Pope is a woman: the greatest mystery of the Catholic Church

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Studying the ancient chronicles, scientists are struggling with the questions whether the events took place in reality or were just fiction. One of the greatest legends of the Middle Ages, which has not yet been solved, is considered to be the management of the Catholic Church by a woman. She is known by the name Pope John.

Due to the antiquity of the events taking place (9th century), it is impossible to accurately assert or deny the existence of a female pope in the Vatican. Such a resonant event was probably hidden and could be deleted from official documents. But several chronicles have survived, the authors of which spoke out for the reality of this event.

Supporters of the existence of a woman-pope rely on the repeated mention of her in ancient chronicles. The earliest evidence is the work of Anastasius (curator of the papal library) of the 9th century. This is followed by the life of the pope in the Chronica Universalis Mettensis, dated to the 13th century. Every author who mentioned John added new "facts" to her biography. But if we discard absolutely fantastic events and generalize all the chronicles, then the life of the first pope could look like this.

Joanna was the daughter of an English preacher. She followed her father during his travels and by the age of 12 she could read sermons to the pagans no worse than her father. By the age of 15, the girl was left an orphan and came to the Blitrudy monastery, where she became the keeper of the library. A young monk arrived there, who was to rewrite the letter of the holy Apostle Paul in gold letters. After the work was completed, the monk left the monastery with Joanna.

After long wanderings, their paths parted, and the girl went to Rome. For a couple of years, her ministry continued in the monastery of St. Martin, John was diligently engaged in the sciences. Soon she was "noticed" by Pope Leo IV and appointed his secretary. John was rapidly climbing the career ladder, and after the death of the pope, she was unanimously named his successor.

If before the accession of John to the papal throne, the opinions of historians regarding the biography of a woman diverged, then the period after the beginning of the reign is described by everyone in the same way. For two years, five months and four days, the Pope, named John VIII, ruled. This would have continued if she had not become pregnant. During the procession of the cross through the streets of Rome, the pope's childbirth began. Outraged and enraged by such a deception, the crowd dragged John across the pavement and threw stones at her and the child. According to legend, a plate was placed at the place of their death with the inscription: "Petre, Pater Patrum, Papissae Prodito Partum" ("O Peter, Father of the Fathers, expose the birth of a son by the Pope").

After the death of John in 857, a tradition arose in the Vatican: during the election of a new pope, to have a sexual examination. For this, the pontiff was seated on a chair with a hole and, in the presence of several people, they checked whether he was a man. Confirmation was the words: "Mas nobis dominus est" ("Our Lord we have a man"). It was only in the 16th century that Pope Leo X abolished this procedure.

Another proof of the existence of the pope can be called the speeches of the preacher Jan Hus. When he, convicted of heresy, defended himself before the Catholic court, he exclaimed: "How can the church be spotless and flawless if Pope John VIII turned out to be a woman who publicly gave birth to a child." At that moment, none of the confessors present objected to him. Papess John was not the only woman who secretly passed herself off as a man. These 7 historical female characters dressed as men they did not want to put up with their position and performed real feats while in a different guise.