History Trivia

March 23,752 Stephen's two-day pontificate began. Unanimously elected to succeed Zachary, Stephen II died before he could be consecrated, so his pontificate was never really considered official. He was not entered into the official Liber Pontificalis and his successor, also named Stephen, was considered the second and not the third pope to bear the name. This has led to some inconsistency in the numbering of popes named Stephen.