India, May 5 -- The history of this ancient process is frequently the subject of attention as the world gets ready for the next papal "Conclave". One story that sticks out among the numerous that are woven across the Vatican's lengthy history is the longest papal election ever, which lasted almost three years.

It was 1268, twenty cardinals met in the Italian town of Viterbo to select Pope Clement IV's successor after his death. However, intense political rivalries and disagreements caused a deadlock, turning a process that should have taken days into one that lasted months and eventually years. For 1,006 days, the Catholic community waited while St. Peter's seat remained vacant, as reported by The Associated Press.

There were tensions. ...