Last update:
09-Sep-2020

We know a lot on the history of the Roman Pontiffs, we know enough about their diseases and their deaths. By contrast, we have scarce data on cardiorenal deaths. The aim of this paper is to provide the preliminary results of a study that up to now includes 83 out 264 popes. An additional 40 popes reigning in the years 1700–2019 have been studied only as to their mean ages at death. Sixteen died of gout and its renal complication, 6 because kidney and bladder stones, 4 had nephritis, 4 disease of the prostate, 1 gonorrhoea, 1 syphilis, 1 died of crush syndrome. Nine popes died of stroke, 6 underwent cardiac deaths. Nine popes were murdered, 26 martyred. Among the 38 popes who died between 1700 and 1999, the average mean age at death was 75.05 years, for popes who died in the years 1700–1799 it was 77.8 years, for popes who died between 1800 and 1899, and 78.1 years for popes who died between 1900 and 1999. The two living popes (Benedict XVI, emeritus and Francis, reigning) are 92 and 82 years old, respectively. The majority of popes aged successfully and lived longer than their contemporaries. In Italy, in the 17th century, the mean age at death was below 40 years.

Key words: Cardiovascular deaths, Diseases of the popes, Gout, Kidney and bladder stones, Renal deaths, Stroke, Successful aging.