Below we publish a few fun facts about Conclaves in modern history
provided for us by Dr. Donald Prudlo, Associate Professor of History at
Jacksonville State University, Alabama:
1740 election of Benedict XIV (d. 1758). 51 electors, 4 died during conclave
18 Feb - 17 August (181 days) (LONGEST IN MODERN HISTORY)
1758 election of Clement XIII (d. 1769)
45 electors, 44 at final ballot. 15 May - 6 July (53 days)
1769 election of Clement XIV (d. 1774) (Clement was O.F.M. Conv.)
46 electors 15 Feb - 19 May (94 days)
1774-1775 election of Pius VI (d. 1799)
44 electors, 2 died 5 Oct 1774 - 15 Feb 1775 (133 days)
1799-1800 election of Pius VII (d. 1823) (Venice: Rome occupied, last election outside of Rome)
34 electors 1 Dec 1799 - 14 March 1800 (105 days)
1823 election of Leo XII (d. 1829)
49 electors 2 Sep - 28 - Sep (27 days)
1829 election of Pius VIII (d. 1830)
50 electors 24 Feb - 31 March (36 days)
1830-1831 election of Gregory XVI (d. 1846) (LAST CARDINAL NOT A BISHOP TO BE ELECTED)
45 electors 14 Dec 1830 - 2 Feb 1831 (51 days)
1846 Bl. Pius IX (d. 1878) (beginning of the short conclaves)
50 electors 14-16 June (3 days)
1878 Leo XII (d. 1903) (First non European Cardinal arrives too late, John McCloskey of NYC)
61 electors 18-20 Feb (3 days)
1903 St. Pius X (d. 1914) (First non-European elector, Gibbons, Baltimore; last ius exclusivae -- the so-called 'veto' which was formally abolished by Pius X)
64 electors 7 Ballots
31 Jul - 4 Aug (4 days)
1914 Benedict XV (d. 1922) (2 Americans and 1 Quebecer locked out of Conclave having arrived late; 1st Latin American Cardinal)
57 electors 10 ballots
(31 Aug - 3 Sep)
1922
Pius XI (d. 1939) (2 Americans and 1 Quebecer locked out of
Conclave AGAIN -- after this Conclave, a 15 day rule was intituted to
allow all Cardinal electors time to arrive) 53 electors 14 ballots
2-6 Feb (5 days)
1939 Piux XII (d. 1958) (1st Eastern Rite Patriarch participates)
62 electors (all living cardinals) 3 ballots (FEWEST BALLOTS and SHORTEST CONCLAVE
1-2 March (2 days)
1958 Bl. John XXIII (d. 1963) (First Chinese, Indian, and African Cardinals) 51 electors 11 ballots
25-28 Oct (4 days)
1963 Paul VI (d. 1978) 80 electors 6 ballots
19-21 June (3 days)
1978 (1) John Paul I (d. 1978) (First conclave where over -80s didn’t participate) 111 electors 4 ballots
25-26 Aug (2 days)
1978 (2) Bl. John Paul II (d. 2005) 111 electors 8 ballots
14-16 Oct (3 days)
2005 Benedict XVI 115 electors (EQUALS LARGEST NUMBER, 115 this time) 4 ballots
18-19 April (2 days)
2013 First conclave in Lent since 1829