In the 13th century, it took almost three years — 1,006 days to be exact — to choose Pope Clement IV's successor, making it the longest conclave in the Catholic Church’s history. It's also ...

In the 13th century, it took almost three years — 1,006 days to be exact — to choose Pope Clement IV’s successor, making it the longest conclave in the Catholic Church’s history.

Here are some facts about conclaves past, derived from historical studies including Miles Pattenden's “Electing the Pope in Early Modern Italy, 1450–1700,” and interviews with experts ...