A Positively Poisonous Pack of Unpleasant Popes

This week on Is this Real? we discuss the most evil Popes to ever sit on the Papal throne! There is no shortage of corruption and crime in this world and the Pope is no different. Greed, murder, desecration, incest, gambling, war; you name it and a Pope has committed it. Check out a few Pope brought up in our discussion below and listen to the episode to hear about even more about history's most evil Popes!

Pope Stephen VI/VII (896–897)

Crimes: Desecration of Pope Formosus' body, including removing fingers and disposing of the body into the Tiber River. This event is now known as Cadaver Synod.

Not many people like that he did this so he was stripped of his papacy, thrown in jail, and was later strangled to death.

Pope John XII (955-964)

Crimes: All of them! This man hit each of the Seven Deadly Sins. Arson, murder, assault, gambling, and incest are just some of the things Pope John was accused of and engaged in.

He lived to ripe old age of 29. We don't know if he died of a stroke while having sex or if the woman's husband killed him for sleeping with her. Either way I'd say it is a safe bet that he died not wearing pants.

Pope Julius III (1550–1555)

Crimes: Using church money to renovate and decorate personal home in Rome, and idolized Innocenzo Ciocchi Del Monte, a beggar servant boy who he adopted as his nephew and had an intimate relationship with.

Pope Julius and Innocenzo shared the papal bed, which many consider a big no-no. Despite the scandal, he tried to reform the church and get rid of corruption! He died, mostly likely of cancer, in his late 60s.

Check out the latest episode of Is This Real? to hear more about these popes and more!

-Tony