two calendar days.
Stephen II (March 23 – March 26, 752), died of apoplexy three days after his election, and before his consecration. He is not on the Vatican's official list of popes. This has caused difficulties in enumerating Popes named Stephen.
John Paul I (August 26 – September 28, 1978) died on the 33rd day after his election, having reigned for 34 calendar days.
As of 15 May, Benedict XVI has reigned for 26 days as pope deeming him the eighth shortest-reigning pope. However, due to the retrospective nature of this list, and thus the requirement of death, he is not given a fully ranked position. He shall no longer be counted among the top 10 shortest-reigning pope list on the 23 May, his 34th day as pope.