Biggest of the Big Papas

[LightSpectra]

Baal brings up a really interesting point about mistresses. Was it not always that the Pope was a priest, or that they didn't take vows of celibacy? Or that they simply ignored such rules? Disregarding that St. Pete was numero uno and a Jew (maybe a Rabbi himself, does anyone know the answer to this?) was the Papacy something that evolved into/from a priest's job?

St. Peter had a wife. One of the miracles given by Christ was when he healed St. Peter's sick wife. The concept of clerical celibacy was introduced in the Middle Ages as part of the reforms of Pope St. Gregory VII, though it didn't become an official practice until a bit after that; and it still wasn't even until the Counter-Reformation that it was ably and consistently enforced.

As for the term "Rabbi," it's about as complicated as the term "bishop" due to its many meanings. It roughly translates to "teacher," which is why you hear Jesus being called a rabbi in the Bible. Though the office of a Rabbi as specifically being a Jewish overseer of sorts didn't develop until later.

Popes often disregarded the celibacy rule - not surprising really, given how many other rules they disregarded. I have no idea if the early Popes had such a rule though.

A handful of them did in one particular era when the Papal States were de facto ruled by a couple families that had no respect for the Church. Though the issue isn't so much clerical celibacy as it is fornicating with mistresses.

 

[Dachs]

A handful of them did in one particular era when the Papal States were de facto ruled by a couple families that had no respect for the Church. Though the issue isn't so much clerical celibacy as it is fornicating with mistresses.

I'm telling you, pornocracy!

 

[duckduckswan]

I just read on wikipedia about Boniface VIII and "the slap". Whew, takes some cajones to smack the pope. I also never knew that they could abdicate from the job.

 

[sydhe]

I hope everyone knows it, but just in case someone doesn't, the John XXIII who was supposedly an ex-pirate was the 15th century antipope, who was accused of all sorts of remarkable things.

 

[Plotinus]

Popes certainly have abdicated, although I think there's uncertainty over precisely how permissible that is. I believe that John Paul II had his advisers investigate this matter, since he rather wanted to abdicate himself, but he concluded that it was his duty to remain pope until his death. Whether he thought that this was a rule applying to all popes or just a personal vocation, I'm not sure.

 

[Cynovolans]

You don't always have to abdicate, you can just even sell the position of Pope for a nice price. Benedict IX did that, and that's how he became Pope three times. Strangely enough he is also the youngest Pope ever, with oldest estimates being him becoming Pope at 20 and lowest say he became Pope at 11 years old.

 

[duckduckswan]

Did JP II want to give up the Papacy before or after the assassination attempt? And Benedict IX became the the Pope more than once? How was this, did he sell it as you say, wait for the other to die (or cause the death...?) become Pope again, and then repeat this entire process yet again?

 

[Cynovolans]

Did JP II want to give up the Papacy before or after the assassination attempt? And Benedict IX became the the Pope more than once? How was this, did he sell it as you say, wait for the other to die (or cause the death...?) become Pope again, and then repeat this entire process yet again?

• First from 1032-1044 Benedict was forced out and replaced by Sylvester III
• Second was in 1045 when he returned to Rome after being forced out again, and shortly sold the Papacy to his uncle after his return.
• Third and last was from 1047-1048 after the death of Pope Clement II until Damasus II became elected and universally recognized Pope.

He died in 1085, before his death he gave up his claim to the Papacy.