Another milestone for JPII

Yesterday John Paul, who marked the 25th anniversary of his election as pope on Oct. 16, passed Pope Leo XIII to become the third-longest-serving pontiff in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Vatican lists St. Peter, the first pope, as serving from A.D. 30 to 64 or 67 — a total of either 34 or 37 years. Second on the longevity list is Pius IX, who served 31 years, seven months and 17 days until July 20, 1903.