CNN article "Eight of the worst popes in church history"

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The Catholic Church does not deny any of the history of these Popes.
The Catholic Church is still here after 2000 years.
 
The Church has sadly had men who were given the sacred duties of the Chair of Peter only to have fallen very short, but excuse me if I don’t go to CNN for a synopsis. I’d just as soon watch a show on the worst US Presidents put together by the Chinese Communist Party.
 
I just skimmed through the article, but it definitely seems believable to me. Popes are fallible creatures just like us and are therefore capable of sin. Also, in past centuries, the papacy was very political and few people were educated, which resulted in men becoming pope who were not spiritually suitable for the job. However, I don’t think this takes away from the truth of the Catholic faith. Also, CNN is usually going to default to an anti-catholic stance on any article involving the Catholic Church.
 
What is there to say? History speaks volumes. There was a really dark period there. You can’t ignore it to sweep it under the rug. At the end of the day, every pope is a sinner just like the rest of us. He is fallen just like the rest of us.
 
I already have read about all these Popes, multiple times, so it’s not news to me that the Church had some “bad Popes”. I note that the most recent of these guys seems to have been 500 years ago and the Church is still chugging along.
Popes are human. They sin. Some of them sinned real big. Some of them were possibly mentally ill.
The fact that the Church survives even when a Pope is off the rails is a testament to its truth and enduring power.
 
Some of the popes there were pretty week- others not so much.

Every leader is faced with different challenges based upon when they lead.

Leo X was faced with the protestant revolts, mostly in lands far removed from Italy when the world was a lot larger.

Boniface VIII lived in a contentious time with different factions, where it was exceedingly difficult to get a consensus to even elect a pope.

Alexander VI has moral failings as we all do, but had successes as well- his work on dividing the interests of Spain and Portugal in the New World still pretty much stands today.

Could others have done better? maybe. But the results weren’t that bad and these guys weren’t complete failures for their times.
 
Can. 1373 A person who publicly incites among subjects animosities or hatred against the Apostolic See or an ordinary because of some act of power or ecclesiastical ministry or provokes subjects to disobey them is to be punished by an interdict or other just penalties.

This article simply states facts- I wouldnt say that it incites animosity.
 
During the tenth century, and then again between the 12th and 15th centuries, there were several strings of very evil popes.

There’s no reason to deny history. There are souls in hell, as we speak, who during their earthly life they were the Pope. Several of them.

The good news for us though, is that we haven’t had an evil Pope for hundreds of years. Especially in the last 125 years, every Pope since Leo XIII has, IMO, been a Saint.

Also, IMO, both our current Pontiff and our Emeritus Pope are living Saints.
 
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mrsdizzyd said:
What is there to say? History speaks volumes. There was a really dark period there. You can’t ignore it to sweep it under the rug. At the end of the day, every pope is a sinner just like the rest of us. He is fallen just like the rest of us.
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This is key.
You can’t ignore this history. Pretentious ignorance is not a solution, and it’s not good evangelization.

We need to speak about fallen humanity in real terms and point to redemption. Not sweep it under the rug and pretend it didn’t happen. That never works.
 
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So? I can name more than eight bad presidents of the United States, or monarchs of Great Britain.
 
KevinK said:
Was it the will of God to have these Popes?
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Does a blade of grass fall to the ground without God permitting it?
God does not desire evil, he permits human beings free will, and redeems all of it to the good.
 
Spyridon said:
There’s no reason to deny history. There are souls in hell, as we speak, who during their earthly life they were the Pope. Several of them.
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There is no official teaching on popes in Hell
Only God can judge souls.
It is not our place to postulate God’s judgement of any human soul. Matthew 25 verses 34.
 
I think the secular media loves to point out possible imperfections int he church.
Who cares They are going to believe what they want, and in some cases. there were bad Popes.
Must be a slow news day. And now you’ve gone and promoted the article.
 
CNN having a little “Dig and Pick” at Catholicism like most secular papers like they did about the crusades.

Reminds me of my anti-catholic elderly christian neighbor trying to wind-up me up about how nasty the Catholics were in the Crusades whilst doing a kind deed for me. Had to look at him sideways, and reminded him that God wants us to work together to do good works.
 
And, Catholics didnt even start the Crusades- It was in response to Muslim agression
 
Years ago some Protestant woman was telling my aunt that her chuch (might have been Lutheran) left the Catholic Church because of a “bad” Pope.

My aunt said, “Well, we have a new Pope now, so why don’t you come back?”
 
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