Papal election: How the longest Conclave to elect a pope unfolded

Eventually, Pope Gregory X reformed the conclave process to ensure quicker decisions in future elections

The history of this ancient process is frequently the subject of attention as the world gets ready for the next papal “Conclave”. One story that sticks out among the numerous that are woven across the Vatican's lengthy history is the longest papal election ever, which lasted almost three years.

The longest papal election in history, which lasted over three years, is one notable tale among the many that are interwoven throughout the Vatican's long history. (Unsplash/representative )

It was 1268, twenty cardinals met in the Italian town of Viterbo to select Pope Clement IV's successor after his death. However, intense political rivalries and disagreements caused a deadlock, turning a process that should have taken days into one that lasted months and eventually years. For 1,006 days, the Catholic community waited while St. Peter's seat remained vacant, as reported by The Associated Press.

There were tensions. The cardinals couldn't agree on a candidate since they were split between Italian and French groups. The situation became so precarious that the residents and local authorities decided to take matters into their own hands. In a bold attempt to break the deadlock, they locked the cardinals inside the papal house, fed them only bread and water, and even removed the roof of the structure to expose the electors to the weather.

This dramatic event is the origin of the word Conclave, which comes from the Latin cum clave, which means "with a key." It represented the notion that the cardinals should be imprisoned until a decision was made.

Finally, in 1271, an agreement was made. After agreeing to let a committee of delegates make the decision on their behalf, the cardinals chose Teobaldo Visconti, who at the time was not even a cardinal. Gregory X then became Pope.

Aftermath of the longest Papal election

After the long and delayed election, Pope Gregory X introduced strict reforms to make future elections more efficient. He set formal Conclave rules that required cardinals to stay isolated and follow a strict schedule. If the voting took too long, their living conditions and food would gradually become less comfortable to encourage a quicker decision.

These changes paved the way for the current Conclave system, which still follows the same set of regulations to guarantee a prompt and honourable conclusion.

Even if subsequent papal elections have usually only lasted a few days, the memory of Viterbo's protracted Conclave serves as a potent reminder of the difficulties that once existed when selecting the spiritual leader of more than a billion Catholics.