The Bad Popes: From Peter to Benedict XVI

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The Bad PopesFrom Peter to Benedict XVI

• By Tihamer Tee Toth-Fejel
• St. Marys Graduate Student and Young
  Professional Group
• December 19, 2005

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Peter (?-64 C.E.)

• Uneducated
• Headstrong
• Impetuous
• Denied that he even knew Jesus
• Abandoned Jesus at Calvary

Christian Era
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Hippolytus (175-235 C.E.)

• Disciple of Irenaeus Origen heard him preach
• Spoke out against Monarchian heresy
• Harshly criticized Pope Zephyrinus for not
  condemning the Modalist heresy and for being a
  tool of deacon Callistus
• When Callistus become pope, Hippolystus became
  the first anti-pope
• Reconciled with Pope Pontian when both exiled to
  work the mines
• Canonized as martyr

Christian Era
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Pope Sylvester I (reigned 314-135 C.E.)

• Unremarkable bishop of Rome at time of
  Constantine
• In 328 AD, Emperor Constantine moved back to
  Istanbul (Constantinople), giving the bishops of
  Rome his Roman residence in perpetuity.
• Many years later, someone wrote about this event,
  embroidering it a bit
• and that is where the trouble
  began.

Christian Era
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Church and State Gelasius I(reigned 492-496
C.E.)

• The Byzantine Emperors thought that they were
  both temporal and spiritual leaders, as in
  Melchizedek of the O.T.
• Gelasius disagreed, saying that the unity of
  powers lies exclusively in Jesus Christ. He wrote
  to Emperor Anastasius I
• Because of human weakness, they have separated
  for the times that followed, so that neither
  should become proud.
• Benedict XVI points out that only the United
  States has continued this model of free churches,
  separated from the world but with a special
  religious mission towards it (vs. the two
  European models of radical secularism or the
  state church)

Christian Era
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The Donation of Constantine (750-850 C.E.)

• A document from Constantine to Sylvester
• Believed by Pepin II
• First quoted by Pope Leo IX in 1054 A.D.
• First challenged as a forgery in 1450 A.D.
• Support the claims of the popes to secular power
  in Italy? Or establish legitimacy for the Emperor?

Christian Era
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Emperor Leo III vs Pope Gregory II (726 C.E.)

• For 400 years, the Emperors ruled Rome loosely
  from afar, and things were tolerably ok.
• Because of Muslim successes, Leo ordered all
  graven images to be destroyed.
• Gregory differentiated between idol worship and
  reverence to people represented by images.
• The Italians became independent of the Byzantine
  Greeks
• Resulting in a power vacuum.

Christian Era
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Anastasius (810-879 C.E.)

• Almost antipope vs. Pope Benedict III
• Supported by Emperor Louis II
• Excommunicated twice
• Nasty brother
• Librarian and counselor to three popes Nicholas
  I (855-67) , Adrian II (867-72), and John VIII
  (872-82).

Christian Era
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The House of Spoleto vs. The House of
Theophylac (896-963 C.E.)
Vs. the Carolingians (Franks), etc., etc.,

• Families fought for the papacy as a means to
  power in Italy (and Europe).
• The Women Ageltruda, Theodora, Marozia
• Cadaver Synod Stephen VII tried Formosus
• Seven popes in seven years

Christian Era
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The Theophylac Women Theodora and Marozia

• Theodora - wife of Roman Senator Theophylactus
• Supposedly slept with John X
• Marozia supposedly slept with Sergius III to
  produce John XI
• We only have records from their enemies

Christian Era
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Theophylac Family Tree
John X Reigned 914-928
Theophylacus (d 924)
Theodora (d 924)
Marozia (b 890) Senatrix 926-932
Theodora II
Alberic of Camerino (b 915)
Sergius III Reigned 904-911
Alberic II (b ???) Prince 932-954
John XI Reigned 931-936
John XII (b 937) Reigned 955-964
Gregory (d 1012) Count of Tusculum
Alberic III (b ??) Count
John XIX Reigned 1024-1032
Benedict VIII Reigned 1012-1024
Benedict IX (b 1018) Reigned 1032-1048
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Pope Benedict IX sold papacy to Gregory VI for
love ( 3/4 ton of gold)

• 1032 Undisciplined brat given absolute power
• Within six months, he had to flee for his life
• Three years later, he had to flee again Germans
  re-installed him
• 1044 Antipope Sylvester III elected when Germans
  left
• Fell in love sold papacy to his godfather
  Gregory VI for 1,500 lbs of gold fell out of
  love
• Rome got tired of three popes appealed to
  Emperor
• Sylvester arrested Benedict deposed Gregory
  resigned
• When Pope Clement II died, Benedict returned
• How did it end?

