在《[[宗座年鑑]]》中提到[[教宗斯德望二世|德範二世（三世）]]時，附有一道註釋：「[[聖匝加]]死時，羅馬神父德範被選為新教宗，但是，由於他隔四天後便死亡，未及參加他的『[[主教|奉獻禮]]』，根據《[[天主教法典]]》此時其任職才真正生效，因此其姓名沒有登記在宗座書籍上，亦不見於其他教宗列表。」<ref name=AP2012>Annuario Pontificio 2012 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2012 ISBN 978-88-209-8722-0), p. 11*</ref>

然而後來直到1975年10月1日還有效的教會法<ref>On that date, Pope Paul VI changed the law, laying down in his apostolic constitution ''[http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19751001_romano-pontifici-eligendo_lt.html Romano Pontifici eligendo] http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19751001_romano-pontifici-eligendo_lt.html |date=20171213163518 '' that (to quote an [http://www.ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/p6elect.htm English version of the document] http://www.ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/p6elect.htm |date=20150924045925 ), "88. After his acceptance, the person elected, if he be a bishop, is straightway bishop of Rome, true pope, and head of the episcopal college. He possesses and can exercise full and supreme power over the universal Church. If, however, the elected person does not possess the episcopal character, he is to be immediately ordained a bishop." Pope Paul VI's change of the law was incorporated into the [http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_P15.HTM 1983 Code of Canon Law] http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_P15.HTM |date=20150903033401 : "Can. 332 §1 The Roman Pontiff acquires full and supreme power in the Church when, together with episcopal consecration, he has been lawfully elected and has accepted the election. Accordingly, if he already has the episcopal character, he receives this power from the moment he accepts election to the supreme pontificate. If he does not have the episcopal character, he is immediately to be ordained Bishop."</ref>，都把當選當下視為某人成為教宗的時刻，因此德範便被[[時代錯誤]]地稱作教宗德範二世。有些作者，但並非全部，從而把之後所有名為德範的教宗編號增加了一位，使得由德範三世至德範十世的八位教宗也分別順序稱為德範二世至德範九世。1961年，他的名字被從《宗座年鑑》中移除<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=M0H-hg07b1kC&pg=PA121&dq=McBrien+%22name+in+1961%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=i_TaUa71Ds-h7Abm5ID4Bg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=McBrien%20%22name%20in%201961%22&f=false |title=Richard P. McBrien, ''Lives of the Popes'' (Harper Collins 2013 ISBN 978-0-06228834-9), p. 121 |accessdate=2015-09-01 |archive-date=2016-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922053623/https://books.google.com/books?id=M0H-hg07b1kC&pg=PA121&dq=McBrien+%22name+in+1961%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=i_TaUa71Ds-h7Abm5ID4Bg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=McBrien%20%22name%20in%201961%22&f=false |dead-url=no }}</ref>。