In 1276, the Catholic Church witnessed an unprecedented historical event: four different men sat on the papal throne successively within a single calendar year.
We had two popes in one year in 2025, with the death of Pope Francis and the election of Leo XIV. Some people can still remember the last time we had three popes in one year: 1978, when Paul VI died and was succeeded by John Paul I, who reigned for only 33 days before his death shocked the world. John Paul II was elected shortly afterwards. But four popes in one year? It sounds like part of the plot of a Dan Brown thriller … and certainly, it has been centuries since it happened. Here’s the story!
Gregory X, who reformed papal conclaves
Pope Gregory X was elected after an extraordinarily long election process in Viterbo, Italy, that lasted from 1268 to 1271. He promulgated the constitution Ubi periculum, which governed future papal elections. Cardinals were confined in a special area of the papal palace under lock and key (cum clave). Their food was progressively restricted the longer they took to elect a new pope, and they were prohibited from leaving the premises until the election concluded.
Following a four-year pontificate, the Pope died on January 10, 1276, in Arezzo, Italy, paving the way for a series of rapid changes. Born Tedaldo Visconti around 1210 in Piacenza, Gregory X was a Third Order Franciscan and a promoter of the Crusades.
Innocent V, the first Dominican
On January 21, 1276, just one day after the first conclave under the new rules began, Peter of Tarentaise of Savoy was elected. He took the name Innocent V. As a Dominican friar, a professor at the University of Paris, and a collaborator of St. Albert the Great and St. Thomas Aquinas, Innocent V continued his predecessor’s efforts to promote the Crusades and reconcile the Latin Church with the Eastern Church. He also established the tradition of the pope wearing a white cassock (the habit of the Dominicans).
After only five months as pontiff, he died after a short illness (possibly malaria) in Rome on June 22. He was about 51 years old.
Adrian V, a pope who wasn’t even ordained a priest
The cardinals elected Ottobono Fieschi of Genoa on July 11, 1276. A diplomat known for his mediation in England, he became Pope Adrian V. His only major decision was to suspend the strict conclave rules set by Gregory X. However, Adrian V died in Viterbo on August 18 after just 38 days in office, before he could even be ordained a priest. He had been made a cardinal three years earlier by his uncle, Innocent IV.
John XXI, a Portuguese doctor
On September 8, 1276, Pedro Julião of Lisbon ascended to the throne as Pope John XXI. He remains the only Portuguese pontiff in history. The son of a pharmacist, John XXI studied medicine in Paris, Salerno, and Palermo. He is often identified as the author of the Thesaurus pauperum (a medical guidebook for the poor). Gregory X appointed him archbishop of Braga, Portugal, in 1272.
During his eight-month pontificate, the Holy Father mediated between the kings of France and Castile, financed universities, and built a library in the papal palace in Viterbo. He died on May 20, 1277, from injuries sustained when the roof of his study collapsed on top of him.
Context and significance
Was the year of the four popes more than a historical curiosity? These short pontificates resulted from fortuitous — or perhaps providential — circumstances, not foul play (as far as we know). However, the papacy was undoubtedly going through a notable crisis at the time. The Church was embroiled in conflicts with rulers like Charles I of Sicily and Rudolf of Habsburg. At the same time, it was grappling with institutional decay, evidenced by the three-year sede vacante period just a few years prior.
This entire historical episode from 1268 to 1276 ultimately contributed to the stabilization of papal election procedures. Pope Nicholas III became the next pontiff in November 1277. His papacy lasted until 1280 and was marked by a period of reforms. He strengthened papal control over the Papal States and streamlined the papal chancery’s work. He also supported the still-young Dominican and Franciscan orders, and resolved a conflict over poverty among the Franciscans.
