The papacy, one of the oldest continuing institutions in the world, has seen its fair share of controversy throughout history. While many popes are remembered for their devoutness and leadership, others stand out for far less admirable reasons. Adultery, incest, and murder are just a few of the many scandals that have tainted the history of the papacy.
This article explores some of the most notorious figures to have ever worn the papal tiara, and there’s quite a few of them!
From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, the papal office was often as much a position of political power as religious authority. This combination sometimes led to abuses that would shock both the faithful and historians alike. Tales of corruption, rape, violence, and moral depravity mark the reigns of these infamous popes.
Pope John XII
John XII was one of the most incompetent and shameful Popes in the history of the Papacy. This has a lot to do with his age, as he ascended to the papal throne at the tender age of eighteen in 955 AD.
What could go wrong with putting an 18 year old in such position of power?
Lots!!!
The young pope quickly gained notoriety for his worldly indulgences and moral failings.
He drank to excess, he hunted and had many sexual relationships. Not the behaviour you would expect of a Pope.
Contemporary accounts, though potentially exaggerated by his enemies, paint a picture of a pontiff who transformed the sacred Lateran Palace into a den of vice and debauchery, similar to a brothel.
John XII stood accused of a litany of transgressions unbefitting a spiritual leader, including murder, incest, invoking demons, adulatory and many many more unsavoury activities.
The circumstances of John XII’s death in 964 AD, at the age of 27, remain shrouded in controversy. One account suggests he died from injuries sustained after being caught in with a married woman, though other sources attribute his demise to more natural causes.
Pope Benedict IX
Benedict IX is one of the most notorious figures in papal history. Benedict IX was by far the nastiest and most despicable Pope there has ever been. Despite this, he reigned on 3 separate occasions.
Historical accounts, paint a picture of a pontiff who gravely abused his position of power. He faced numerous serious accusations, including sexual misconduct, rape, violence, sodomy and corruption on an unprecedented scale.
It was alleged that he engaged in various immoral acts, with claims ranging from sexual assault to murder. While some accusations, such as bestiality, may have been exaggerations meant to discredit him, the consistent portrayal of Benedict as a deeply unethical leader suggests a papacy mired in excess and abuse. His reported hosting of lavish orgies within the papal palace further scandalized the Church.
Pope Paul IV – Pure Hatred towards Jews
Pope Paul IV (1476-1559) is known for being the very worst Pope of the 16th century. He ascended to the papacy through powerful connections rather than merit.
His reign was marked by a staunch resistance to the artistic and intellectual progress of his time, epitomized by his suggestion to whitewash the Sistine Chapel and his implementation of harsh censorship on books he deemed erroneous.
However, Paul IV’s most egregious legacy was the establishment of the Roman Ghetto, a cramped and impoverished area where Jews were forcibly confined. This act of institutionalized discrimination imposed severe restrictions on the Jewish population, limiting them to low-paying jobs, subjecting them to annual taxes, and forcing them to endure humiliating rituals.
Jewish men were required to wear yellow hats and women yellow veils (a color associated with prostitutes) when venturing outside the ghetto, while rabbis were subjected to ritualistic kicking as a form of “homage” to city officials. These oppressive measures, including restrictions on lottery participation and other daily activities, reflected Paul IV’s deep-seated intolerance.
The walls of this ghetto, a stark symbol of religious persecution, stood until 1888, long outlasting Paul IV’s reign and serving as a dark reminder of this period of papal history.
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI was one of the most scandalous and controversial popes in history. During his papacy, his corruption, nepotism, and moral failings brought the Catholic Church to a lowly state. Here are some reasons why Alexander VI is often regarded as a “bad pope”:
Blatant Nepotism
He shamelessly used his position to promote his family’s interests. He appointed his illegitimate children, including Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia, to positions of great power within both the Church and political life.
Immorality and Scandals
Even though he was Pope and head of the Catholic church, Alexander VI had numerous children—quite openly and even when in office. His court was famed for its license and excess.
Political Corruption
Alexander VI bribed his way to papal election and used papal authority to aggrandize the power and fortune of the Borgia family through the forging and betraying of political alliances.
Allegations of Murder and Poisoning
It is rumoured that Alexander VI, with his son Cesare, participated in assassinations in ridding themselves of rivals and attaining political power; of course, this came on circumstantial evidence because no proof was really manifested from the Borgias, although certainly their reputation for intrigue and violence did help establish them.
Exploitation of Church Resources
To finance his lavish lifestyle and the ambitions of his family, Alexander VI used to sell offices in the Church.
