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Pope Urban VII had the shortest papal term in history, lasting only 13 days. He implemented the first smoking ban in a church, punishable by excommunication. The longest-serving pope was Pius IX, and only three popes were elected under 25. In AD 236, Fabian was made pope after a dove landed on his shoulder.
Pope Urban VII was the shortest reigning pope in history and reigned for only 13 days. He was elected head of the Catholic Church on 14 September 1590 and died of malaria on 27 September 1590 in Rome before his coronation. Urban VII’s death came just two weeks after the death of his predecessor, Pope Sixtus V. In addition to having the shortest papal term in history, Pope Urban VII made a historic decision during his papal tenure: the first smoking ban in the history. The law punished smoking in a church with excommunication, and remained in force until 1724, when it was repealed by Pope Benedict XIII who was a smoker.
More information on the popes:
The longest-serving pope was Pius IX who reigned for 31 years from 1846 to 1878.
Only three popes in history have been elected under the age of 25; however, this had not happened since the 996 election of Pope Gregory V, who was 24 years old.
In AD 236, a man named Fabian who was not even named as a candidate was made pope after a dove landed on his shoulder, which was considered a sign from the Holy Spirit.
