Pope Leo XIV turns 70 on Sunday, Sept. 14, his first birthday since ascending to the throne of St. Peter. He is the youngest pope that half of the world has ever seen: The last time there was a 70-year-old pope was 30 years ago in 1995, and about half of the global population is under the age of 30.
That statistic might explain the surprise social media commenters have expressed at seeing a pope carrying a large cross during a Jubilee procession or catching a toy one-handed while riding on the popemobile.
During a conclave, a cardinal’s age is one of the key factors the voting cardinals use in deciding whether or not he is “papabile” (literally, “pope-able”). The ideal age, the prevailing wisdom goes, is to elect a pope who is under the age of 80—and thus is himself eligible to vote and is also likely present in the Sistine Chapel for the conclave—and over or around 70.
Why not much younger than 70? At that point, the cardinals would be looking at a long pontificate, and previous conclaves in 2005 and 2013 suggested that many cardinals were hesitant to elect a relatively young pope again, especially after the 26-year papacy of St. John Paul II.
Pope John Paul II’s young age at the time of his election (58) was, conversely, a selling point for him during 1978’s chaotic (and expensive, for the Vatican) “Year of Three Popes,” which saw the end of Paul VI’s pontificate, the election and sudden death of John Paul I and the election of John Paul II. Having already participated in two conclaves in one year, the electors were likely eager to choose a younger man in good health to ensure as much as possible that it would be a long time before the next conclave.
The possibility cardinals must consider when choosing a younger candidate is that the church will be led by the same man—with both his strengths and his weaknesses—for a long time.
In 2005, Benedict XVI was elected at the age of 78 and was seen by some as a “transitional” pope who would likely not rule long. Francis, who was preparing to retire from his position as archbishop of Buenos Aires at the time of the 2013 conclave, was elected at 76 years old.
Robert Francis Prevost’s election at 69 may tell us that reticence toward a long papacy is waning; it also means that the cardinals believe he is the right man to lead the church for a relatively long period, particularly given that Cardinal Prevost—now Pope Leo—is also, without a doubt, the most athletic pope since John Paul II, and lifespans continue to lengthen in most parts of the world.
The central question about Pope Leo’s age, following his election, is how it might affect how he governs the church.
The first few months of his papacy have given us some clues, particularly compared to Francis’ first months. Unlike Francis, who worked quickly and constantly to implement his reforms, as if aware his time was limited, Pope Leo has moved more slowly, leaving many major decisions to (at least) the fall after his May election and taking three trips to Castel Gandolfo, including a midweek one Sept. 9, to rest and enjoy the fresh air—a practice Vatican watchers say is likely to continue.
In the first few months of the Francis papacy, the pope had already broken with tradition by choosing to wear a simple white cassock rather than the papal mozzetta (a short red cape), taking up residence in a Vatican guesthouse, paying his own hotel bill and saying, aboard the papal plane, “Who am I to judge?” when asked about gay priests.
Unlike his predecessor, Pope Leo does not seem to be in a rush. Consistent with how those who knew him before his election have described his decision-making process, he is holding many meetings and listening to input before making any major decisions. He has made no major Roman Curia appointments, even leaving his former position at the helm of the Dicastery for Bishops vacant for the last four months. While there had been rumors that he would be changing his living arrangements by bringing a new community of Augustinians to live in the Apostolic Palace with him, those have been disproven.
One instance in which he may be working even faster than Francis did, though, is in issuing his first apostolic exhortation. If the rumored document on the needs of the poor is published in the next few weeks, as Reuters has reported it would be, it could come out a full 100 days sooner after his election than Francis’ first document, “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), which was published six months into his papacy—a release that, at the time, was considered speedy.
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