Pope Francis, 88, was recently diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia, and as concerned Catholics around the world pray for the Holy Father, the Vatican revealed last week that he will remain hospitalized for treatment.
The popes of the last 100 years have seen their fair share of political divides and controversy, from pontiffs breaking centuries-old practices to backlash over the Vatican’s response to Hilter’s regime to the teachings of God’s love and grace and traveling the world to reach the sick and lonely;
Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013)
Before Pope Francis was elected by the College of Cardinals in 2013, Pope Benedict XVI, born Joseph Ratzinger, led the Catholic Church from 2005-2013.
POPE FRANCIS GOT OUT OF BED TO EAT BREAKFAST ON 7TH DAY IN HOSPITAL: VATICAN
Pope John Paul II, Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI (Getty Images)
Ratzinger was born in Bavaria, Germany. Upon witnessing horrific acts during the Nazi regime, he desired to commit to the church at a young age. Ratzinger and his family experienced abuse and punishment at the hands of the Nazi Party. Despite his resolute disdain for the regime, at 14 years old he was required by law to join the Hitler Youth, a paramilitary organization.
During his enrollment in the seminary, Ratzinger was drafted into World War II, putting his theological teachings on hold. He was captured and held as a prisoner of war by Americans for several months. Upon his release, he left the military and was ordained in 1951 alongside his brother.
Ratzinger was elected pope in 2005 and, during his papacy he preached a message of God’s eternal love, encouraged Catholics to remain faithful to God, and implored the presence of love, joy and truth in life.
Citing health concerns, Benedict, in 2013, was the first pontiff to resign the papacy in 600 years.
He died at 95 years old in 2022.
POPE FRANCIS WILL REMAIN IN HOSPITAL, VATICAN SAYS
Pope Francis met former Pope Benedict XVI to exchange Christmas greetings in 2013, the year Benedict XVI resigned as pope. (Maurix/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images))
Pope John Paul II (1978-2005)
Pope John Paul II, born Karol Wojtyła, was elected pope on Oct. 16, 1978. He was the first Polish pontiff.
Wojtyła took the regnal name after his predecessor, Pope John Paul I, who passed away only a month into his reign as the sovereign of Vatican City.
Wojtyła’s election by the College of Cardinals marked the first time a non-Italian would serve as pope in over 400 years. At 58 years old, Wojtyła was one of the youngest popes in history.
Wojtyla studied theology in Rome and served as the archbishop of Krakow. Through his 26-year pontificate, John Paul II traveled to 129 countries, becoming the most traveled pope in history.
POPE FRANCIS DIAGNOSED WITH BILATERAL PNEUMONIA, VATICAN SAYS
Pope John Paul II was the first Polish pope in history. (Chuck Fishman/Getty Images)
During his papacy, John Paul II preached service, the responsibility for peace and the protection of life. In 1981, a lone gunman, Mehmet Ali Ağca, attempted to assassinate the pope in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. He was struck twice while riding in an open car and seriously wounded. He was rushed to Gemelli Hospital in Rome and treated for his injuries.
John Paul II later visited Ağca in prison and forgave the shooter in person.
In 2005, John Paul died in his apartment in the Vatican at 84 years old. He was canonized as a saint in 2014.
Pope John Paul I (1978-1978)
Pope John Paul I, born Albino Luciani, was elected as pope on Aug. 26, 1978. His reign as the sovereign of Vatican City was brief, as he died 33 days later.
He was ordained in 1935, appointed bishop in 1958 and created archbishop of Venice in 1969. He is often referred to as “the Smiling Pope.”
Pope Paul VI (1963-1978)
Pope Paul VI was born Giovanni Battista Montini in Brescia, Italy. He was elected as pontiff in 1963 after being appointed archbishop of Milan.
During his papacy, Montini concluded three sessions of the Second Vatican Council, a significant renewal of the Catholic Church. The official documents marked a milestone in the church and condemned antisemitism.
WARTIME LETTER SHOWS POPE PIUS XII MAY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT HOLOCAUST EARLIER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT
Pope John Paul II was shot at by Mehmet Ali Ağca in 1981. He visited his would-be assassin in Rebibbia Jail, Rome. (Getty Images)
Montini traveled to the Holy Land in the Middle East, India, Uganda, the Philippines and parts of the United States during his reign.
In 2018, Pope Paul VI was canonized as a saint. He was recognized as a strong leader, and his efforts to build stronger bonds among other religions are cited as just one of the reasons for his canonization.
Pope Paul VI died in 1978 at 80 years old.
Pope John XXIII (1958-1963)
Pope John XXIII, born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, was born into a family of 13 children in Sotto il Monte, Italy.
In 1892, Roncalli entered the seminary. He was ordained in 1904, and was named a cardinal and the patriarch of Venice in 1953.
Funerals of past popes take place at Vatican City’s St. Peter’s, where many are interred. (AP)
As pontiff, Roncalli convened the Second Vatican Council, which modernized the Catholic Church by renewing liturgy and theology and developing better relationships with other religions.
Pope John XXIII died of cancer in 1963 and was canonized as a saint along with John Paul II in 2014.
Pope Pius XII (1939-1958)
Pope Pius XII, born Eugenio Pacelli, was an Italian cardinal before being elected pope on his 63rd birthday in 1939.
Pope Pius XI named Pacelli a cardinal after a one-day conclave among the College of Cardinals in 1929.
Pacelli was pope during World War II and through the Holocaust. Correspondence from Vatican archives shows Pacelli received word of the atrocities happening against Jewish people in Germany, and he often received pleas to help Jews.
POPE: VATICAN NEXT YEAR TO OPEN ARCHIVES ON WARTIME PIUS XII
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died at 95 years old. His funeral took place in St. Peter’s Square and around 50,000 people were in attendance. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
Pope Pius XII has been intensely criticized for what has been called his lack of support for Jews during World War II, but the Vatican has remained steadfast in his defense.
Pius XII died in 1958 at 82 years old.
Pope Pius XI (1922-1939)
Pope Pius XI, born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was ordained a priest in 1879. He was named a cardinal and archbishop of Milan in 1921 by Pope Benedict XV and elected pope in 1922.
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Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator, came to power in 1922. The Lateran Treaty signed by Mussolini and the papacy acknowledged papal sovereignty over the Vatican City, making the state a neutral territory and the pope politically independent.
Pius XI died in 1939 at 81 years old.
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