(PSST... ignore some of our ignoble popes. They were some REALLY bad dudes!)
Pope Stephen VI (896–897), who had his predecessor Pope Formosus exhumed, tried, de-fingered, briefly reburied, and thrown in the Tiber.[1]
Pope John XII (955–964), who gave land to a mistress, murdered several people, and was killed by a man who caught him in bed with his wife.
Pope Benedict IX (1032–1044, 1045, 1047–1048), who "sold" the Papacy
Pope Boniface VIII (1294–1303), who is lampooned in Dante's Divine Comedy
Pope Urban VI (1378–1389), who complained that he did not hear enough screaming when Cardinals who had conspired against him were tortured.[2]
Pope Alexander VI (1492–1503), a Borgia, who was guilty of nepotism and whose unattended corpse swelled until it could barely fit in a coffin.[3]
Pope Leo X (1513–1521), a spendthrift member of the Medici family who once spent 1/7 of his predecessors' reserves on a single ceremony[4]
Pope Clement VII (1523–1534), also a Medici, whose power-politicking with France, Spain, and Germany got Rome sacked.
Pope Stephen VI (896–897), who had his predecessor Pope Formosus exhumed, tried, de-fingered, briefly reburied, and thrown in the Tiber.[1]
Pope John XII (955–964), who gave land to a mistress, murdered several people, and was killed by a man who caught him in bed with his wife.
Pope Benedict IX (1032–1044, 1045, 1047–1048), who "sold" the Papacy
Pope Boniface VIII (1294–1303), who is lampooned in Dante's Divine Comedy Pope Urban VI (1378–1389), who complained that he did not hear enough screaming when Cardinals who had conspired against him were tortured.[2]
Pope Alexander VI (1492–1503), a Borgia, who was guilty of nepotism and whose unattended corpse swelled until it could barely fit in a coffin.[3]
Pope Leo X (1513–1521), a spendthrift member of the Medici family who once spent 1/7 of his predecessors' reserves on a single ceremony[4]
Pope Clement VII (1523–1534), also a Medici, whose power-politicking with France, Spain, and Germany got Rome sacked.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bad_Popes"
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It would be hard to find better proof that God is protecting His Catholic Church than pointing out that all these "bad popes" could not change or destroy the teachings of God's Catholic Church. (Sort of like proving that a bad guy like Judas Iscariot could not destroy the teachings of Jesus Christ, even though he helped get Him murdered.) Thanks Elsie!
Gotta go to work now. Have a great day!
How ironic that we are told repeatedly that no one can be saved who doesn't obey and be under the rule of the Pope of Rome (the so-called successor to St. Peter) but, when these many examples are given that pretty clearly show some of these dudes were FAR from the leaders they claimed to be WHILE they were in the position of Pope, we get the "well, all we are sinners" excuse and the "well, they didn't make any ex cathedra statements on faith or morals" rationalization.
How many times have Catholics here used the verse about taking a dispute with a brother to the "church" - thereby asserting Paul meant the hierarchy of the church (i.e., the magesterium including the Pope) has ALL authority to decide on matters of faith and morals? Yet, when it can be shown conclusively that this very same magesterium consisted of some of the worst characters ever known to history, we are diverted down another rabbit hole and they wipe the sweat from their brow as they imagine another accountability demand is averted. What a racket!