For almost two millenia the mandatory retirement age for the Catholic Church’s spiritual leader was death.

As a card-carrying Catholic, I studied this.

Now it seems we need to start a retirement fund for the position, as Pope Francis like his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI stated he was thinking of stepping down.

Since St. Peter in the year 30, 262 Popes have served the Catholic Church until death.  Pope Celestine V in 1294 due to poor health and Pope Gregory XII in 1415 stepped down to  end the Western Schism.  Continue reading →