Spare Change

Papal Bull

Posted by Bryan

Well, since I figured I wasn't the only person wondering these things, I found out a little information on the fifteen Benedicts prior to the new one...

Tenures and bios of reign ("reign" is an okay term, I think, since he's the "Prince of the church," from the Catholic perspective, though the last two John Pauls eschewed the pomp of parading in the throne. Maybe "service" is a better term):

BENEDICT I 575-579
ST. BENEDICT II 684-685
BENEDICT III 855-858
BENEDICT IV 900-903
BENEDICT V 964
BENEDICT VI 972-974
BENEDICT VII 974-983
BENEDICT VIII 1012-1024
BENEDICT IX 1032-1044
BLESSED BENEDICT XI 1303-1304
BENEDICT XII 1334-1342
BENEDICT XIII 1724-1730
BENEDICT XIV 1740-1758
BENEDICT XV 1914-1922

Other random observations....

• You'll notice that there is no Benedict X. Turns out, he was the antipope, which is basically the Bizarro Pope, during Nicholas II's reign (although by chronology, it looks like he was actuallly around during Stephen X's time at the helm). So it turns out this guy is like the relative we all have in our families...nobody wants to claim him because he's always embarassing the family name or doing things that just make you shake your head in amazement. Except in this case, the family is a billion strong, and at reunions, it's nearly impossible to remember everybody's name.
• Apparently, The latest Benedict has no small adherance to Mariolatry. Other than that, his prayer reflects a humble spirit.
• The average tenure for a Benedict Pope is exactly 6 years. What does this mean? Absolutely nothing. Or maybe something very important. Benny the XVI is 78 years old. John Paul II died at 84. Do the math. Check in again in six years. By then, who knows if Spare Change will still be alive?
• My Pope name is Pope Monstrous Larry III. What's yours?