{UAH} List of sexually active popes

List of sexually active popes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of sexually active popes, Catholic priests who were not celibate before they became popes, and popes who were legally married. Some candidates were sexually active before their election as pope, and others were accused of being sexually active during their papacies. Such relationships were often undertaken outside the bond of matrimonyand each sexual act thus committed is considered a mortal sin by the Catholic Church. The Second Lateran Council (1139) made the promise to remain celibate a prerequisite to ordination, abolishing any sanctioned married priesthood.

There are various classifications for those who were sexually active at some time during their lives. Periods in parentheses refer to the years of their papacies.

Background[edit]

Main articles: Clerical celibacy (Catholic Church) and Catholic teachings on sexual morality

For many years of the Church's history, celibacy was considered optional. Based on the customs of the times, it is assumed by many that most of the Apostles, such as Peter, were married and had families. It is clear from the New Testament (Mk 1:29–31; Mt 8:14–15; Lk 4:38–39; 1 Tim 3:2, 12; Tit 1:6) that at least Peter had been married, and that bishops, presbyters and deacons of the Early Church were often married as well. It is also clear from epigraphy, the testimony of the Church Fathers, synodal legislation, papal decretals and other sources^{[not specific enough to verify]} that in the following centuries a married clergy, in greater or lesser numbers, was a normal feature of the life of the Church. Celibacy was not required for those ordained, but still was a discipline practised in the early Church, particularly by those in the monastic life.

Although various local Church councils had demanded celibacy of the clergy in a particular area,^[1] it was not until the Second Lateran Council (1139) that whole of the Latin (Western) Rite of the Catholic Church decided to accept people for ordination only after they had taken a promise of celibacy.^[2]

Popes who were married[edit]

Name	Reign	Relationship	Offspring	Notes
Saint Peter(Simon Peter)	–	mother-in-law is mentioned in the Gospel verses Matthew 8:14–15, Luke 4:38, Mark 1:29–31 and who was healed by Jesus at her home in Capernaum. This clearly depicts Peter as a married man, and 1 Cor. 9:5suggests Peter's wife accompanied him on his mission. Clement of Alexandria wrote: "When the blessed Peter saw his own wife led out to die, he rejoiced because of her summons and her return home, and called to her very encouragingly and comfortingly, addressing her by name, and saying, 'Remember the Lord.' Such was the marriage of the blessed, and their perfect disposition toward those dearest to them."[3]	Yes[4]	Later legends, dating from the 6th century onwards, suggested that Peter had a daughter – identified as Saint Petronilla. This, however, is likely to be a result of the similarity of their names.[5][6]
Pope Hormisdas	(514–523)	married and widowed before he took Holy Orders	Yes	father of Pope Silverius.[7]
Pope Adrian II	(867–872)	married to Stephania before he took Holy Orders,[8] she was still living when he was elected Pope and resided with him in the Lateran Palace	Yes (a daughter)	His wife and daughter both resided with him until they were murdered.[9]
Pope John XVII	(1003)	married before his election as Pope	Yes (three sons)	all became priests.[10]
Pope Clement IV	(1265–1268)	married before taking holy orders	Yes (two daughters)	both entered a convent[11]
Pope Honorius IV	(1285–1287)	married before he took Holy Orders, widowed before entered the clergy	Yes	at least two sons[12]

Fathered illegitimate children before Holy Orders[edit]

Name	Reign	Relationship	Offspring	Notes
Pope Pius II	(1458–1464)	not married	Yes	at least two illegitimate children, one in Strasbourg and one in Scotland, both born before he entered the clergy. Delayed becoming a cleric because of the requirement of chastity.[13]
Pope Innocent VIII	(1484–1492)	not married	Yes	two illegitimate children during his youth, both born before he entered the clergy.[14] Nepotism described as "lavish as it was shameless." [15] Married elder son Franceschetto Cybo to the daughter of Lorenzo de' Medici, who in return obtained the cardinal's hat for his 13-year-old son Giovanni, who became Pope Leo X.[16]
Pope Clement VII	(1523–1534)	not married. Relationship with a Nubian slave girl – possibly Simonetta da Collevecchio	Yes	had one illegitimate son before he took holy orders, identified as Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence.[17]

Known to, or suspected of having fathered illegitimate children after receiving Holy Orders[edit]

Heterosexual relationships[edit]

Name	Reign	Relationship	Offspring	Notes
Pope Paul III	(1534–1549)	Not married. Silvia Ruffini as mistress	Yes	Held off ordination in order to continue a promiscuous lifestyle, fathering four illegitimate children (three sons and one daughter) by Silvia Ruffini after his appointment as Cardinal-Deacon of Santi Cosimo and Damiano. He broke his relations with her ca. 1513. He made his illegitimate son Pier Luigi Farnese the first Duke of Parma.[18][19]
Pope Gregory XIII	(1572–1585)	Not married. Affair with Maddalena Fulchini	Yes	Received the ecclesiastical tonsure in Bologna in June 1539, but subsequently had an affair which resulted in the birth of Giacomo Boncompagni in 1548. Giacomo remained illegitimate but Gregory later appointed him Gonfalonier of the Church, governor of the Castel Sant'Angelo, as well as governor of Fermo.[20][21]
Pope Leo XII	(1823–1829)	Not married	Allegedly	As a young prelate was suspected of having had a liaison with the wife of a soldier of Swiss Guard and as nuncio in Germany allegedly fathered three illegitimate children.[22]

