John Paul II becomes third-longest serving Pope in history

Yesterday, the Holy Father became the third-longest serving Pope in history. He has now been in office for 9,282 days - nearly 26 years. Over the past 2,000 years, only two Popes have served longer. The first was St Peter, the apostle chosen by Jesus. He is believed to have lead the Church for between 34 and 37 years. The next longest-serving Pope was Pius IX, who was elected in 1846 and reigned for 31 years. Source: VIS