Religion and power beget scandal. The papacy is no exception. Much before the black smoke over the Sistine Chapel kept informing the world about the status of the new pope’s election, Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation was clouded with controversy. Ever since Benedict XVI—who once belonged to Nazi youth brigade—took over as the pope, he had to deal with troubles. His views on contraception appeared archaic. And it was alleged that he was not prompt enough to address the scandal in US churches where priests sexually abused boys. Benedict XVI apologised and the Vatican was forced to deal with issues of homosexuality and paedophilia. He was also criticised for allowing traditional Catholics to celebrate old Latin Mass that includes a Good Friday prayer for conversion of the Jews.
The pope today is the head of 1.8 billion Catholics, but the papacy—since it gained temporal power under the Roman emperor Constantine in the fourth century, to Pope Benedict XVI who resigned in February and precipitated a crisis—is no stranger to controversy. In the early years of the papacy, consolidation of the power of the church was the priority, and the lives of the popes reflected the brutal exigencies of medieval Europe. The Catholic Encyclopaedia notes, “At the time of Gregory VII’s elevation to the papacy (1073—85), the Christian world was in a deplorable condition. During the desolating period of transition, the terrible period of warfare and rapine, violence, and corruption in high places, which followed immediately upon the dissolution of the Carolingian Empire… the Church had not been able to escape from the general debasement to which it had so signally contributed, if not caused. The tenth century, the saddest perhaps in Christian annals, is characterised by the remark of Cardinal Baronius (Vatican historian, 1538—1607) that ‘Christ was asleep in the vessel of the Church’.” Between 856 and 950 AD, the papacy descended into complete degeneration: Bishop Liutprand of Cremona writes in his seminal book Antapodosis on the popes, “They hunted on horses with gold trappings, had rich banquets with dancing girls when the hunt was over, and retired with these shameless whores to beds with silk sheets and gold-embroidered covers.” In Dr Joseph McCabe’s authoritative work A History of the Popes, he notes that “centuries of trafficking in ecclesiastical appointments, deceit, scandals, immorality, aggression, frauds, murder and cruelty, and the true disposition of the popes is knowingly falsely presented by the Church today.” It is said that Pope Jaul Paul I was murdered in 1978 for investigating dubious dealings between the Vatican and the Italian Mafia. Here is a list of the most controversial popes in history.
Stephen VI (Papacy between May 896 and August 897 )
Pope Stephen VI hated his predecessor Pope Formosus. So, even after Formosus died, Stephen VI was not happy. He wanted to defame the deceased. The corpse of Formosus was exhumed so that he could be tried. It was the most strangest trial in human history. The corpse of Formosus was redressed in his papal vestments and seated on the throne for the trial. The dead had no defence and so it was easy to find him guilty on bogus charges. As punishment, three of his fingers were cut off; he was stripped of his sacred vestments, dressed as a layman and dragged through the streets before he was dumped into the Tiber River.
Urban VI (Papacy between 1378 and 1389)
Urban VI or Bartolomeo Prignano was elected to succeed Pope Gregory XI in April 1378. He was an Italian and was elected to pacify the Romans who disliked French domination in papacy. But as the pope, Urban VI alienated his followers with a harsh leadership. Several French Cardinals fled Rome, fearing that Urban VI would favour Italians. In fact, election of Urban VI was declared “null because it was not made freely but under fear.”
Benedict IX (Papacy on three occasions, between 1032 and 1048)
He was called “demon from hell in the disguise...” Enough to say that Pope Benedict IX was not popular with many people. In his third book of Dialogues, Pope Victor III wrote of Benedict IX as having a “life as a pope so vile, so foul, so execrable, that I shudder to think of it.” The allegations were too much for Benedict IX who resigned, and became the first man to sell the papacy. The buyer was priest John Gratian who became Pope Gregory VI.
Sixtus IV (Papacy between 1471 and 1484)
Like a number of popes, Sixtus IV adhered to the system of nepotism. His nephew Pietro Riario also benefited from his nepotism. Pietro became one of the richest men in Rome and was entrusted with Sixtus IV’s foreign policy. As a temporal prince who constructed stout fortresses, Sixtus IV committed himself to Venice’s aggression against Ercole I d’Este, Duke of Ferrara, inciting the Venetians to attack in 1482 in the War of Ferrara.
Nicholas III (Papacy between 1277 and 1280)
During his three-year reign, Pope Nicholas III distributed principalities in the papal states among the members of his family members. The relatives were granted land and political power, making the entire setting obnoxious, stinking with dishonesty. This nepotism earned him a spot in Dante’s eighth circle of Hell. In Dante’s story, the Simoniacs are placed head-first in holes, flames burning on the soles of their feet. Nicholas was the chief sinner.
Alexander VI (Papacy between 1492 and 1503)
Hailing from a wealthy family, Alexander VI was believed to have bought his way to papacy. He appointed family members to important positions, including family members of his mistress, Vannozza Catanei. Some allegations against Alexander VI could have been exaggerations, like his arranging murders or hosting wild orgies inside the papal palace. He did bear four children by Catanei, and married off his daughter Lucrezia to secure alliances.
Boniface VIII (Papacy between 1294 and 1303)
Pope Boniface VIII believed that the pope is above everyone. So, he had no problem in excommunicating King Philip IV of France. It all started with government taxing clergy members. The quarrel between the two sides got escalated till the king was excommunicated. Boniface VIII was known for sending mercenaries to destroy other people’s castles, forfeiting property of prominent Italian Colonna family and distributing the land within his family.
Leo X (Papacy between 1513 and 1521)
Pope Leo X was known for his efforts to build the Vatican Library and his initiatives for construction of St. Peter’s Basilica. But all of that needed funding. The money was so much that the Pope had drained the papal treasury completely. To compensate, Leo X sold off pieces of the Vatican palace—furniture, dishes, jewels and statues of the apostles. He also allowed sinners to buy their way out of damnation. And that way collected more money.
Clement V (Papacy between 1305 and 1314)
Clement V was known for instituting oppressively high taxes and had no qualms about being bought. He openly gave away land to his relatives and friends. During his reign, he reversed Boniface VIII’s anti-France decrees and appointed 23 new French Cardinals. But when France’s King Phillip IV charged the Knights Templar with heresy, Clement V abolished them before the king could. He also provoked countries against one another.
Pius XII (Papacy between 1939 and 1958)
Pius XII served at the Vatican during World War II. But he never spoke out against the atrocities of Holocaust. In January 2010, the head of Rome’s Jewish community brought this up with Pope Benedict XVI over Pius’s silence. But in his defence, it is also said that Pius was active in saving Jews from the Nazis, a claim the Vatican says will be supported when documents related to the war are released to the public over the next half-decade.