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I'll check it out. You don't have to convince me that times have been very bad before. Pope Honorius was excommunicated for allowing heresy to spread.

Here is a few more bits of information of papal excommunication.

Two Popes condemned as Heretics
Case 1: Pope Vigilius (537-55) was unpopular for his part in deposing the previous pope. He also lost favour with the Empress and Emperor Justinian summoned him to Constantinople. We are told that as the ship carrying Vigilius set sail, the people threw “stones, branches and cooking pots after him (and shouted):’You treated the Romans badly, may you meet evil where you are going’ “ (Ref 1).

In Constantinople, the Emperor found Vigilius not quite decided about the two natures of Christ and called the Fifth General Council in 553. 165 bishops were present but Vigilius sent his apologies, saying he was sick. The Council declared him a heretic and excommunicated him. The pope in turn condemned the Council decision. The Emperor then exiled to a remote ‘rocky inlet’. By the end of the year, Vigilius gave notice that he had been misled by the ‘wiles of the devil’ and was prepared to retract. He accepted all the decrees of the Council.

The Emperor then set him free to return home. The people were not all pleased to see him and were preparing to punish him. Vigilius died before that in 555 and was refused burial at St Peters.

Case 2: In the following century, another pope was also condemned for heresy. This was Pope Honorius (625-38), believed to be a holy man who served the people and a good leader. But he did not care for academic debates and controversies. The matter of Christ’s two natures had been resolved but a new question now surfaced: Did Christ have two wills or one? In a well known letter, Honorius indicated that he was opposed to the idea of two wills and ridiculed those ‘pompous and time-wasting philosophers who croak at us like frogs’. He died before he could give a fuller explanation.

"History & Philosophy of the Ancient and Modern World "
The Popes see http://users.bigpond.net.au/bstone/popes.htm
Benedict IX 1032 - 1048 Rome, Pope at 12 but two Antipopes reigned at the same time
Silvester III 1045 Rome Excommunicated by Benedict but recognised as a legitimate Pope.

See Popes at http://roma.katolsk.no/popes.htm
537 - 555 Vigilius -From Rome. His election was forced through by Empress Theodora, and his policies created a schism in the Western Church. Arrested by Emperor Justinian in 545 for refusing to support the Three Chapters condemnation. He condemned the Three Chapters in 548, and was labelled a traitor in the West and excommunicated by the African bishops. Restored churches and catacombs that had been damaged by the Goths. Died at Syracuse, Sicily while on his way from Constantinople to Rome. Buried in S Marcello on Via Salaria.

891 - 896 Formosus- From Ostia or Corsica. Created cardinal by Pope St Nicholas I in 864. He was excommunicated by Pope John VIII in 876, and exiled in France. Pope Marinus I recalled and reinstated him in 883. Built or rebuilt S Lorenzo in Panisperna. Buried in S Pietro in Vaticano . His body was exhumed by Pope Stephen VI (896-987) and put on a mock trial. He was convicted of perjury and excommunicated, and the body was desecrated and thrown in the Tiber from where it was probably rescued by a fisherman and reburied at an unknown location. He was rehabilitated by Pope John IX in the Roman Synod of April 898.

904 - 911 Sergius III -Sergio dei Conti di Tuscolo, from Rome. Created cardinal by Pope Stephen V between 885 and 891. His titular church is not known. Subscribed the decree against Pope Formosus in 897, and was excommunicated by Pope John IX at the Roman Synod in 898. Rehabilitated at some point before his election in 904. Deposed the antipope Cristoforus and may have murdered Leo V. Rebuilt S Giovanni in Laterano , which had been damaged in an earthquake in 897. Buried in S Giovanni in Laterano .

1045 Sylvester III -Giovanni, from Rome. Created cardinal by Pope Benedict IX between 1032 and 1044. Cardinal bishop of Sabina. Deposed from the papacy by Benedict IX, who himself was never formally deposed. Although he was excommunicated and sentenced to live the rest of his life in a monastery, he continued as Bishop of Sabina. Probably buried in Sabina.
Sylvester deposed by 1045 Benedict IX For the second time; see 1032 - 1044. This time, he was deposed by Emperor Henry III.

