Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci (2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) to an Italian comital family, reigned from 20 February 1878 to his death in 1903. He was the oldest pope (reigning until the age of 93), and had the third longest pontificate, behind that of Pius IX (his immediate predecessor) and John Paul II. He is the most recent pontiff to date to take the pontifical name of "Leo" upon being elected to the pontificate.