Pope Benedict IX. Benedict IX, Theophylact, Count of Tusculum

For many centuries, the Catholic Church has chosen the best and most worthy leader to lead its multi-million flock. However, among the 266 popes, not all were models of faith and obedience. Some of them are remembered for cruel punishments, shocking scandals and shady financial dealings.

Stephen VI

This pontiff ordered the exhumation of the body of his predecessor Formosus and a cruel trial against him. The body of the previous pope and opponent of Stephen VI was dressed in papal robes and placed in the defendant's chair. The corpse was asked questions, which were answered by the current pontiff himself. At the end of the trial, the body of Formosus was sentenced to cruel punishment. Three fingers of his hand, with which he blessed the believers, were cut off, and then his body was cut into pieces and thrown into the Tiber. This act did not please the Romans and many representatives of the church, and Pope Stephen VI was sent to prison, where he was strangled. The body of Formosus, cut into pieces, was fished out and reburied in the papal tomb.

John XII

This pontiff is rightfully considered the most immoral pope not only of his period, but also in the entire history of the Catholic Church. Having ascended the papal throne at the age of 18, John turned his palace into a brothel and gambled with donations from believers. Even Pope's ally Otto I, in a personal conversation, accused John XII of murder, perjury, blasphemy and incest with his sisters. According to some reports, John XII died at the hands of his husband, whose wife cheated on him with the pontiff. Finding them in bed, the enraged husband beat up dad. As a result of the beating, the pontiff died three days later.

Benedict IX

This pontiff ascended to the throne three times. The first time, according to conflicting data, he was between 12 and 20 years old. In any case, he was one of the youngest and most infamous popes in the history of the church. A German historian spoke of Benedict as a demon from hell who ascended to the Catholic throne in the guise of a priest. He was accused of murder, theft and adultery. According to the Roman historian, in the papal palace Benedict IX lived like an eastern sultan, surrounded by wealth and concubines.

Boniface VIII

Although this pope does not claim to be the most sinful, he is not a model of obedience and faith. After ascending the throne, he erected monuments to himself throughout Rome and declared that sexual relations with underage boys was no more sinful than rubbing one's palms together.

During his reign, he demolished an entire city due to political differences and earned himself a mortal enemy in the person of the great Dante Alighieri. It is curious that Boniface is in the eighth circle of hell in Dante's Divine Comedy.

Sixtus IV

This pontiff was accused of pedophilia and sodomy, and also that one of his nephews was the product of incest between Sixtus and his younger sister. However, it is difficult to trace the veracity of these accusations due to the fact that the pontiff had many influential enemies. What Sixtus IV can undoubtedly be accused of is nepotism. Almost all of his nephews were cardinals, and one of them even became a pope. In addition to his negative imprint on the history of the church, Sixtus was a faithful patron of art, science and architecture. He ordered the construction of the famous Sistine Chapel, and also restored many destroyed churches in Rome.

Innocent VIII

Innocent ascended the papal throne under the patronage of the Rovere family, to which his predecessor belonged. This is the only pontiff who openly acknowledged his illegitimate children, of whom there were eight. In addition, Innocent followed the lead of Heinrich Kramer, the infamous author of the Witches' Hammer, and issued a bull calling for the punishment of witches for association with the devil, which led to the famous inquisitorial trials against women throughout Europe.

Alexander VI

At the conclave, only 7 people voted for Alexander, and he resorted to bribery, practically buying the throne from other candidates. In the world of Rodrigo Borgia, he became pope in 1492. His reign was characterized by incestuous relationships, orgies and vast amounts of money. After the murder of his beloved son, the pontiff reconsidered his views on loose morals and calmed down, but did not become less cruel. On his orders, the famous and popular Girolamo Savonarola, who accused Alexander and other popes of depravity, was hanged. After Alexander failed to bribe the monk, he ordered Savonarola to be captured and imprisoned, and then sentenced to public execution. This act brought the Reformation much closer.

