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Ranking the Popes: Top 25 Popes Ranked by the Number of Saints Canonized, Encyclicals Written, and Other Odd Statistics

Do you ever think about what you might do when you reach Heaven? You know, besides be annihilated by the joy and happiness of beholding God, the Beatific Vision?

I do! 

I hope to see some statistics when I get to Heaven. What percentage was I right/wrong? How many people I actually helped lead to Christ (versus how many I failed)? I imagine these statistics will be very humbling ... but still. 

I hope you all will benefit from my strange desire for statistics with the following lists I have compiled about the popes. 

And no! This is not an attempt to say a certain Supreme Pontiff is the worst in history. I'm just a Catholic Nerd, what can I say?


Ranking the Popes: Table of Contents



    Top 25 Popes Ranked by the Number of Saints Canonized   

    Pope Francis actually tops this list, as do many of the most recent popes. Why? For one, they are canonizing large groups of martyrs. Pope Francis canonized the 813 Martyrs of Otranto

    On August 14, 1480, a massacre of Christians occurred on a hill just outside the city of Otranto, in southern Italy. Over 800 of the city’s male inhabitants were taken to a place called the Hill of the Minerva. One by one, they were beheaded in full view of their fellow prisoners. The spot forever after became known as the "Hill of the Martyrs".

    Here is the list of the Top 25 popes ranked by the number of saints they canonized:  

      1. Pope Francis (2013-present) - 909 saints
      2. Pope John Paul II (1978-2005) - 482 saints
      3. Pope Paul VI (1963-1978) - 84 saints
      4. Pope Pius IX (1846-1878) - 52 saints
      5. Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013) - 45 saints
      6. Pope Pius XI (1922-1939) - 34 saints
      7. Pope Pius XII (1939-1958) - 33 saints
      8. Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) - 18 saints
      9. Pope Clement XI (1700-1721) - 12 saints TIE
      10. Pope Benedict XIII (1724-1730) - 12 saints TIE
      11. Pope Clement XII (1730-1740) - 8 saints TIE
      12. Pope Urban VIII (1623-1644) - 8 saints TIE
      13. Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846) - 6 saints
      14. Pope Pius VII (1800-1823) - 5 saints TIE
      15. Pope Innocent XI (1676-1689) - 5 saints TIE
      16. Pope Alexander VII (1655-1667) - 4 saints TIE
      17. Pope John Paul I (1978) - 4 saints TIE
      18. Pope Paul V (1605-1621) - 4 saints TIE
      19. Pope Sixtus V (1585-1590) - 4 saints TIE
      20. Pope Innocent XII (1691-1700) - 4 saints TIE
      21. Pope Benedict XIV (1740-1758) - 3 saints
      22. Pope Innocent X (1644-1655) - 2 saints TIE
      23. Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605) - 2 saints TIE
      24. Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605) - 2 saints TIE
    This list ends at #24, because #25 begins the tie for only one saint canonized. 

    How about Pope John Paul I making the list, despite being a pope for only 34 days? Wow!


    Top 10 Popes Ranked by the Number of Encyclicals Written   

    Wow, Pope Leo XIII was incredibly prolific! 

    Here are the Top 10 Popes ranked by their number of encyclicals:   
      1. Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) - 85 encyclicals
      2. Pope Pius XII (1939-1958) - 41 encyclicals
      3. Pope Pius IX (1846-1878) - 38 encyclicals
      4. Pope Pius XI (1922-1939) - 31 encyclicals
      5. Pope Pius X (1903-1914) - 16 encyclicals
      6. Pope John Paul II (1978-2005) - 14 encyclicals
      7. Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922) - 12 encyclicals
      8. Pope Benedict XIV (1740-1758) - 9 encyclicals
      9. Pope Paul VI (1963-1978) - 7 encyclicals
      10. Pope John XXIII (1958-1963) - 8 encyclicals

    Top 25 Popes Ranked by Longest Papal Reign 

    It's amazing that the reign of Pope St. John Paul II was so historically long. The second longest in history! This makes the length of reign of his immediate predecessor, John Paul I, all the more ironic. John Paul I only served for 34 days!
     