Bisexual relationships[edit]

Name	Reign	Relationship	Offspring	Notes
Pope Julius II	(1503–1513)	Not married	Yes	Three illegitimate daughters, one of whom was Felice della Rovere (born in 1483, twenty years before his election as pope, but twelve years after his enthronement as Bishop of Lausanne).[23] The schismatic Conciliabulum of Pisa, which sought to depose him in 1511, also accused him of being a "sodomite".[24]

Popes alleged to be sexually active during pontificate[edit]

Heterosexual relationships[edit]

Name	Reign	Relationship	Offspring	Notes
Pope Sergius III	(904–911)	Not married	Yes	Accused by opponents of being the illegitimate father of Pope John XI by Marozia.[25] Such accusations found in Liutprand of Cremona's Antapodosis,[26] as well as the Liber Pontificalis.[27][28][29] The accusations are disputed by another early source, the annalist Flodoard (c. 894–966): John XI was brother of Alberic II, the latter being the offspring of Marozia and her husband Alberic I, so John too may have been the son of Marozia and Alberic I. Fauvarque emphasizes that contemporary sources are dubious, Liutprand being "prone to exaggeration" while other mentions of this fatherhood appear in satires written by supporters of Pope Formosus.[30]
Pope John X	(914–928)	Not married. Affairs with Theodora and Marozia.	No	Had romantic affairs with both Theodora and her daughter Marozia, according to Liutprand of Cremona in his Antapodosis.[31][32](See also Saeculum obscurum)
Pope John XII	(955–963)	Not married	No	Accused by adversaries of adultery and incest.[33][34] Benedict of Soracte noted that he had "a collection of women". According to Liutprand of Cremona,[26] "they testified about his adultery, which they did not see with their own eyes, but nonetheless knew with certainty: he had fornicated with the widow of Rainier, with Stephana his father's concubine, with the widow Anna, and with his own niece, and he made the sacred palace into a whorehouse." According to Chamberlin, John was "a Christian Caligula whose crimes were rendered particularly horrific by the office he held".[35] Some sources report that he died 8 days after being stricken by paralysis while in the act of adultery,[33] others that he was killed by the jealous husband while in the act of committing adultery.[36][37][38][39]
Pope Alexander VI	(1492–1503)	Not married. Relationships with Vanozza dei Catanei and Giulia Farnese.	Yes	Had a long affair with Vannozza dei Cattanei while still a priest, but before he became pope; and by her had his illegitimate children Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, Gioffre Borgia, and Lucrezia. A later mistress, Giulia Farnese, was the sister of Alessandro Farnese, and she gave birth to a daughter (Laura) while Alexander was in his 60s and reigning as pope.[40] Alexander fathered at least seven, and possibly as many as ten illegitimate children, and did much to promote his family's interests – using his offspring to build alliances with a number of important dynasties.[41] He appointed Giovanni Borgia as Captain General of the Church, and made Cesare a Cardinal of the Church – also creating independent duchies for each of them out of papal lands.

Homosexual relationships[edit]

Name	Reign	Relationship	Offspring	Notes
Pope Paul II	(1464–1471)	Not married	No	Thought to have died of indigestion arising from eating melon,[42][43] though detractors insisted that he died while engaging in sodomywith a page.[44][45][46]
Pope Sixtus IV	(1471–1484)	Not married	No	According to Stefano Infessura, Sixtus was a "lover of boys and sodomites" – awarding benefices and bishoprics in return for sexual favours, and nominating a number of young men as cardinals, some of whom were celebrated for their good looks.[47][48][49] However, Infessura had partisan allegiances to the Colonna family and so is not considered to be always reliable or impartial.[50]
Pope Leo X	(1513–1521)	Not married	No	Accused, after his death, of homosexuality (by Francesco Guicciardini and Paolo Giovio). It has been suggested he may have had ulterior motives in offering preferment to Marcantonio Flaminio.[51]
Pope Julius III	(1550–1555)	Not married	No	Alleged to have had a long love affair with Innocenzo Ciocchi del Monte which was a cause of public scandal. The Venetian ambassador at that time reported that Innocenzo shared the pope's bed.[52]

Bisexual relationships[edit]

Name	Reign	Relationship	Offspring	Notes
Pope Benedict IX	(1032– became pope in 1044, again in 1045 and finally 1047–1048).	Not married	No	Accused by Bishop Benno of Piacenza of "many vile adulteries."[53][54] Pope Victor III referred in his third book of Dialogues to "his rapes... and other unspeakable acts."[55] His life prompted Peter Damian to write an extended treatise against illicit sex in general, and homosexuality in particular. In his Liber Gomorrhianus, Damian accused Benedict IX of routine sodomy and bestiality and sponsoring orgies.[56] In May 1045, Benedict IX resigned his office to get married.[57]

See also

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