Over the last 21 centuries, there have been more than 260 popes. Some have lasted fewer than 20 days on the job, a couple were just in their 20s when they ascended to the Vatican’s top job, and one particularly ill-tempered pope so detested cats that he ordered them to be killed, unwittingly fueling the Black Death because our feline friends weren’t around to do away with all the rats.

But only three popes have served past age 86. The Washington Post noted this past week that Pope Francis is one of them. When he became pope 10 years ago, the man who was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires in December 1936 believed his pontificate would be brief – “four or five years, or two or three,” he said – and many others shared that assumption. But, here we are, a decade later, and Francis shows no signs of going anywhere, and he doesn’t seem intent on following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who stepped down at age 85 before he became infirm.

Pope Francis is, of course, not the only octogenarian in a leadership position in the world – President Biden turned 80 in November, and from all indications would like to win another term and serve until January 2029, two months past his 86th birthday. Former President Trump would like his old job back, and would be heading toward 83 at the end of his term. It’s rare for the leaders of major industrialized democracies to hang on past their 80th birthdays, but it’s not unprecedented – Winston Churchill served a second tour of duty as Britain’s prime minister from 1951 to 1955, stepping down when he was 81, and Konrad Adenauer, the first chancellor of West Germany following World War II, stayed until 1963, when he was 87. Historians consider both Churchill and Adenauer as the greatest leaders of their respective countries.

Experts have pointed out that people who have climbed as high on the ladder as Biden, Trump, or former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is still in Congress but stepped down from her leadership role at age 82, are what can be described as “superagers” – individuals with the education, resources and access to high-quality health care that would allow them to live long and vital lives.

And, it should be noted, lifespans have been increasing across the board. In addition, throughout its history, the United States has elected presidents who were considered “old” in their time: George Washington became president at age 57 when male life expectancy was less than 40; Franklin Roosevelt was elected to a fourth term at age 62, and Dwight Eisenhower was elected to his first term when he was 62. When Eisenhower first sought the White House in 1952, his age then was a matter of discussion and concern; now, no one would raise an eyebrow at a 62-year-old seeking the White House. Maybe not even a 72-year-old.

Word is that the Rolling Stones are about to release a new album and head out on the road again. The group’s frontman, Mick Jagger will be 80 this summer. They will undoubtedly sell out every stadium in which they appear. If nothing else, that should demonstrate that the skills and abilities of eighty-somethings should be appreciated and not so quickly dismissed.

— Uniontown Herald Standard