Julius II

Julius II is often called the most merciless pope. He was domineering, hot-tempered and incredibly active, he even took part in military campaigns in Italy, and in the forefront. His reign led to the expansion of papal dominions and the fall of Venice. Julius II is best known for his philanthropic activities, which surpassed even the efforts of his uncle Sixtus. However, Julius died from complications after syphilis, which he contracted as a result of connections with representatives of the ancient profession. By the end of the pontiff's life, his stupas were almost completely covered with sores, so much so that the faithful could not bow before them or kiss them.

Leo X

Leo X belonged to the Medici family and was a renowned patron of art and a noble spender. In addition to the fact that he squandered the entire treasury left by Julius II, his expenses significantly exceeded the income of the papacy. To support his luxurious lifestyle, the pontiff began selling indulgences and cardinalships. This attitude towards sin and remission led to outrage on the part of the clergy and even the laity. A scandal broke out, on the embers of which the plans of the reform movement matured.

Paul IV

Paul ascended the throne at an old age, but during the four years of his reign he created an absolute autocracy and increased the influence of the Inquisition. His most terrible order was the sending of all Jews to the ghetto and the humiliation to which they were subjected while living there. By order of the pontiff, synagogues practicing in Rome were also destroyed. Paul IV was so hated by the people that after his death the inhabitants of Rome destroyed all his statues and images.

Urban VIII

The reign of this pontiff was marked by the infamous trial of Galileo. The despotic Pope Urban did not appreciate the scientist’s attempt to disseminate his work on the heliocentric system of the world, and personally presided over the court. He suggested that Galileo publicly retract his words or stand at the stake, like Giordano Bruno. Galileo chose to save his life, and the church apologized for this attitude only several centuries later.

Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. For two millennia, the Vatican palaces have seen such sins of the holy fathers that the flock had never even heard of.

Stephen VI (VII): 896-897

He belonged to the noble Frankish family of the Guidonids and actively defended its interests. The pope's relatives were the Western emperors Guido and Lambert, with whom Stephen's predecessors had severe conflicts. One of them, Pope Formosus, paid for this after his death.

Formosa, who died in 896, was succeeded by Boniface VI, who also died two weeks later. Stephen VI (VII) ascended the throne. He ordered Formosus to be exhumed, dressed in papal vestments, and brought before an ecclesiastical court. The half-decomposed corpse was accused of violating church rules and oaths, as well as crowning an illegitimate representative of the Carolingian dynasty as Emperor of the West.

The election of Formosus as pope and all his decisions and actions were declared invalid. Stefan pronounced curses over the body and cut off three of his fingers, which were used to make the sign of the cross. Formosus' naked body was dragged through the streets and buried in a mass grave.

Stephen II died two days after his election as Pope, without having time to undergo the necessary rite of consecration as a bishop. Now his name is not included in the list of pontiffs, and all subsequent popes with the name Stephen are assigned double numbering.

The name of a kingdom that included modern France, Germany and Northern Italy in the 9th and 10th centuries.

"Pope Formosus and Stephen VI". Painting by Jean-Paul Laurent, 1870. Source: Museum of Fine Arts / Wikipedia

Sergius III: 904-911

The first pope of the period of pornocracy, when the Holy See was ruled by the wife and daughter of the Roman consul Theophylact from the family of Counts of Tuscolo.

Immediately after the inauguration ceremony, he ordered the strangulation of his deposed predecessors: Christopher and Leo V. Sergius spent his free time from politics with 15-year-old Marozia, the daughter of Theophylact. Her mother Theodora was the official custodian of the papal treasures.

“The influence of these two whores, Marozia and Theodora, was based on their beauty and wealth, and was also the result of their intrigues. They awarded their most persistent lovers with papal tiaras. The Holy See was occupied by the illegitimate son, grandson and great-grandson of Marozia. A rare genealogy for the vicars of St. Peter on Earth", wrote the 18th century English historian Edward Gibbon in his work “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.”

From the father's relationship with Marozia, a boy was born. 20 years after the death of Sergius, he will ascend the throne under the name of John XI and become the only illegitimate son of the Pope in history, who himself became a pope.

One of the most powerful families in Italy in the 10th-12th centuries. For a long time, family members simultaneously held the positions of pope (religious power) and consul of Rome (civil power).

From Greek - “rule of whores.”

