The not so pious popes - The Bloody Church

Dates ruling

Pope

Historical information

896-897

Pope Stephen VI (VII)

He had Pope Formosus’s body exhumed and put on trial (Cadaver Synod). After the trial he cut three of Formosus fingers and threw his body in to the river. ²¹⁵

955-964

Pope John XII

There seemed to be no sin he did or would not commit. He ran a brothel, committed many acts of incest, blinded a cardinal, castrated another, murdered, gambled, invokied pagan gods and demons. ²¹⁶. He was also bisexual and made a pact with the devil. ²¹⁷

999-1003

Pope Sylvester II

Made a pact with the devil, learnt sorcery ²¹⁸

1032-1048

Pope Benedict IX

He was described as vile, foul, execrable, and a ‘demon from Hell in the disguise of a priest’. He was accused of many vile adulteries and murders. He was accused of rapes, murders, sodomy, bestiality and many other unspeakable acts. ²¹⁶

1198-1216

Pope Innocent III

Instituted the Inquisition and launched a crusade to combat heresy. All non Catholics would be victims. Great numbers of innocent people were murdered under is reign of terror.
He decreed that Jews were to wear a distinguished badge for means of identification. ²¹⁹

1227-1241

Pope Gregory IX

The Inquisitional law replaced the common law of tradition “innocent until proven guilty” with “guilty until proven innocent”. The accused were denied any right of counsel. A suspected friendship with a convicted heretic was also a crime. ^{216  220}

1243-1254

Pope Innocent IV

He gave permission for the Inquisition to use torture to reveal the truth. ²¹⁶
He ordered all copies of the Jewish Talmud to be burnt. ²²¹.

1471-1484

Pope Sixtus IV

Bi-sexual, Incest, Sodomy, whore mongering, ill-advised acts of violence. ²¹⁷

1492-1503

Pope Alexander VI

Raped,  incest, sold his soul and body to the devil, bought the papacy (all at the office of Vatican) ²²²

1550 – 1555

Pope Julius III

Sodomy, Incest. He elevated to the cardinalate a young boy who was giving infamous pleasures to the Pope. He appointed numerous handsome teenage boys as cardinals, and allegedly enjoyed bring them together for orgies. ²¹⁷

1939-1958

Pope Pius XII

Signed a treaty with the Nazis. ²²³ Organised ratlines (escape routes) for Nazis. ²²⁴

1963-1978

Pope Paul VI

Was involved in the ratlines (escape routes for Nazis) ²²⁵ Heretical and Blasphemous. ²²⁶