He was the "pope of firsts." That's what people usually call him. Honestly, it’s hard to believe it’s already been over a decade since that white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney on a rainy March evening. If you’re asking how long was pope francis the pope, the answer is 12 years and 39 days.
He stepped into the shoes of St. Peter on March 13, 2013. He held the keys until his passing on April 21, 2025.
Twelve years might not sound like much compared to St. John Paul II’s marathon 26-year run. But in those twelve years, Jorge Mario Bergoglio basically flipped the script on what it meant to be the Bishop of Rome. He didn't want the red shoes. He didn't want the fancy palace. He just wanted to be among the people, and he did exactly that until the very end.
The Clock Starts: March 2013
The world was in a bit of a shock back then. Pope Benedict XVI had just done the unthinkable by resigning—something a pope hadn't done in 600 years. The cardinals went into the conclave, and on the second day, they picked the guy from the "end of the world."
That's how Francis described himself. He was the first Jesuit. The first Latin American. The first Francis.
A Papacy by the Numbers
- Start Date: March 13, 2013
- End Date: April 21, 2025
- Total Duration: Roughly 4,422 days
- Age at Election: 76
- Age at Death: 88
He hit the ground running. Within months, he was in Lampedusa, crying out against the "globalization of indifference" regarding migrants. It set the tone for everything that followed. He wasn't interested in the internal politics of the Curia as much as he was interested in the "peripheries."
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How Long Was Pope Francis the Pope Compared to Others?
People love to rank things. It’s just human nature. If we look at the last two centuries, the average papacy lasts about 14 years. Francis was just under that mark.
He ranks as the ninth-longest papacy since the 1800s.
It’s interesting because his predecessor, Benedict, served for about 8 years. Before him, John Paul II served for nearly 27. Francis sits right in that middle ground where he had enough time to make massive structural changes but didn't stay so long that the momentum completely fizzled out.
The Long Road to 2025
The final years were tough. You've probably seen the photos. The wheelchair became his constant companion. He had lung issues dating back to his youth in Argentina, and they finally started catching up with him in the 2020s.
In early 2025, things took a turn. He was hospitalized at Gemelli with double pneumonia. For a while, it looked like he might pull through—the Vatican press office kept saying he was "improving" and "signing decrees" from his hospital bed. He even made a surprise visit to St. Peter’s Basilica in a wheelchair just weeks before he died.
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But on April 21, 2025, the bells of St. Peter's rang out a different tune.
Major Milestones in the 12-Year Run
The length of a papacy is measured in years, sure, but it’s defined by the moments.
- 2013: The "Who am I to judge?" comment on the plane back from Brazil. That changed the conversation overnight.
- 2015: Laudato si’. He became the first pope to dedicate an entire encyclical to the environment.
- 2021-2024: The Synod on Synodality. This was his big attempt to decentralize the church.
- 2024: Opening the Holy Door for the "Jubilee of Hope." He didn't live to see the end of that Jubilee, which his successor, Pope Leo XIV, eventually closed in January 2026.
Why the Duration Actually Mattered
If Francis had only stayed for five years, he would have been a footnote—a "breath of fresh air" that didn't leave a mark. Because he stayed for 12, he was able to appoint the majority of the cardinals who would elect his successor.
Think about that.
By the time he died, he had basically hand-picked the group that would decide the future of the church. That’s how you bake a legacy into the crust. He changed the rules on the death penalty. He opened doors for LGBTQ+ blessings with Fiducia Supplicans. He fought for the Amazon.
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Twelve years was long enough to make those changes feel permanent, or at least very hard to undo.
Final Thoughts on the Francis Era
When people search for how long was pope francis the pope, they’re often looking for more than just a date. They want to know the "era." The Francis era was one of intense dialogue and, frankly, quite a bit of controversy. He wasn't everyone’s cup of tea. Traditionalists struggled with his liturgical changes, while progressives often felt he didn't go far enough on things like the role of women in the church.
But he was there. For 12 years, 1 month, and 8 days, he was the face of the Catholic Church.
If you're looking to understand the transition that followed, your best bet is to look at the first acts of Pope Leo XIV. He was elected on May 8, 2025, just a few weeks after Francis passed. Leo has already started his own path, but the "Francis effect" is still visible everywhere in the Vatican today.
To get a true sense of the impact, check out the official Vatican archives for the 2025 Jubilee documents. They provide the most direct link between the vision Francis started and the reality the church is living now in 2026. Reading the "Jubilee of Hope" proclamations will show you exactly what he was trying to leave behind.