The length of time a pope serves, known as a pontificate, traditionally lasts for life—meaning a pope serves until death or resignation. Historically, the average length of a papacy since 1900 has been about 12 years, with many popes serving longer than 10 years
. Some notable examples of papal reign lengths include:
- Saint Peter, traditionally considered the first pope, is believed to have served around 34 years, though this is historically uncertain
- Pope Pius IX holds the longest confirmed reign in modern history, serving about 31 years from 1846 to 1878
- Pope John Paul II served for over 26 years, from 1978 to 2005
- Pope Francis served approximately 12 years, from 2013 until his death in 2025
While most popes serve until death, there are rare cases of resignation, such as Pope Benedict XVI in 2013, the first papal resignation in nearly 600 years
. In summary, a pope typically serves for life, with pontificates ranging from a few days (in rare cases) to over three decades, but the average modern papacy lasts about 12 years.
