The Bad Popes



The death of John Paul II calls to mind a book I once read, The Bad Popes by Russell Camberlain. Not because John Paul II is a bad man, but for the contrast this good and holy man draws to some of the rascals who had occupied the Chair of St. Peter. For roughly 500 years, the job of Pope was open to the highest bidder, and the position was filled by successful highway robbers, homicidal maniacs, and Bill O'Reilly wannabes. There's John XII, who was probably murdered while committing adultery; Urban VI, who was responsible for the Great Schism; and Alexander VI, a great example as the father of Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia. But the worst vicar of Christ ever has to be Pope Innocent VIII (1492). He was the first Pope to actually brag about his brood of “bastards” and be forgiven by the Church for being so open and honest. It's amazing that any institution could survive such a dark period, let alone one as powerul and influential as the Roman Catholic Church. For all the disagreements I can draw with John Paul's conservative ideology, I know he was decent, and a true man of peace.
3.4.05 17:58
 


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