[wagglebee]

Blessed John XXIII was a former pirate? Who are you kidding?

Not just a pirate:

John XXIII was described in Vicars of Christ: "He was noted as a former pirate, pope-poisoner, mass-murderer, mass-fornicator…, adulterer on a scale unknown outside fables, simoniac par excellence, blackmailer, pimp, master of dirty tricks."

He has been dead for 45 years, why are we just now hearing about this? Which pope is he accused of poisoning? Who are the women he pimped and had sex with?

[Campion]

The "John XXIII" they're talking about lived in the 15th century, and was an antipope. What the crimes or alleged crimes of an antipope have to do with anything, we aren't told.

It's sort of like talking about how wrong Al Gore is about global warming, and how that proves what fools Presidents of the US are.

[Religion Moderator]

The article is obviously speaking of the antipope John XXIII circa 1410 - not the Blessed Pope John XXIII of the mid 1900's.

If it had referred to the latter, I would have pulled the article as hate mongering.

This article is "open" by default and therefore subject to robust debate. Have at it, tear down the premise of the article or the author - or argue for both - but do NOT make it personal.

If you are easily offended, if you "take things personally," then this article is not for you, you should leave the thread to avoid provoking a flame war. There are plenty of Religion Forum threads labeled "devotional" "ecumenical" "caucus" or "prayer" to find safe harbor from hostile criticism of your faith.