    Note: Some popes listed have reigns that are shorter or longer, depending on the historical context and how the reign periods are calculated. The below list attempts to capture the top 25 popes based on general historical records.
      1. Pope Pius IX (1846-1878) - 31 years, 7 months, 23 days
      2. Pope John Paul II (1978-2005) - 26 years, 5 months, 17 days
      3. Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) - 25 years, 5 months
      4. Pope Pius VI (1775-1799) - 24 years, 6 months, 15 days
      5. Pope Adrian I (772-795) - 23 years, 10 months
      6. Pope Pius VII (1800-1823) - 23 years, 5 months, 7 days
      7. Pope Alexander III (1159-1181) - 21 years, 11 months, 23 days
      8. Pope St. Sylvester I (314-335) - 21 years, 11 months, 1 day
      9. Pope Leo I (440-461) - 21 years, 1 month, 13 days
      10. Pope Urban VIII (1623-1644) - 20 years, 11 months, 24 days
      11. Pope Clement XI (1700-1721) - 20 years, 9 months, 16 days
      12. Pope Pius XII (1939-1958) - 19 years, 7 months, 7 days
      13. Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) - 18 years, 7 months, 9 days
      14. Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922) - 18 years, 3 months, 24 days
      15. Pope Pius XI (1922-1939) - 17 years, 10 months, 23 days
      16. Pope Benedict XIV (1740-1758) - 17 years, 9 months
      17. Pope Nicholas I (858-867) - 15 years, 1 month, 11 days
      18. Pope Paul VI (1963-1978) - 15 years
      19. Pope Clement XIV (1769-1774) - 14 years, 10 months, 18 days
      20. Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085) - 12 years, 3 months, 20 days
      21. Pope Innocent IV (1243-1254) - 11 years, 11 months, 1 day
      22. Pope Clement VII (1523-1534) - 11 years, 9 months, 27 days
      23. Pope Pius X (1903-1914) - 11 years, 1 month, 9 days
      24. Pope Boniface VIII (1294-1303) - 8 years, 9 months, 6 days
      25. Pope John XXIII (1958-1963) - 4 years, 7 months, 6 days

    #1 goes to Pope Pius IX. Here is an article I wrote about his incredible life:


    Top 25 Popes Ranked by Shortest Papal Reign 

    Here is the list of the top 25 popes ranked from the shortest reign to the longest reign, including the years they reigned:
      1. Pope Stephen II (752) - 4 days (Note: often excluded from lists as he died after he was elected pope, but before his consecration as pope)
      2. Pope Urban VII (1590) - 13 days
      3. Pope Boniface VI (896) - 16 days
      4. Pope Celestine IV (1241) - 17 days
      5. Pope Theodore II (897) - 20 days
      6. Pope Sisinnius (708) - 21 days
      7. Pope Marcellus II (1555) - 22 days
      8. Pope Damasus II (1048) - 24 days
      9. Pope Pius III (1503) - 27 days
      10. Pope Leo XI (1605) - 27 days
      11. Pope Benedict V (964) - 33 days
      12. Pope John Paul I (1978) - 33 days
      13. Pope Romanus (897) - 3 months
      14. Pope Martin IV (1281-1285) - 4 months, 28 days
      15. Anti-Pope John XXIII (1410-1415) - 5 months 
      16. Pope Conon (686-687) - 11 months, 1 day
      17. Pope John XVIII (1003-1009) - 6 months
      18. Pope Benedict VI (973-974) - 1 year, 2 months
      19. Pope John VII (705-707) - 1 year, 2 months
      20. Pope Lando (913-914) - 1 year, 1 month, 10 days
      21. Pope Celestine V (1294) - 5 months, 8 days
      22. Pope Stephen VI (896-897) - 1 year, 1 month
      23. Pope John IX (898-900) - 1 year, 8 months
      24. Pope Sergius IV (1009-1012) - 2 years, 3 months
      25. Anti-Pope John XVI (997-998) - 2 years, 3 months 
      26. Pope Urban V (1362-1370) - 8 years, 3 months, 4 days

    This list ranks the popes from the shortest reign to the longest reign, including the years they reigned.

    Top 25 Countries by the Number of Popes From That Country 

    Here is the ranking of the Top 25 countries by the number of popes produced by that country (some examples are in parentheses/brackets):

      1. Italy - 208 popes [Pope Pius XII (1939-1958), Pope John XXIII (1958-1963), Pope Paul VI (1963-1978)]
      2. France - 16 popes [Pope Urban II (1088-1099), Pope Clement V (1305-1314), Pope John XXII (1316-1334)]
      3. Greece - 13 popes [Pope John V (685-686), Pope Zachary (741-752), Pope Constantine (708-715)]
      4. Syria - 8 popes [Pope Gregory III (731-741), Pope Sisinnius (708), Pope Sergius I (687-701)]
      5. Germany - 8 popes [Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013), Pope Clement II (1046-1047), Pope Gregory V (996-999)]
      6. Spain - 6 popes [Pope Callixtus III (1455-1458), Pope Alexander VI (1492-1503), Pope Damasus I (366-384)]
      7. Africa (Roman Province) - 5 popes [Pope Victor I (189-199), Pope Gelasius I (492-496), Pope Miltiades (311-314)]
      8. Portugal - 2 popes [Pope John XXI (1276-1277)]
      9. Austria - 1 pope [Pope Gregory IX (1227-1241)]
      10. Netherlands - 1 pope [Pope Adrian VI (1522-1523)]
      11. Palestine - 1 pope [Pope Theodore I (642-649)]
      12. England - 1 pope [Pope Adrian IV (1154-1159)]
      13. Israel - 1 pope [Pope Peter (30-64/68 AD)]
      14. Libya - 1 pope [Pope Victor I (189-199)]
      15. Turkey - 1 pope [Pope John VI (701-705)
      16. Croatia (Roman province of Dalmatia) - 1 pope [Pope Caius (283-296)]
      17. North Macedonia - 1 pope [Pope John IV (640-642)]
      18. Tunisia - 1 pope [Pope Agapetus I (535-536)]
      19. Switzerland - 1 pope [Pope Lucius II (1144-1145)]
      20. Algeria - 1 pope [Pope Gelasius II (492-496)]
      21. Hungary - 1 pope [Pope Innocent XI (1676-1689)]
      22. Poland - 1 pope [Pope John Paul II (1978-2005)]
      23. Czech Republic - 1 pope [Pope Gregory V (996-999)]
      24. Portugal - 1 pope [Pope Damasus I (366-384)]
      25. Bulgaria - 1 pope [Pope John IV (640-642)]
      26. Argentina - 1 pope [Pope Francis (2013-current)]
    Here is another formulation of this ranking, based on some reconfigurations of modern versus historical country of origin. There have been 266 popes:

