Why Benedict the XVI isn't so Bad

G

greatatlantic

It Wandered In From the Wastes
Ran accross this biography of a former pope. I don't know how authoratative it actually is, but makes for a fun read.

http://www.rotten.com/library/bio/religion/popes/john-xii/

Upon his ascension around 955 C.E., John XII ushered in an age of profligate debauchery not seen since the Caesars were running the joint. John liked hunting with his male buddies and humping with his female buddies. He also liked humping with his male buddies. Any warm body in Rome was liable to be humped during his tenure. In addition to indulging his own considerable libido, John encouraged everyone else to hump as well.
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It is important to point out, however, that John XII was not a member of Hitler's Youth. I repeat, he was not a member of Hitler's Youth.
 
DirtyDreamDesigner said:
Pffrrff. The papacy has been a haven of debauchery, violence, kiddie pr0n, etc. for most of history.
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Spoken like a true protestant.


Tell me, did they use Dove or Sunlight to wash you brain?
 
Nope, never saw a protestant in my life.
I do however study history, and many popes weren't exactly what you might call pure. Hell, one of them wasn't male, and another wasn't human. :mrgreen:
 
Bah, John XII wasn't even the worst pope. Alexander VI (alias Rodrigo Borgia) had all the bad traits of John XII, but he was also competent, cunning and unspeakably cruel to boot. In other words, not a very pretty character.

Of course, for all their faults and misdeeds, these popes are dwarfed by the evil Benedict XVI, the Hitler among popes.
 
Hell, one of them wasn't male,
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That's proven to be a falsum a heck of a long time ago.

and another wasn't human. :mrgreen:
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Say what?

DirtyDreamDesigner said:
I do however study history, and many popes weren't exactly what you might call pure.
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Pure or not, the papacy has unmistakingly (ehm... is that word?) helped Europe get back on its knees. And, unpure as some of they might have been, they were still saints by the moral standards among worldly rules those days.

OMG historical perspective.
 
John XII was just the end of the pornocracy, which spanned some dozen popes from Sergius the somethingth. Remember that John was murdered, though, the Catholic church banned out the pornocrats pretty violently

It's sad they had to stop making the Pope saints every single time (as was done the first 300-odd years) when with the growth of temporal power came temporal corruption. But like Jebus said, the different Popes' various corruptions were dwarved by the corruptions of the time. This is no valid excuse and the Catholic church should hang its head in shame for such times, but it isn't the end of the world either.

Plus remember that most of our knowledge of the "bad popes" comes from the Vatican opening up its archives itself. Without the Vatican's help much would still be unknown about the "bad popes".

The female pope story is indeed bullshit. Benedict III reigned during the supposed reigning time of "Joan". I have no idea what the non-human pope story is, perhaps you're confusing something with Nero and the donkey senator?
 
You also have to consider how popes like John XII got power. Hint, they weren't elected. Picture the wealthiest man in your city, who has extended family living in the city thats pretty wealthy, too. Now, this man pays for and controls the police. He also has a militia. Well he's at it, he is going to make his brother pope. So yeah, there was a whole slew of really bad popes in this vein, with John the XII maybe being the worst of them.

Then a crisis emerged when three people claimed to have the title and influence of pope. A powerful German king, or emperor, called Henry the III thought this was scandalous that he went to Italy, summouned a council of bishops, had the trio resign, and picked Leo IX as the real pope, who then proceed to institute many reforms. These including ending simony (the selling of church offices) and married priests. There was definitely a core of educated and religious people who realized a lot of what was going on was wrong. It may come as surprising to the modern cynic, that these people often did become bishops, abbots, and popes.
 
Sorry, meant to say "was barely human" and I'm of course talking about Benedict V (14 May 964 - 23 June 964), a rapist, murderer and a thief who was killed by a jealous husband, and then his corpse was dragged through the streets and thrown into a cesspit.

Yeah, I know all about the "Papissa". Just wanted to make a point that all kinds of people could vie for papacy.
 
Kharn said:
I have no idea what the non-human pope story is, perhaps you're confusing something with Nero and the donkey senator?
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Do you mean Incitatus, the horse that Caligula made into a Senator?

Did the Emperor Caligula appoint his beloved horse a memher of the Senate of Rome? The very well-known story that he did sounds unlikely, apocryphal.

But in fact it is true. The horse’s name is known: Incitatus. Caligula expressed not only his strange infatuation with a horse, but also his great contempt for the Senate and its members. The corrupt, demoralised, and terrified Roman senators did not dare protest.
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http://www.workersliberty.org/node/view/1715

I saw that on a movie called Caligula. A historical movie dealing with romans and their mating traditions and rituals. :look:
 
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