Data: The Guardian, Axios research; Chart: Jacque Schrag/Axios

Pope Francis was the third twenty-first century pope — ascending after his predecessor, Benedict XVI, shocked the world with a resignation, the first in six centuries.

The big picture: The average length of a pontificate since post-1900 conclaves was about 12 years. Six out of the last 10 popes had pontificates longer than 10 years.

• From The Vatican, the pope acts as head of state, bishop of Rome, global Catholic Church leader and diplomat — meeting with the world’s most powerful leaders and weighing in on political issues from the centuries-old pulpit.
• As the 266th pope, Francis upheld tradition while breaking norms, like wearing more informal, white garb and taking more progressive stances than his predecessors — often to more conservative Catholics’ dismay.
• The first pontiff to hail from Argentina as well as the first take the name Francis, it was “an early indication perhaps of a reign he hopes will be marked by inspirational preaching and evangelisation,” The Guardian reported in 2013.
• His death at 88 sets off a search for new leadership.

By the numbers: John Paul II’s legacy looms large for even the most casual Catholicism observers for a reason: His reign lasted 26 years, the third-longest reign of all time.

• As the most widely traveled pope in history at the time, the Poland-born John Paul II was also the first to visit the White House. He was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years.

Before him, St. Peter — the first pope, whose pontificate began in year 30 — had the longest reign (more than 30 years) followed by Pius X (31 years) between 1846-1878.

Zoom in: Francis’ pontificate came after Benedict XVI abdicated, the first to do so voluntarily since Celestine V in 1294.

• Benedict’s papacy was marked by multiple scandals as well as his declining health; he stepped down at 85 after suffering from Parkinson’s disease and other health issues.
• There were reports of infighting within his Curia and controversial, conservative approaches to church doctrine.
• The clerical sex abuse crisis also spread more widely during his tenure, with reports across multiple countries in the 2010’s — rocking the Church’s reputation and implicating him for mishandling reports of abuse against some priests during his time as an archbishop in Germany.

Between the lines: While any Roman Catholic man can be named Pope, according to the College of Cardinals report, it’s typically a cardinal who fills the position.

• If a non-cardinal were to succeed Francis, it would be the first time since 1378.

Go deeper: Pope Francis dies on Easter Monday at 88