The most wicked popes in Vatican history: shocking facts

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

In 2000 years of history Vatican not all pages were white and not all Popes - the righteous. Among those people who were supposed to serve as an example for millions were usurpers, libertines, indulgence merchants and warmongers. For centuries, the papal see has been at the center of European politics, and those who wore the mantle have not escaped its brutal methods. And the idea of the standard of virtue has undergone significant changes over time. Which Popes went down in history as the most wicked?

Pope Stephen VI (in some sources VII) for a short time of his reign managed not to "leave a trace" in history, but to "inherit" in it. In 897, he became the initiator of the most terrible trial, called the "Corpse Synod". By order of Stephen VI, the corpse of Pope Formosus, his predecessor and ideological opponent, was exhumed and put on trial. In a grisly trial, the half-decayed corpse was seated on the throne and symbolically interrogated. He was accused of treachery, declared his election invalid, chopped off his fingers, dragged through the Roman streets and buried in the grave of unknown strangers. During the synod, an earthquake occurred, which the Romans took as a sign from above and overthrew Stephen VI.

Pope John XII, who ruled from 955 to 964, was accused of adultery, perjury, and the sale of church lands and privileges. Liutprand Cremona states in his chronicles: “I have clear evidence that he commits adultery with the widow Rainier, with Stephanie, his father’s concubine, with the widow Anna, his niece, and turned the holy place into the house of sh..h”. He was killed by a man who found him in bed with his wife.

Pope Benedict IX went down in history as one of the most cynical and immoral rulers. He was accused of rape, sodomy and organizing orgies. He was called "the devil from hell in the guise of a priest." He also tried to sell the throne and then return to power again.

Pope Urban VI initiated a schism in the Roman Catholic Church in 1378 and sowed a struggle for the throne that lasted almost 40 years. He was known for his violent and oppressive nature.

Pope John XXII turned remission of sins into a kind of business: the more grave the sin was, the more valuable was its forgiveness. And Pope Leo X went even further: he decided that the "tariffs" were too low and increased the cost of indulgences. He himself was famous for his extravagance and devastated the Vatican treasury. For large sums, he forgave the sins of murderers and incest perpetrators. This caused a wave of indignation and opposition to the papacy, in particular, Martin Luther.

Pope Alexander VI is usually called the most immoral and scandalous. He was notorious for his lecherous behavior and nepotism. Rodrigo Borgia achieved the Holy See through bribery, accused of adultery, incest, and poisoning. However, it is worth noting that Alexander VI was also blamed for those sins that he did not commit - his figure was overgrown with the greatest number of rumors.

The indulgence trade is a thing of the past, like the others 10 beliefs and traditions that the Christian church has abandoned