There's no single "first" evil pope, as "evil" is subjective, but Pope John XII (955-964) is notoriously cited for extreme immorality, accused of murder, adultery, and incest, while Pope Stephen VI (896-897) is infamous for the "Cadaver Synod" where he exhumed and tried his predecessor, Pope Formosus. Other often-named "bad popes" include Benedict IX, accused of selling the papacy, and Alexander VI (Borgia), known for nepotism and worldliness.
Deemed "the most unfortunate of the popes", Clement VII's reign was marked by a rapid succession of political, military, and religious struggles—many long in the making—which had far-reaching consequences for Christianity and world politics.
This is the story of Pope Sylvester II, born Gerbert d'Aurillac: wandering monk, imperial tutor, cathedral canon, one-time abbot, Ottonian spy, siege engineer, archbishop, and pope. His remarkable rise was attributed to a pact with the Devil.
Pope Victor I (died 199) was a Roman African prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Rome in the late second century. The dates of his tenure are uncertain, but one source states he became pope in 189 and gives the year of his death as 199. He was born in the Roman Province of Africa.
Pope Boniface VIII (1294-1303), in his famous papal bull, "Unam Sanctam," said, "We declare, affirm, define, and pronounce that it is altogether necessary for salvation — that every creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff!" However, he himself was so corrupt that Dante, who visited him during his pontificate, called ...
The headline around the world was that Pope Benedict XVI had endorsed the use of condoms, albeit under special circumstances.
Pope Innocent III (Latin: Innocentius III; born Lotario de' Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 until his death in 1216. Pope Innocent was one of the most powerful and influential of the medieval popes.
The "pope for 33 days" refers to Pope John Paul I (born Albino Luciani), who served the Catholic Church from August 26, 1978, until his sudden death on September 28, 1978, making his papacy one of the shortest in history, known for his warm smile and efforts to reform Church institutions before his unexpected passing. He was later beatified by Pope Francis in 2022, becoming "Blessed John Paul I".
On May 15, Saldanha, having received the papal brief only a fortnight before, declared that the Jesuits were guilty of having exercised "illicit, public, and scandalous commerce" in Portugal and its colonies.
Sixtus IV had a kid with his sister.
That didn't stop him from policing the sexual appetites of his underlings, though. He created a church tax on prostitutes and charged priests for having mistresses. Sixtus IV also had a taste for nepotism, as did many other popes: He made six of his nephews cardinals.
In 2023, Pope Francis even called for the decriminalization of homosexuality, a move that reverberated throughout the world. Under his watch, trans people could be baptized and serve as godparents in certain situations. His ministry turned the universal church's relationship with the LGBTQ community in a new direction.
Since the 1970s some antipopes, with only a minuscule following, took the name Pope Peter II. Probably because of the controversial 15th-century antipope known as John XXIII, this name was avoided for over 500 years until the election in 1958 of Cardinal Angelo Roncalli.
The circumstances have ranged from martyrdom (Pope Stephen I) to war (Lucius II), to an alleged beating by a jealous husband (Pope John XII). A number of other popes have died under circumstances that some believe to be murder, but for which definitive evidence has not been found.
Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846) railed: "against the publication, distribution, reading, and possession of books of the holy Scriptures translated into the vulgar tongue." Pope Leo XII called the Protestant Bible the "Gospel of the Devil" in an encyclical letter of 1824.
Even as Catholic dogma continues to repudiate same-sex marriage and gender transition, one of the most prominent religious orders in the United States — the Jesuits — is strengthening a unique outreach program for LGBTQ Catholics. The initiative — fittingly called Outreach — was founded two years ago by the Rev.
The Carthusians (Order of Carthusians) are widely considered the strictest Catholic order, known for their extreme solitude, silence, and austerity, combining eremitical (hermit) and cenobitic (community) life with most members living in secluded cells for prayer and manual labor, minimizing contact with the world. While other orders like the Trappists and Victims of the Sacred Heart of Jesus are also very strict, the Carthusians are renowned for never having reformed because their life, rooted in the Rule of St. Bruno, has remained essentially unchanged for centuries, emphasizing deep contemplation and detachment.
Pope John Paul II - Wikipedia.
Sexuality. While taking a traditional position on sexuality, defending the Church's moral opposition to marriage for same-sex couples, the pope asserted that persons with homosexual inclinations possess the same inherent dignity and rights as everybody else.
Albino Luciani, fondly known as “The Smiling Pope,” holds a unique place in the history of the papacy, despite his remarkably brief pontificate of just 34 days.
Catholicism is globally growing, especially in Africa and Asia, with the total number of Catholics increasing, but it's declining as a percentage of the population in some Western countries like Europe and the US, where church attendance and affiliation are falling, though younger generations show varied engagement, with some finding renewed interest. The overall picture is complex: rapid growth in the Global South contrasts with contraction in the West.
Pope Benedict XVI - Wikipedia.