Pope Sergius III. Illustration: Artaud de Montor / The Lives and Times of the Popes by Chevalier Artaud de Montor, New York: The Catholic Publication Society of America, 1911

John XII: 955-963

The last pope of the period of pornocracy was the son of the Roman patrician Alberich and the grandson of Marozia, the mistress of Sergius III. He was placed on the throne at the age of 18, so John’s reign can hardly be called mature. And yet, in 8 years, he managed to earn the title of the most immoral pope in the history of the Catholic Church.

The young pope was said to have turned the Lateran Basilica into a brothel and raped female pilgrims in St. Peter's Basilica. John loved to appeal to the pagan gods while playing dice, and at drinking parties he made toasts in the name of Satan. Many Romans considered him the devil incarnate.

He died, according to various sources, either from apoplexy during sex, or after being beaten by the insulted husband of one of his mistresses.

Papal residence from 4th to 14th century.

Death of Pope John XII. Illustration: Franco Cesati, Secrets of the Vatican and Papal Rome, vol. 1, 1861.

Benedict IX: 1032–1044, 1045, 1047–1048

Son of Count Tuscolo, nephew of Popes Benedict VIII and John XIX. He occupied the Holy See three times and sold it once.

One of the youngest dads in history. According to various sources, at the time of his first election he was 12, 18, 20 or 25 years old.

Unlike many of his predecessors, Benedict paid attention to church affairs - he held several councils to combat heresy and resolve conflicts between bishops.

In 1044 he left Rome: the Crescentia family defeated Tuscolo in an armed struggle for power over Rome. Giovanni dei Crescentii became Pope Sylvester III for two months. Soon the political situation changed, and Benedict returned to the throne. And a month later he sold the title to his godfather, Presbyter Giovanni Graziano. It is believed that the reason was Benedict's intention to marry his cousin.

Two years later, after the sudden death of Clement II, Benedict tried to reclaim the papacy, but encountered resistance from influential cardinals and the Holy Roman Emperor. The only three-time pope in history was excommunicated for simony. He was also accused of rape, homosexuality, and participation in orgies.

Sale and purchase of church positions, clergy and sacraments.

Pope Benedict IX. Illustration: Artaud de Montor / The Lives and Times of the Popes by Chevalier Artaud de Montor, New York: The Catholic Publication Society of America, 1911

Alexander VI: 1492-1503

The Spaniard Rodrigo Borgia paved the way to the Italian-occupied Holy See through intrigue and bribery. At his enthronement in 1492, the banker Cosimo de' Medici said: “Now we are all at the mercy of the wolf, perhaps the most predatory of all representatives of this species that has ever lived on earth. And if we fail to escape, he will inevitably devour us all."

Having become Pope Alexander, he proved himself to be a skilled diplomat and administrator. At the same time, he was the father of at least seven illegitimate children, whom he supported with money from church donations.

Possibly had an inappropriate relationship with his daughter Lucretia. This rumor was first started by her husband at the divorce trial. The Ambassador of the Duchy of Ferrara wrote to his master: « When asked whether the pope’s statement about his [Lucretia’s husband’s] inability to fulfill marital duties and that his marriage to Lucrezia was essentially fictitious was true, he categorically objected. On the contrary, he had frequent intercourse with his wife. However, the pope took Lucretia away from him in order to use her himself. In conclusion, he expressed everything he thought about His Holiness.”

Portrait of Pope Alexander VI. Painting by Cristofano del Altissimo.

Came across it here.
There is no way to guess how old the youngest Pope was. Now they are all old people over 70...
And this, Benedict IX (in the world Theophylact), the 145th pope, was elected according to all canons, crowned and put on the tiara at the age of 12 (according to some sources - at 18 or 20).

It was in 1032 and the throne was simply bought for him by his father, Count of Tusculum. Moreover, the “holy cause” in the family was not new: two of the new pope’s uncles were former popes (as many as two!).

