As the world buries the late Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, many have looked back at his 13-year reign, which was characterised by his humility, love and care for humanity. Pope Francis's 13-year reign made him one of the longer-serving recent popes, though not among the longest in history. On the flipside, in the history of the papacy, there have been a few popes who have had incredibly short times in charge, with reigns lasting just a few weeks or even days.
These brief periods as the leader of the Catholic Church are fascinating stories of unexpected events and sudden changes. 1: Pope Urban VII Pope Urban VII holds the record for the shortest papal reign in the history of the Catholic Church.
Giovanni Battista Castagna was elected to the papacy as Urban VII on 15 September 1590 but died of malaria on 27 September 1590, serving as Pope for only 13 days.
His brief papacy is notable not only for its length but also because, despite his short time as Pope, he managed to make a significant impact, such as proposing strict measures against nepotism and attempting to implement health measures in Rome to combat the spread of disease.
