What do you call old? John Paul II was 58 (? - I can’t find the exact dates he took power so I might be off by a year depending on birthday) which is relatively young. He then remained in power for 27 years (again because I can’t find exact days I might be off by a year). Which as others have pointed out is a problem: that was 27 years where anyone (read cardinal) who didn’t like the current direction had no ability to do anything. IIRC the previous popes before him only served a few years and so there was concern that they hadn’t served long enough to be useful leaders and at the time someone who would be around longer was desired.
Of course if you are 20 58 seems really old. However when you get older it no longer seems old. With average lifespans of about 80, at 60 you still have 20 more years. OTOH, starting about 65 deaths from natural causes start taking off (younger than that death is nearly always an accident) . How do you want to define old?
What do you call old? John Paul II was 58 (? - I can’t find the exact dates he took power so I might be off by a year depending on birthday) which is relatively young. He then remained in power for 27 years (again because I can’t find exact days I might be off by a year). Which as others have pointed out is a problem: that was 27 years where anyone (read cardinal) who didn’t like the current direction had no ability to do anything. IIRC the previous popes before him only served a few years and so there was concern that they hadn’t served long enough to be useful leaders and at the time someone who would be around longer was desired.
Of course if you are 20 58 seems really old. However when you get older it no longer seems old. With average lifespans of about 80, at 60 you still have 20 more years. OTOH, starting about 65 deaths from natural causes start taking off (younger than that death is nearly always an accident) . How do you want to define old?