Someone should have told them before they elected John Paul II, aged 58!
The last non-cardinal elected Pope was Urban VI, in 1378.
Cecil’s take on the subject: http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mpope.html
Or maybe Dan Brown should research more carefully.
Cecil didn’t write that, SDSTAFF Ian did.
Dan Brown didn’t say that, to my recollection…in fact, the major plot point is that:
The Carmelengo, who is just a priest, is eventually elected by the college of cardinals to be the new Pope.
That’s reason enough to get married, so you disqualify yourself from having to move to Rome and be papal.
A few years ago, I read a novel about a widowed, American with kids who by some plot fluke was elected pope. Anyone remember that? It seemd like it was pretty historaically dead on to me. 