In 1038, the rebel Romans drove out the young pope, who had managed to glorify himself exclusively by his dissolute life and violent debauchery (he was also accused of robbery, homosexuality and bestiality), but Emperor Conrad II brought him back. In 1045, history repeated itself, and this time the rebels installed a new pope on the throne - Sylvester III. The violent guy Benedict did not just give up, he recruited a gang of robbers, at the head of which he went on a rampage in the outskirts of Rome, robbed passers-by and trade caravans and carried out regular attacks on churches in the city.

The circumstances under which Pope Sylvester returned the throne to Benedict just three months later are not entirely clear. A dark history, covered with the dust of centuries. But Benedict sat on the throne for the third time.
Soon, however, he decided that the papal throne was still too turbulent a place, and decided to recoup his father's investment. He sold the tiara to a man who became the next pope under the name John XX. The new pope, together with the two previous ones (Benedict and Sylvester), formed a kind of triumvirate, managing issues of power and flock. Having reigned in this way and actually drank and wasted the papal treasury (on occasion they did not disdain to pay with crucifixes, statues or jewelry from clothes), they already jointly sold the papacy to a new buyer (nothing personal, just business!) - Gregory VI became him.

But the new pope became somehow completely new, non-puppet, very tough and cruel... As a result, he was overthrown (after the pope carried out a massacre of the dissatisfied who had gathered in front of the palace), and Clement II, sent by the emperor from Germany, became the next pope. But when he suspiciously died nine months later (for his contemporaries there was no doubt about poisoning), Benedict, who had had enough rest outside the throne, returned to Rome with a detachment of mercenaries, again made his claims to the papal throne and re-occupied it (for the 4th time!).

This, however, did not end there. There was no money in the treasury at all, so the throne was sold by Benedict for the third time. Damasius II appeared on the throne.
However, after another comedy of renunciation, this time even with public repentance, a few months later, having previously sent poisoners to Damasius, Benedict with a detachment of soldiers attacked the papal palace and, having taken possession of it, again proclaimed himself pope. It was expected that the very profitable business would continue with the next sale of the position of head of the Catholic Church.

Finally, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry got tired of this papal operetta and took decisive measures to end it. He simply appointed his relative Bruno, who took the name Leo IX, as the new pope, and sent him to Rome, accompanied by an armed detachment.
Having reigned for only 8 months this time, Benedict IX had to finally say goodbye to the post of Vicar of Christ and quietly drink himself to death in the monastery...

He died at the end of 1055, when he was either 33 or a little over 40.
The Catholic Encyclopedia calls Benedict IX "a disgrace to the throne of St. Peter."

- (lat. Benedictus) blessed: Contents 1 Name 2 Last name 3 Characters of fictional works ... Wikipedia

- (Benedict) Ruth Fulton (1887 1948) American cultural anthropologist, the most prominent (together with Cardiner, Linton, Sapir, M. Mead and Du Bois) representative of the ethnopsychological direction (culture and personality) in American anthropology. In 1921 23... ... Encyclopedia of Sociology

And husband. Borrowing Report: Benediktovich, Benediktovna; decomposition Benediktych. Derivatives: Benya (Bena). Origin: (From the Latin benedictus blessed. (cf. Venedikt)) Name day: (see Venedikt) Dictionary of personal names. Benedict... Dictionary of personal names

BENEDICT I- Benedict I, Pope of Rome (Sacchi. Vitis pontificum. 1626) Benedict I, Pope of Rome (Sacchi. Vitis pontificum. 1626) [lat. Benedictus, Bonosus; Greek Βόνοσ(σ)ος] († 30.07. 579, Rome), Pope (June 2, 575 July 30, 579). According to Liber... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

BENEDICT II- Benedict II, Pope of Rome. (Sacchi. Vitis pontificum. 1626) Benedict II, Pope of Rome. (Sacchi. Vitis pontificum. 1626) († 8.05.685, Rome), St. (mem. zap. May 7), Pope (June 26, 684 May 8, 685), Roman. In his youth he became a cleric and, having gone through all... Orthodox Encyclopedia

BENEDICT IV- Benedict IV, Pope of Rome. (Sacchi. Vitis pontificum. 1626) Benedict IV, Pope of Rome. (Sacchi. Vitis pontificum. 1626) († Aug. 903), Pope (Jan. or early Feb. 900 July or Aug. 903). According to Liber pontificalis, the son of the Roman Mammolos... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

