Year of Three Popes

As a three- year or three Popes Popes summer 1978 is generally referred to, in which Pope John Paul I died the Pope Paul VI. followed the Holy See. However, he died only 33 days after taking office, was chosen so that after a new election of John Paul II as pope. From the word meaning forth the word of the Three Emperors, 1888, or to the Roman emperor four years ( AD 69 ) and the second four- year of the emperor ( AD 193 ) inspired by.

Years with three or more popes

Years in which a pope died shortly after his election or eliminated in some other way from his office, resulting in a period, the result of three popes. The name of three popes year is sometimes also used for these years.

0752, Zacharias - Stephan ( II ) - Stephen II
0827, Eugene II - Valentin - Gregory IV
0896, Formosus - Boniface VI. - Stephen VI.
0897, Stephen VI. - Romanus - Theodore II
0928, John X. - Leo VI. - Stephan VII uncertain since Leo VI. can be passed even until the beginning 929
0965, Benedict V. - Leo VIII - John XIII.
1003 Sylvester II - John XVII. - John XVIII.
1046 Gregory VI. - Clemens II - Benedict IX.
1187, Urban III. - Gregory VIII - Clement III.
1503 Alexander VI. - Pius III. - Julius II
1555, Julius III. - Marcellus II - Paul IV
1590, Sixtus V. - Urban VII - Gregory XIV
1605 Clement VIII - Leo XI. - Paul V.
1978 Paul VI. - John Paul I - John Paul II

There was also a year with four popes:

Theodore II, the third Pope of the year 897, also died after only 21 days in office in December of the same year. His successor was in January 898 John IX. selected. Thus, there were six popes and five papal elections in less than two years ( April 896 to January 898).

History of the Papacy

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