The youngest pope was only 12 years old!

At 12 years, you are a middle-school student, most likely attending your seventh grade. A little independent, but still looking at your parents every now and then for most of your needs. Now, imagine a 12-year-old running a country. Pope Benedict IX, was elected as pope of the Vatican city when he was just 12. A Pope is the world leader of the Catholic Church and the head of Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. He is chosen by the College of Cardinals, the Church's most senior officials from countries across the world.  

The youngest pope 
Pope Benedict IX was the Pope three separate times between the years 1032 and 1048. While his age is disputed when he first became the pope in 1032, most scholars believe he was somewhere between 12 and twenty years old. But how did he become a pope so early in life? 

His father, an influential person, bribed people in position to allow his son to take charge. Benedict was forced out during the mid-1030s after he was cast out of Rome. He became Pope once again in 1045 when he was probably in his thirties but he lasted less than two months. He returned to power in 1047 but lasted less than a year before being removed from office for a third and final time.  

The oldest pope 
On the contrary, the oldest pope was Benedict XVI. He was elected in 2005 at the age of 78. However, his papacy faced several challenges. He finally resigned In 2013 citing health reasons.  

How is a pope chosen? 
Well, the pope is elected through a papal conclave, a gathering of the College of Cardinals, or the senior-most Church officials from around the world. This is a secret meeting held in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. The cardinals can cast their ballots for whom they think should be the pope. The voting can go on for days, but once a two-thirds majority is reached, we have a new pope.  

Vatican City and the pope’s powers  
Vatican City, a city-state surrounded by Rome in Italy, is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. It is also home to the Pope.  

Won’t you like to know what a pope does? So, the pope has double powers. Apart from being the head of the Vatican City, he is also the head of the Catholic Church and the Bishop of Rome. What this means on a daily basis is that the pope has duties both political (country-specific obligations) and religious (Church-specific duties).  

In his political role, he takes decisions regarding his country, meets with heads of state and maintains diplomatic relationships with countries around the world. As the head of the Church, he conducts liturgies (customary public ritual of worship), appoints new bishops and travels.