BENEDICT V- Benedict V, Pope of Rome. Engraving (Sacchi. Vitits pontificum. 1626) Benedict V, Pope. Engraving (Sacchi. Vitits pontificum. 1626) († 07/04/966, Hamburg, Germany), Pope (May 22, 964 June 23, 964), Roman. In addition to the Liber pontificalis... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

BENEDICT VI- Benedict VI, Pope of Rome. Engraving (Sacchi. Vitis pontificum. 1626) Benedict VI, Pope. Engraving (Sacchi. Vitis pontificum. 1626) († July/Aug. 974, Rome), Pope (01/19/973 July/Aug. 974). According to the Liber pontificalis, the Roman, his... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

BENEDICT X- Benedict X, Pope of Rome. Engraving (Sacchi. Vitis pontificum. 1626) Benedict X, Pope. Engraving (Sacchi. Vitis pontificum. 1626) († after 1073, worldly name John Mincius), antipope (5 Apr. 1058 Jan. 1059). As Cardinal Bishop of Velletri… Orthodox Encyclopedia

- (Benedict) Ruth Fulton (1887 1948) – Amer. cultural anthropologist, the most prominent (together with Kardiner, Linton, Sapir, M. Mead and Du Bois) representative of ethnopsychology. directions (“culture and personality”) in America. anthropology. In 1921 23 B. studies under... ... Encyclopedia of Cultural Studies

AND BEATRICE (English Benedick, Beatrice) are the central characters of William Shakespeare's comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” (1599-1600), also called Signor Fencer and Signora Hairpin. After a valiant victory in Messina, a young noble Paduan B. appears... ... Literary heroes

Benedict IX: Teenage Pope

1012–1056, first elected in 1032 aged 11 to 25 (sources are mixed)

The son of Count Tuskulsky, Theophylact, became pope three times, and no one knows exactly how old he was at the time of his initial election: the range in sources is from 11 to 25. His reign was remembered for several wise political decisions (for example, the idea of arranging truces in any conflicts days of church holidays), as well as the monstrous debauchery that reigned in the Lateran Palace: according to some sources, Benedict IX was the first openly gay pontiff. That did not stop him from abdicating the throne in 1044 out of a desire to marry. True, good intentions only lasted for 40 days: Benedict’s brothers were not going to cede church power to their competitors, the Crescenzi family, and quickly returned Pope Tusculo to his place. He ruled from April 10 to May 5 - and at a reasonable price he gave away the troublesome position to his godfather. Thus, by the end of 1045, three popes were formed in Italy at once, and which of them should be considered the real one was decidedly unclear. Emperor Henry III tried to figure it out, convened a church council, carefully deposed all three and elevated the fourth, Clement II, to the throne. After his sudden death - a year later - Benedict returned to the Lateran Palace. He was finally expelled only in July 1048, having been excommunicated twice to be sure, but even then the ex-pope and his family did not stop throwing a spoke in the wheels of everyone who tried to run the affairs of the curia.

John XII: the libertine pope

930/937–964, elected in 955 at the age of either 18 or 24

This pope also came from the powerful Tusculian family: Alberich II of Spoleto, the self-proclaimed prince of Rome, named his son Octavian, hinting that he was destined to rule the city and the world. Before his death, Alberich made those close to him swear that Octavian would be placed on the papal throne. His turn came in 955 - however, the chronicles differ in the testimony: according to some versions, the heir was 18 by that time, according to others - 24. In any case, he began to rule in two persons at once: he carried out church affairs under the name of John, and secular - signed by Octavian. Quite quickly, this pope earned a reputation as the most vile head of the church in history: sources claim that he turned the Lateran Palace into a den of unbridled debauchery, blasphemed, committed adultery with his own niece, drank wine with the devil, played dice, calling on Venus and Jupiter for help, and also killed several cardinals. Emperor Otto I deposed him and appointed another pope, Leo VIII. As a result, one pontiff dug in in the vicinity of the current Basilica of San Paolo Fuori le Mura, the other in the vicinity of the Vatican, several bloody battles followed, where the advantage was on the side of the Tusculians, but there was not enough time to agree with the emperor on peace - John Octavian died in the house of another mistress, either at the hands of an angry husband, or from an apoplexy.