Silvester III, Jan. 20, 1045 -- Feb. 10, 1045

I'll check it out. YOu don't have to convince me that times have been very bad before. Pope Honorius was excommunicated for allowing heresy to spread.

Here is a few more bits of information of papal excommunication.

Two Popes condemned as Heretics
Case 1: Pope Vigilius (537-55) was unpopular for his part in deposing the previous pope. He also lost favour with the Empress and Emperor Justinian summoned him to Constantinople. We are told that as the ship carrying Vigilius set sail, the people threw “stones, branches and cooking pots after him (and shouted):’You treated the Romans badly, may you meet evil where you are going’ “ (Ref 1).

In Constantinople, the Emperor found Vigilius not quite decided about the two natures of Christ and called the Fifth General Council in 553. 165 bishops were present but Vigilius sent his apologies, saying he was sick. The Council declared him a heretic and excommunicated him. The pope in turn condemned the Council decision. The Emperor then exiled to a remote ‘rocky inlet’. By the end of the year, Vigilius gave notice that he had been misled by the ‘wiles of the devil’ and was prepared to retract. He accepted all the decrees of the Council.

The Emperor then set him free to return home. The people were not all pleased to see him and were preparing to punish him. Vigilius died before that in 555 and was refused burial at St Peters.

Case 2: In the following century, another pope was also condemned for heresy. This was Pope Honorius (625-38), believed to be a holy man who served the people and a good leader. But he did not care for academic debates and controversies. The matter of Christ’s two natures had been resolved but a new question now surfaced: Did Christ have two wills or one? In a well known letter, Honorius indicated that he was opposed to the idea of two wills and ridiculed those ‘pompous and time-wasting philosophers who croak at us like frogs’. He died before he could give a fuller explanation.

"History & Philosophy of the Ancient and Modern World "
The Popes see http://users.bigpond.net.au/bstone/popes.htm
Benedict IX 1032 - 1048 Rome, Pope at 12 but two Antipopes reigned at the same time
Silvester III 1045 Rome Excommunicated by Benedict but recognised as a legitimate Pope.

CAtholic Encylopedia contradicts itself here they say Silvester was an antipope
Taking advantage of the dissolute life he was leading, one of the factions in the city drove him from it (1044) amid the greatest disorder, and elected an antipope (Sylvester III) in the person of John, Bishop of Sabina (1045 -Ann. Romani, init. Victor, Dialogi, III, init.). Benedict, however, succeeded in expelling Sylvester the same year; but, as some say, that he might marry, he resigned his office into the hands of the Archpriest John Gratian for a large sum. John was then elected pope and became Gregory VI (May, 1045). Repenting of his bargain, Benedict endeavoured to depose Gregory. This resulted in the intervention of King Henry III. Benedict, Sylvester, and Gregory were deposed at the Council of Sutri (1046) and a German bishop (Suidger) became Pope Clement II. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02429a.htm
This article by HORACE K. MANN Transcribed by Kryspin J. Turczynski The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume II Copyright © 1907 by Robert Appleton Company

This contradicts the article here that lists Silvester III as Pope on the Catholic Encyclopedia site see http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12272b.htm

POPES, LIST OF see http://www.trosch.org/for/popesnce.htm
In 1947 A. Mercati published a completely revised list of the popes in the Annuario Pontificio for that year. The present list, taken from Annuario Pontificio for 1964, reproduces Mercati's list with the minor changes that have been made necessary by subsequent scholarly investigation. The names in square brackets are those of antipopes. Roman numerals in parentheses indicate differences in numbering caused by the conflicting evidence of the sources. In the case of precise dates, the first month and day given is the date of the pope's election, the second date, that of his coronation, and the last date, that of his death, deposition, or resignation. In the New Catholic Encyclopedia there is a separate article on each pope and on each of the more important antipopes)especially those who were popes in the period of the Great Schism and who were only subsequently classified as antipopes. Antipopes who have not been given separate articles are treated under the legitimate popes with whom they were in conflict. Biographical data, family name, and nationality, problems of dates of election and coronation, and all other pertinent questions are covered in the articles on the individual popes. For a critical evaluation of the ancient and early medieval lists of popes, see bibliog., especially Duchesne and Leclercq. This list says that Silvester was a Pope. “Silvester III, Jan. 20, 1045 -- Feb. 10, 1045" It would be interesting to see what the 2004 version said- I couldn’t find it on the internet although the Catholic Encyclopedia may have used this.

