Rachel Evans
Pope Joan, also known as John VIII, is a female pope who, according to legend, reigned from 855 to 858. The story of Pope Joan first appeared in literature in the 13th century and quickly spread throughout Europe, with most people believing it to be true. It tells the tale of a talented and learned woman who disguised herself as a man and rose through the ranks of the church before being elected pope. However, the story of Pope Joan is considered a myth by modern scholars who have carefully traced the stories and historical timeline, confirming that it would be impossible for her to have ruled.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Pope Joan |
| Birth Name | John Anglicus of Mainz |
| Gender | Female |
| Title | John VIII |
| Reign | 855-858 |
| Duration | 25 months |
| Status | Myth |
| First Mention | 13th Century |
| Mentioned in | Literature, Manuscripts |
| Authors | Jean de Mailly, Martin of Opava, Alexander Cooke, Ranulf Higden, Giovanni Boccaccio, Petrarch |
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What You'll Learn
Pope Joan's existence
The existence of a female Pope, Pope Joan, is considered a myth by modern scholars. However, the story of Pope Joan was widely believed for centuries, and her existence was even regarded as fact by the Council of Constance in 1415.
The story of Pope Joan first appeared in literature in the 13th century, in the works of Jean de Mailly and Stephen of Bourbon. According to the legend, Pope Joan was a woman who disguised herself as a man and rose through the ranks of the Catholic Church, eventually becoming Pope. She is said to have reigned from 855 to 858, under the title of John VIII, and to have given birth to a child while in procession, after which she was stoned to death.
The tale of Pope Joan was used by Protestant polemicists in the 16th century to promote anti-papal sentiment and challenge the supposed infallibility of the Catholic Church. However, attempts to debunk the myth were made by scholars such as David Blondel, who in 1647 published a work arguing that a woman had never been seated on the papal throne in Rome.
Despite these efforts, the story of Pope Joan has endured and still captures the imagination of many. While it is widely accepted by modern scholars that Pope Joan never existed, some continue to argue for her historical existence, adjusting the timeframe of her supposed reign to a period when there were several antipopes.
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The Catholic Church's leadership
The Catholic Church has a unique and complex leadership structure. At the top of the hierarchy is the Pope, who is the head of the Catholic Church. To date, there have been 266 popes, and every single one of them has been male.
The tale of Pope Joan, a woman who allegedly became the head of the Catholic Church, is a medieval legend that has endured for centuries. The story goes that Pope Joan, disguised as a man, rose through the ranks of the Church to become a curial secretary, then a Cardinal, and eventually Pope. However, her true identity as a woman was revealed when she gave birth during a procession. She was then stoned to death, and her existence was erased from the official records.
The first written record of Pope Joan appeared in the 13th century, approximately 400 years after she supposedly lived. The story was spread primarily through interpolations made in manuscripts of the "Chronicon Pontificum et Imperatorum" by the Polish Dominican Martin of Opava (also known as Martin of Troppau). Over the centuries, Pope Joan's existence was widely accepted, even by the Council of Constance in 1415. However, in the 16th century, questions began to arise regarding the veracity of her story, and the first determined attempt to debunk the myth was made by the Calvinist David Blondel in 1647.
Today, it is generally agreed that Pope Joan did not exist. Modern scholars have carefully traced the historical timeline and confirmed that it would be impossible for her to have ruled. There is no contemporary evidence of a female Pope, and the known facts of the relevant historical periods do not support the legend. The large gap between the time she supposedly lived and her first appearance in texts is also a significant issue.
Despite this, the legend of Pope Joan continues to capture the imagination, and some still argue for her existence. The story has been used by secularists and anti-Catholics to challenge the teachings of the Church on the ordination of women.
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The Pope's election process
The legend of Pope Joan, a female pope, has been the subject of fascination for centuries. However, modern scholars have carefully examined the stories and historical timelines and concluded that it is unlikely that a female pope ever existed. This is further supported by the absence of any contemporary evidence or mentions of a female pope by the enemies of the Catholic Church in their writings.
Now, onto the Pope's election process, a highly choreographed and secretive affair:
The Conclave
When a pope dies or resigns, the College of Cardinals, comprised of bishops and Vatican officials from across the globe, assumes governance of the Catholic Church. After the traditional nine days of mourning, the cardinals gather in Vatican City for the conclave, a secretive process where they elect the new pope. During the conclave, cardinals are prohibited from communicating with anyone outside the election area, except in cases of urgent necessity.