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The Western Schism (1378-1417)

• 1376 Catherine of Sienna got Gregory XI to return
  to Rome.
• 1377 Sixteen (mostly Italian) cardinals elected
  Urban VI and the other six (mostly French)
  cardinals approved.
• Within months, thirteen cardinals went into
  conclave at Fondi and elected Clement VII, who
  moved to Avignon.
• Mutual excommunications
• In Rome, Boniface IX succeeded Urban VI
• Benedict XIII succeeded Clement VII in Avignon.
• 1389 In Rome, Innocent VII succeeded Boniface IV,
  and two years later was replaced by Gregory XII.
• Gregory and Benedict agreed to meet and abdicate
  if the other did.
• 1409 Council at Pisa deposed the two pontiffs,
  and elected Alexander V, who was succeeded by
  John XXIII.
• 1414-17 The Council of Constance deposed John and
  (eventually) Benedict Gregory resigned.
• Pope Martin V elected

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Colonna vs. Orsini

• Colonna
• 27 cardinals, starting in 1192
• Martin V (1417 - 1431)
• Orsini
• Celestine III (reigned 1191 - 1198)
• Nicholas III (reigned 1277 - 1288)
• Benedict XIII (reigned 1724 - 1730)
• Over a dozen cardinals

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The Saintly Hermit and the Bloodthirsty Lawyer

• 1294 Conclave had been meeting for 18 months.
• Letter promising damnation from hermit
• Ecclesiastical royal parties climbed 1000 foot
  mountain
• But Celestine V achieved a disorganized mess
  abdicated in 6 months
• 1297 Boniface VIII vs. Colonna excommunication,
  crusade, betrayal
• How did it end?

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The Bloodthirsty Lawyers Legacy

• Celestine V died in prison after a wild chase by
  royal and papal forces Canonized in 1313
• Feud between Colonna and the Orsini continued
• Borgia pope Alexander VI (1492-1503) tried to
  destroy both the Colonna and the Orsini
• 1527 Colonna allied with the French Imperialists
  to sack Rome for five months
• 1571 Pope Sixtus V married nieces to both
  families

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Infallibility

• Not always right, but never wrong
• Even heretics and pagans recognized Popes
  special role (2nd and 5th Centuries)
• Caiphas (John 1149-52)
• The Church a human organization?
• Can the gates of hell prevail? (Matthew 1618)
• Pillar of truth? (1 Timothy 315)
• Only alternative is private judgment

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Infallibility and Private Judgment
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Infallibility and History

• No ex cathedra definition of any pope has ever
  been shown to be erroneous.
• Pope Liberius (reigned 352-66) alleged to
  subscribe to Arianism and condemn St. Athanasius.
• Pope Honorius (reigned 625-638), alleged to teach
  Monothelite heresy.

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Infallibility and History (cont.)

• Slavery
• Usury
• Galileo vs. Paul V and Urban VIII
• Fallible tribunal
• Conflict of personalities

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Inquisition

• Purpose investigate and combat errors
• Difficult for moderns to understand because
• Religious belief is no longer objective or
  important civic duty
• Church is no longer seen as belonging to God
• The Inquisition during the Middle Ages
• Those that were found to be blind fanatics were
  deposed and incarcerated for life.
• The Inquisition in Spain
• Early Inquisitors were martyred by heretics
  (1200s)
• Isabel and Ferdinand vs. secret Jews and Muslims
• Torquemada was installed to prevent abuses

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Summary

• 266 Popes
• 7-10 corrupt (20 if you dont believe Church
  teaching on infallibility, original sin,
  contraception, and homosexual acts 77 if
  youre an Old Catholic)
• 78 canonized
• 10 married (six canonized)

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Questions

• Are the sacraments valid if administered by a bad
  person? Why?
• Are the teachings of a pope valid even if he is a
  bad person? Why?
• What is the difference between infallibility,
  impeccability, and inspired by God?
• How do we know that the popes are infallible?
• By what authority do the popes have to spend all
  this money building opulent papal excess? Hint
  Who accused Lazaruss sister Mary of
  extravagance? (John 123-5) What is the Vatican
  budget?