Peter, the rock on which Christ built his church. The first Pope in a long line of successors chosen by God to be the head of his Church until "we all meet Christ again."
I appreciated Pope Francis for several reasons, and think he may have been a better Pope than most. I do not know what the next iteration of Peter will take, but let's reflect on some of the different popes throughout Catholicism that may not be as familiar to you.
Known for:: The Cadaver Synod!
Stephen dug up the corpse of his predecessor Pope Formosus, dressed it in papal robes, propped it on a throne, and put the corpse on trial.
The rotting body was found guilty, his fingers were cut off, and his corpse was thrown into the Tiber River.
Source: Norwich, John Julius. The Popes: A History.
Known for:: Scandalous immorality and violence!
Became pope as a teenager; Known for: turning the Lateran Palace into a brothel.
Accused of murder, adultery, simony, blinding, and castrating opponents.
Died in bed with a married woman — possibly killed by her husband.
Source: Ullmann, Walter. A Short History of the Papacy in the Middle Ages.
Known for:: Selling the papacy!
Became pope as a child or teenager, famous for orgies and debauchery.
Sold the papacy to his godfather, Gregory VI, to finance his marriage — and then later reclaimed it.
One of only a few popes ever excommunicated.
Source: Mann, Horace K. The Lives of the Popes in the Middle Ages.
Known for:: Borgia corruption and nepotism.
Fathered several children (despite vows of celibacy), including Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia.
Held orgies in the Vatican; used murder, bribery, and poison to eliminate rivals.
Used papal power to enrich his family, turning the papacy into a mafia-like dynasty.
Sources: Hibbert, Christopher. The Borgias and Their Enemies; Chamberlin, E. R. The Bad Popes.
Known for:: Political assassinations and conspiracies!
Authorized the infamous Pazzi Conspiracy to assassinate the Medici rulers in Florence (plot failed; brutal reprisals followed).
Oversaw early Spanish Inquisition operations, allowing severe torture and executions.
Expanded nepotism, enriching his nephews at Rome’s expense.
Sources: Pastor, Ludwig. History of the Popes; Burckhardt, Jacob. The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy.
Known for:: Heinous Witchcraft persecutions!
Issued Summis desiderantes affectibus (1484), the bull that endorsed Heinrich Kramer’s Malleus Maleficarum (The Hammer of Witches), igniting the European witch hunts.
Fathered multiple children despite being pope.
Practiced nepotism and sold church offices to fund military ventures.
Sources: Summers, Montague. The Malleus Maleficarum; Monter, William. European Witchcraft.
Known for:: Brutality during the Western Schism!
Became increasingly paranoid, torturing and executing cardinals he suspected of conspiracy.
His violent temper and cruelty helped split the Church into rival papal claimants (the Avignon and Roman popes).
Sources: Kelly, J. N. D. The Oxford Dictionary of Popes; Ullmann, Walter. The Origins of the Great Schism.
- Chamberlin, E. R. The Bad Popes (widely cited classic overview).
- John Julius Norwich, Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy.
- Richard P. McBrien, Lives of the Popes.
- Horace K. Mann, The Lives of the Popes in the Middle Ages.