General Congregations
Prior to the conclave, the cardinals hold general congregations to discuss the challenges and needs facing the Catholic Church and prepare for the papal election. Decisions that only the pope can make must wait until after the election.
Voting
The cardinals cast their votes in secret via ballots that read "I elect as supreme pontiff." The ballots are twice-folded, placed in urns, and counted by three randomly selected cardinals. The process continues until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority, at which point, the ballots are burned with white smoke to signal the election of a new pope.
Acceptance and Announcement
Once a candidate is elected, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks if they accept the position. If they accept, they choose a papal name and are dressed in papal vestments. The senior cardinal deacon then announces "Habemus Papam" ("We have a pope") from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, and the new pope imparts their blessing on Rome and the world.
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The Pope Joan legend's endurance
The legend of Pope Joan has been a popular and enduring one, with many believing it to be true for hundreds of years. The story goes that a woman, disguised as a man, rose through the ranks of the Catholic Church to become Pope in the 9th century, only to be revealed as a woman when she gave birth during a procession. The tale was first recorded in the 13th century and was used by some to criticise the Church.
The Legend
According to the legend, Pope Joan was a talented and learned woman who disguised herself as a man. Through her intelligence and abilities, she rose through the ranks of the Church, becoming a curial secretary, then a Cardinal, and finally Pope. The story goes that she gave birth in public while taking part in a procession and was subsequently stoned to death.
Historical Record
The earliest written record of Pope Joan is from the 13th century, with the first mention of an unnamed female pope appearing in the work of Jean de Mailly, a Dominican chronicler. The story was then picked up and adapted by his companion, Stephen of Bourbon, and gained further popularity when it was included in Martin of Opava's Chronicon Pontificum et Imperatorum. Over the next few centuries, the legend of Pope Joan spread throughout Europe and was generally accepted as true.
Criticism and Enduring Popularity
In the 16th century, Catholic and Protestant writers began to question the veracity of the story, noting the long gap between Joan's supposed lifetime and her first appearance in texts. Despite these criticisms, the legend of Pope Joan has endured, with some secularists and anti-Catholics continuing to promote the story, often in an attempt to criticise the Church's stance on the ordination of women. While modern scholars have carefully traced the historical timeline and confirmed that it would be impossible for Joan to have ruled, the legend continues to capture the imagination, with some authors and documentaries presenting the story as a serious historical possibility.
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The Pope Joan myth's origins
The first written record of a female pope comes from Jean de Mailly's chronicle, written around 1250. In this account, the female pope is unnamed, but later retellings would assign her the name Pope Joan. De Mailly's story inspired several more accounts over the following years. The most popular and influential version is that interpolated into Martin of Opava's Chronicon Pontificum et Imperatorum later in the 13th century. This version introduced details such as the female pope's birth name (John Anglicus of Mainz), her reign in the 9th century, and that she entered the church to follow her lover.
The story of Pope Joan was widely spread during the 13th century, mostly by friars and through interpolations made in many manuscripts of the Chronicon Pontificum et Imperatorum. The name "Joan" was not adopted until the 14th century; other names commonly given were Agnes or Gilberta.
The existence of Pope Joan was generally accepted as true until the 16th century, when a widespread debate among Catholic and Protestant writers called the story into question. Various writers noted the implausibly long gap between Joan's supposed lifetime and her first appearance in texts. It was also pointed out that none of the church's enemies mentioned Joan when discussing the popes they were trying to conquer.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the story of Pope Joan was used for Protestant polemics. However, it was the Calvinist David Blondel who made the first determined attempt to destroy the myth in 1647, with a detailed analysis of the claims and suggested timings arguing that no such events could have happened.
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Frequently asked questions
No, there has never been a female Catholic Pope.
Pope Joan was a legendary female Pope who supposedly reigned under the name of John VIII from 855 to 858.
The story of Pope Joan first appeared in literature in the 13th century and was widely believed to be true for hundreds of years.
There is no contemporary evidence of a female Pope, and the known facts of the period during which she supposedly reigned make it impossible for her to have existed.
In the 16th century, people began to question the veracity of Pope Joan's existence. In 1647, the Calvinist David Blondel made the first determined attempt to debunk the myth.
