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Pope-elect Stephen (died 25 March 752) was a Roman priest selected in March 752 to succeed Pope Zachary. Because he died before he was consecrated, he is considered only a pope-elect rather than a legitimate pope.

Papacy

In 745, Stephen was made a cardinal-priest by Pope Zachary. His titular church was San Crisogono. Zachary died in mid-March 752. On 23 March, Stephen was selected to become the new pope. He died of a stroke only days later, before being consecrated as bishop of Rome.

According to the canon law of the time, a pope's pontificate started upon his consecration. Later canon law, in force until 1 October 1975, considered that a man became pope the moment he accepted his election, and Pope-elect Stephen was then anachronistically called Pope Stephen II. Some writers, but not all, consequently regarded Stephen as a pope. His name was removed from the list of popes in the Annuario Pontificio in 1961.

See also

• List of 10 shortest-reigning popes
• Pope John XX

References

1. Horace Mann, "Pope Stephen II" in Catholic Encyclopedia (New York 2013)
2. History's great untold stories: larger than life characters & dramatic ... By Joseph Cummins. National Geographic Books. p. 13.
3. Annuario Pontificio 2012 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2012 ISBN 978-88-209-8722-0), p. 11*
4. For example, see Rev. Joseph Deharbe, S.J., A Full Catechism of the Catholic Religion (translated by Rev. John Fander; 1863), p. 60-61.
5. Richard P. McBrien, Lives of the Popes (Harper Collins 2013 ISBN 978-0-06228834-9), p. 121

• 8th-century popes
• Popes
• 752 deaths