John XI: Bastard Pope

910–935, elected in 931 at the age of 21 (some sources say at the age of 20)

There is very little reliable information about this pontiff. His mother was Marozia - a lady of noble birth, dubious morality and great ambitions, and his father was most likely Pope Sergius III. So John XI went down in history as the only papal illegitimate son who, in turn, ascended the papal throne. True, he was not allowed to rule on his own: at first his mother gave orders, and then power was seized by John’s younger brother, Alberich II of Spoleto, who was not inclined to mess with his relatives: he threw Marozia into prison and forbade the pontiff to leave the Lateran monastery. For the last few years, John lived under house arrest, praying and holding services. However, he still managed to do something useful - he supported the reform of Odon of Cluny, which led to the flourishing of Cluny Abbey and Benedictine monasteries in general.

Gregory V: Tyrant Pope

972–999, elected 996 at age 24

Bruno of Carinthia, great-grandson of Emperor Otto the Great, became the first pope of German descent. He began his reign by solemnly crowning his cousin emperor. The Romans did not like German domination: they staged a rebellion, from which Gregory V had to flee north to Pavia, and elected their own pope, John XVI. The emperor had to take a break from the wars with the Slavs and restore order: take by storm the Castle of Sant'Angelo, where the main dissenter, Baron Crescenzi, took refuge with his protege John, and arrange demonstrative executions (the poor antipope's eyes were gouged out, his nose, ears and tongue were cut off, and so on they sent him to live out his life in a monastery, and Crescenzi was beheaded without leaving the spot). But harsh measures did not help Gregory too much: dad died a year later, and everyone was sure that he was poisoned out of revenge - for the uprising drowned in blood.

Leo X: Bohemian Pope

1475–1521, elected 1513 aged 37

Giovanni Medici, the second son of the Florentine Duke Lorenzo the Magnificent, at the age of 13 received the cardinal's mantle, but was considered a lay cardinal: if he wished, he had the right to renounce the rank, marry and acquire legitimate offspring, but instead became the first Florentine pope and after his election was ordained a priest (after Giovanni Medici this never happened again).

The newly elected Leo X summed up his political program in a conversation with his brother Giuliano: “The Almighty has given us the papal throne - let’s take advantage of it!” And for the rest of his life he followed this rule unconditionally: he started a brilliant court, patronized artists, primarily Raphael (portraits of Leo X appear in abundance on the walls of Raphael’s stanzas in the Vatican), collected a huge collection of musical instruments and zealously ensured that his choir did not there were competitors.

The pontiff conducted learned conversations with philosophers on equal terms (it was not for nothing that Poliziano was his mentor in his youth) - it was even believed that Leo X was too smart to fully share Catholic doctrine, and many chroniclers wrote him down as an agnostic. Papal hunts and balls were famous throughout Europe, and subjects who did not receive an invitation to the palace were entertained by clownish processions led by the white elephant Hanno, sent as a gift from Portugal (the elephant’s father adored, cared for and cherished it, and when it fell ill, he ordered it to be treated with a laxative from gold - it is not surprising that the animal did not last long). In general, Leo threw money left and right, and when there was a shortage in the treasury, without thinking twice he pawned palaces, sets, jewelry and even statues of the apostles. There was not enough, in particular, for the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral, begun by Leo's predecessor, Julius II. To avoid being stopped from work, they had to sell indulgences. An outraged Martin Luther denounced this evil practice in 95 theses, which he nailed to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg in 1517, ushering in the era of the Reformation. But Leo X underestimated the danger - he considered that the problem could be solved by Luther’s simple renunciation of the church. And I was wrong. In December 1521, the pope suddenly fell ill (at first they blamed poison, but in the end they agreed on malaria) and died before he could receive unction. It turned out there was really nothing to bury him with.

We are ready to look you in the eyes on the best day of summer - August 3, at the Afisha Picnic. The Cure, Pusha-T, Basta, Gruppa Skryptonite, Mura Masa, Eighteen - and this is just the beginning.