      1. Italy - 217 
      2. France - 16 (Pope Sylvester II, Pope Stephen IX, Pope Nicholas II, Pope Urban II, Pope Callistus II, Pope Urban IV, Pope Clement IV, Pope Innocent V, Pope Martin IV, Pope Clement V, Pope John XXII, Pope Benedict XII, Pope Clement VI, Pope Innocent VI, Pope Urban V, and Pope Gregory XI)
      3. Germany - 6 (Pope Gregory V, Pope Clement II, Pope Damasus II, Pope Leo IX, Pope Victor II, and Pope Benedict XVI)
      4. Byzantine Empire (modern-day Syria) - 5 (Pope Anicetus, Pope John V, Pope Sisinnius, Pope Constantine, and Pope Gregory III)
      5. Greece - 4 (Pope Anacletus, Pope Hyginus, Pope Eleutherius, and Pope Sixtus II)
      6. Holy Land in modern-day Israel - 3 (Pope Peter, Pope Evaristus, and Pope Theodore I)
      7. Africa Proconsularis - 3 (Pope Victor I, Pope Miltiades, Pope Gelasius I)
      8. Dalmatia in modern-day Croatia - 2 (Pope Caius and Pope John IV)
      9. Valencia in modern-day Spain - 2 (Pope Callixtus III and Pope Alexander VI)
      10. Portugal - 2 (Pope Damasus I and Pope John XXI)
      11. Anatolia in modern-day Turkey - 2 (Pope Conon and Pope John VI)
      12. England - 1 (Pope Adrian IV)
      13. Netherlands - 1 (Pope Adrian VI)
      14. Poland - 1 (Pope John Paul II)
      15. Argentina - 1 (Pope Francis)

    Top 25 Popes Based on the Oldest Age Attained While Pope

    Here is the list of the top 25 popes based on the oldest age attained while in office, including the years they reigned and the age they reached:

      1. Pope Agatho (678-681) - 104 years (disputed)
      2. Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) - 93 years, 4 months, 18 days
      3. Pope Celestine III (1191-1198) - 92 years, 4 months
      4. Pope John XXII (1316-1334) - 90 years, 6 months, 11 days
      5. Pope Stephen II (752-757) - 90 years, 4 months, 8 days
      6. Pope Clement XII (1730-1740) - 87 years, 9 months, 16 days
      7. Pope Clement X (1670-1676) - 86 years, 10 months, 9 days
      8. Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922) - 86 years, 8 months, 19 days
      9. Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013) - 85 years, 10 months, and 24 days old (95 years, 3 months, 5 days as of his July 2024 death)
      10. Pope John VI (701-705) - 85 years, 6 months, 19 days
      11. Pope Innocent XII (1691-1700) - 85 years, 2 months, 13 days
      12. Pope Pius IX (1846-1878) - 85 years, 1 month, 15 days
      13. Pope John Paul II (1978-2005) - 84 years, 10 months, 15 days
      14. Pope Gregory IX (1227-1241) - 84 years, 10 months, 10 days
      15. Pope John XIX (1024-1032) - 84 years, 7 months, 9 days
      16. Pope Paul IV (1555-1559) - 83 years, 9 months
      17. Pope John XXIII (1958-1963) - 81 years, 7 months, 2 days
      18. Pope Pius XI (1922-1939) - 81 years, 3 months, 7 days
      19. Pope Alexander VIII (1689-1691) - 81 years, 1 month, 21 days
      20. Pope Honorius III (1216-1227) - 80 years, 9 months
      21. Pope Paul VI (1963-1978) - 80 years, 1 month, 3 days
      22. Pope Adeodatus I (615-618) - 80 years
      23. Pope Stephen IX (1057-1058) - 77 years, 3 months, 7 days
      24. Pope Sylvester I (314-335) - 70 years, 9 months, 2 days
      25. Pope Nicholas IV (1288-1292) - 70 years, 6 months

    This list highlights the oldest popes while they were in office, along with the years they reigned and their attained age.

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