Undermining the Spiritual Authority of the Church
Alexander VI was a typical example of moral corruption in the Renaissance Church: he cared much more about temporal power than spiritual leadership. His behavior greatly contributed to public discontent that led to the Protestant Reformation.
Pope Sergius III
Sergius III is one of the most infamous popes in history, his reign marred by violence, corruption, and moral decay. Ascending to the papal throne through nefarious means, he allegedly ordered the murders of his two predecessors in prison, setting a chilling precedent for his papacy.
Sergius’s pontificate was characterized by nepotism and abuse of power. He shamelessly promoted family members and allies to influential positions, compromising the integrity of the Church. His personal conduct was equally scandalous; he reportedly fathered an illegitimate son who later became Pope John XI, blurring the lines between religious leadership and dynastic ambition.
Perhaps most damaging was Sergius’s willingness to be a puppet of secular powers, particularly the influential Theophylact family.
His earlier involvement in the macabre Cadaver Synod further demonstrated his ruthless pursuit of power at any cost.
Sergius III’s legacy is one of corruption and moral bankruptcy, representing a dark chapter in papal history.
Pope Stephen VI – Dug Up His Dead Predecessor
Imagine how utterly Vengeful and power-obsessed, not to mention crazy, do you have to be to dig up your dead predecessor and put him on trial?
Well that’s exactly what Pope Stephen VI did back in 897 AD, in what became known as the Cadaver Synod. This macabre event is one of the strangest chapters in papal history.
Pope Stephen VI, driven by political vendettas and possibly his own unstable mind, ordered the body of his predecessor, Pope Formosus, to be exhumed. Formosus had been dead for about nine months at this point. The decomposing corpse was dressed in papal vestments and propped up on a throne in the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
In a grotesque mockery of justice, Stephen VI presided over a trial, with the corpse as the defendant. A deacon was appointed to answer on behalf of the deceased pope, likely speaking through the corpse’s rotten jaw.
The charges? Perjury and that he had ascended to the papacy illegally.
Unsurprisingly, given the nature of this “trial,” Formosus was found guilty. The punishment was severe, even for a dead man. His papal vestments were stripped, the three fingers he had used for blessings were cut off, and all his former acts and ordinations were declared invalid. The body was then buried in a common grave, only to be dug up once again and thrown into the Tiber River.
This gruesome spectacle shocked even the hardened sensibilities of 9th century Rome. It led to Stephen VI’s downfall, as he was imprisoned and later strangled.
Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X, born Giovanni de’ Medici, was to put it bluntly was a nasty piece of work. He is infamous for his extensive use of the sale of indulgences—payments made by believers to reduce punishment for sins.
This controversial practice was aggressively promoted to fund the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, one of the grandest architectural projects of the time. While indulgences had existed before, under Leo’s leadership, their widespread abuse became a symbol of the Church’s greed and spiritual neglect.
His actions enraged a German monk, Martin Luther, who strongly opposed the sale of salvation and penned his 95 Theses in 1517, criticizing the Church’s corruption. This event marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that would fracture Christianity and alter European history forever.
Leo X loved to spend cash on lavish objects. He was known for his taste for art, culture, and luxury, which he drained the papal treasury to finance. He also spent papal money on extravagant banquets, festivals, and patronage of renowned artists like Raphael and Michelangelo.
Notable Quote: Leo X is alleged to have cynically declared, “Since God has given us the papacy, let us enjoy it!”
Pope Sixtus IV
Like many Popes before and after him, Sixtus IV was involved in rampant nepotism, conspiracy, and corruption throughout his papacy.
His blatant nepotism saw him shamelessly appointing numerous family members to influential positions within the Church and the Papal States. His relatives were granted powerful roles as cardinals, bishops, and political leaders, consolidating the family’s wealth and authority at the expense of Church integrity. This activity only bred resentment among his rivals and undermined the spiritual credibility of the papacy.
If that wasn’t enough, Sixtus IV was also “allegedly” complicit in the Pazzi Conspiracy—a failed plot to assassinate Lorenzo de’ Medici and his brother Giuliano during a church service in Florence in 1478.
Pope Julius II – (1503–1513)
Nicknamed the “Warrior Pope”, Julius II was unlike any spiritual leader before him. He often dressed in armor and leading armies on the battlefield. He was driven by an insatiable desire to expand and consolidate the Papal States’ territory. He waged multiple military campaigns, including conflicts against Venice and France.
His reign as Pope was also marred by corruption and financial exploitation. To fund his grand ambitions—most notably the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica—Julius II sanctioned the widespread sale of indulgences, a practice that offered forgiveness of sins in exchange for money. This aggressive fundraising strategy exploited believers’ faith and was a significant precursor to growing discontent within the Church, paving the way for the Protestant Reformation.