The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-02-17

i-HtIe ICallanS, Ip were 6reeKAf IL were
FIenchmen; s were Syrians; 4 were
Spaniards; were Germans; 2were Afri.
cans; one an Engfishman, and one q
Jew, st. Peter. The nationality of the
remaining IS is not recorded. For SOC
years, since 1873, there have been none
but Italians elected to the Office of Pope.
The average period for which these
two hundred and seventy-nine Popes
have held their office is very short The
long reign of the late Pope Plus TX, con-
tinuing for thirty-one years six months
and twenty days, was quite exceptional,
the longest known to the records Of the
Papacy. The average period for the
whole number, including the Anti-Popes,
is only about six years and six months
each. There have been eighteen Anti
Popes, besides the rather uncertain Pope
"Joan." There has been no Antelope
since 1887.
1t is somewhat curious to- notice the
difference in the number of Popes in each
of the several centuries since the Papacy
was instituted. In the first century there
were but four. But this, counting from
the accession of st. Peter, A. d. Al,
would be little more than half century.
The second century had eleven different
Popes. The number continued to grad
ually increase with each succeeding CEN
tury, until the tenth century had no less
than twenty-seven Popes, giving not quite
four years to each reign. This was the
climax. From that period the number
to each century began to decline. The
eleventh century had but twenty-five
Popes, against the twenty-seven of the
century Immediately preceding. As the
increase had been steady and gradual, SO
was the decrease; till the seventeenth
century had but eleven different Popes,
and the eighteenth century had only
eight. Thus far in the nineteenth cen
tury there have been but, five, and Pope
Leo is now the sixth.
The causes that may have operated to
produce this steady and gradual increase
of numbers in each century up to a given
time, and then like steady and gradual
decrease to the present time, are not easily
perceived. The violence of the times and
the civil and political connections, as
well as the ecclesiastical strifes, that
characterized European history during
the Middle Ages, may have had some
thing to do in causing this curious re-
suit; but to what degree can not be
known. ......
1nasmuch as the Papaey is elective
and not descendible by hereditary sue
cession, it has appeared to many persons
as quite remarkable that there should
have been 50 many different Popes bear
ing the same name. This is explained
by the fact that each Pope, on his acces-
sion, takes to himself such name as he
may choose to be known by in the Papal
Calendar, and is consecrated and inaugu
rated accordingly. This custom was first
instituted by Pope John XII, A. D, 956.
The name of John seems to have been
favorite among the successors of st. Pc
ter; for there have been no less than
twenty-three Johns in the Papal chair.
As the Hebrew name John signifies a
"dove," it may be that this meaning has
had its influence. in leading to the fire.
quent adoption of that name, as symbol
of gentleness and innocence.
The adoption of this name as symbol
cal of the attributes Of the dove would
scarcely be applicable in selecting the
name Of Leo (the lion); and yet there
have been thirteen Leos (ions) among
the Popes; the thirteenth Leo being now
in the Papal chair. There have been
sixteen Gregories, the last in 1881.
There have been fourteen Popes named
Benedict, and fourteen named Clement.
There have been thirteen Innocents, ten
Stephens, nine named Boniface, and nine
named Plus, which was the title of the
late Pope. There have been eight Ur-
bans, seven Alexanders, six Adrians, five
Pauls, and five named Nicholas. What
ever may have been their family names,
the Popes are known officially and his
torically only by such adopted names.