Now this same site see http://www.trosch.org/for/popes-ca.htm said this “Sylvester III (John): Rome; Jan. 20, 1045, to Feb. 10, 1045. Perhaps this was the updated one.The same two statements are on the www.osv.com/catholicalmanac/08a.asp Catholic Almanac 2004 edition

Sylvester III was an antipope if the forcible removal of Benedict IX in 1044 was not legitimate.”

see http://www.cfpeople.org/Books/Pope/POPEp120.htm from a Catholic site for the below
SERGIUS III Excommunicated before he became Pope by Pope John IX and had been excommunicated and exiled by that vigorous pontiff and at some point was then rehabilitated
904 - 911 AD

Poor Formosus was now buried in peace, but his grave must have trembled when Sergius marched into Rome to complete the overthrow of the usurping Christopher and take over the papacy, for Sergius was a bitter enemy of Formosus. It is said that Formosus had consecrated Sergius bishop of Caere to prevent him from becoming pope. Whether this was true or not, Sergius certainly hated the memory of Formosus. Though Sergius indulged in no resurrection-man tactics himself, he heartily approved of Stephen VII's corpse-synod. He had an epitaph placed on Stephen's tomb which honored that pontiff and insulted Formosus.

Not content with assailing the memory of his hated predecessor, Sergius now reversed the policy of Theodore II and John IX. He held a synod and declared that the ordinations performed by Formosus were invalid. This caused a tempest in the holy-water fonts throughout Italy. Bishops and priests, who were given the choice of submitting to reordination or losing their positions, protested angrily. Sergius threatened to imprison any stubborn followers of Formosus. He was a thoroughgoing party man, whose narrow policy inspired intense bitterness.

Sergius was a Roman of noble family. He had tried for the papacy in the election which had produced John IX and had been excommunicated and exiled by that vigorous pontiff. He had returned in triumph, at the request of the Romans, and had succeeded the antipope Christopher. He associated himself closely with the most powerful noble in Rome, the Duke, Commander of the Army, and Master of the Wardrobe, Theophylactus. The family of this man will control the papacy for decades. Sergius is even accused of having a son by Marozia, the daughter of Theophylactus, a son who became Pope John XI.

On the other hand, there are glowing accounts of Sergius which make such shameful goings on quite improbable. With the manuscripts available, the just historian can scarcely convict Sergius of such misconduct. But neither can he acquit him.

Sergius seems to have been a hard-working pope, and except for his unfortunate policy against the party of Formosus, a fairly wise one. He showed great solicitude for the welfare of the Church by getting a number of synods held. He defended the doctrine that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son. He brought peace to Constantinople by declaring valid Emperor Leo's fourth marriage. The other three wives were dead, but some Greeks refused to consider a fourth marriage valid no matter how free the prospective bridegroom.

In a material way he took steps to get help for John, archbishop of Ravenna, against the depredations of the Count of Istria. He rebuilt the Lateran Basilica which had crashed in ruins in 896. Sergius III died either in April or June, 911.” This was on the above site.

" But Pope Sergius III (904-911) reapproved the decisions against Formosus. Sergius demanded the re-ordination of the bishops consecrated by Formosus, who in turn had meanwhile conferred orders on many other clerics, causing great confusion. Later the validity of Formosus's work was re-reinstated." http://www.campusprogram.com/reference/en/wikipedia/p/po/pope_formosus.html

This is not to mention the great Western Schism (1378- 1417) when no one really knew who the pope was for 40 years and there were 3 papal claimants. See www.newadvent.org/cathen/13539a.htm
St. Vincent of Ferrara followed an anit-pope.

Even saints were caught up in the dispute; St Catherine of Siena defended Urban's papacy, while St Vincent Ferrar was in Clement's camp.

Later a council at Pisa was held in 1409 to try to solve the dispute, but it only resulted in the election of a third Pope, Pope Alexander V by the council, soon to be followed by Pope John XXIII.

Finally, the Council of Constance in 1417 deposed John XXIII and the Avignon Pope Benedict XIII, received the resignation of the Roman Pope Gregory XII, and elected Pope Martin V, thereby ending the schism.
See http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Western-Schism