12th Pope. John XII: biography. Pope Francis

Buried: ((#property:p119)) Dynasty: ((#property:p53)) Father: Alberich II of Spoleto Mother: Alda of Arles Autograph:

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John XII(in the world Octavian Tuscolo) (lat. Joannes P.P. XII; (0937 ) - May 14) - Pope from December 16 to December 4, 963. Son of Alberich II, patrician of Rome, and Alda of Arles, daughter of Hugh of Arles, maternal descendant of Charlemagne in the 7th generation, grandson of Marozia, last pope of the period of pornocracy.

Shortly before his death in 954, Alberich ordered the Roman nobility to take an oath in St. Peter's Basilica that after the release of the papal throne, it would be occupied by Octavian, who by that time had already been ordained. After Alberich's death, Octavian succeeded him as secular ruler of Rome, aged 17–24.

With the death of Agapit II in November 955, Octavian, who by then was a cardinal of the Church of Santa Maria Domnica, was elected as his successor on December 16, 955. He took the name John XII, uniting secular and spiritual authority over Rome. It is curious that he signed directives on issues of secular government with the name Octavian, and papal bulls with the name John.

Beginning of the pontificate

John glorified the papal throne with all kinds of vices and crimes, so that his pious contemporaries considered him the incarnation of the devil. John XII is considered the most immoral pope not only of that time, but in the entire history of the church. John had a huge influence on the church: he was the first to prove that in the eyes of the church, real power depends on the position held, and not on the person.

John soon discovered that he was unable to control the powerful Roman nobility as his father had done. At the same time, Berengar II, king of Italy, laid claim to the papal possessions. In order to protect himself from political intrigues in Rome and the claims of Berengar, in the year John sought help from Otto I the Great, who had previously been awarded the title of Roman patrician. At the invitation of the pope, the German king entered Italy in the year. Berengar retreated to his fortresses, and Otto entered Rome victoriously on January 31 of the year. There he met with John and vowed that he would do everything to protect the pope:

However, according to Horace K. Mann, "ecclesiastical affairs had little attraction for John XII."

Conflict with Otto

The papal envoys were captured by Otto I, who sent a deputation to Rome to find out what was going on behind his back. John at the same time sent envoys, including the future Pope Leo VIII, to Otto to reassure the emperor. However, in 963, Otto learned that Adalbert had been allowed entry into Rome to negotiate with the pope. Once Berengar was defeated and imprisoned, Otto returned to Rome and besieged it in the summer of 963. He found the city divided: the emperor's supporters, having learned of Adalbert's arrival, fortified themselves in Ioannispolis, a fortified area of ​​Rome centered on the Basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura. John and his supporters, meanwhile, controlled most of the old city. Initially, John intended to defend the city. Donning his armor, he helped hold off Otto's troops as they attempted to cross the Tiber. However, he quickly realized that he could not defend the city, and along with the papal treasury and Adalbert, he fled to Tivoli.

Otto I demanded that John appear before him to give an explanation. John responded by threatening excommunication to anyone who tried to overthrow him. Undeterred, the emperor convened a synod on December 4, 963 and overthrew John, who by this time had retired to the mountains of Campania. Leo VIII was elected to replace John.

An attempted uprising in support of John was crushed with heavy casualties even before Otto left the city. On the emperor's departure, John XII returned to the city at the head of a large retinue of supporters and servants, causing Leo VIII to flee to the emperor for safety. Entering Rome in February 964, John convened a synod, which declared his deposition uncanonical. Having captured some of his enemies, he again became ruler of Rome. The sending of Otgar, Bishop of Speyer, to the emperor to discuss a compromise was no longer timely: John XII died on May 14, 964. According to Liutprand of Cremona, he died while making love outside Rome, either as a result of apoplexy or at the hands of an insulted husband. There is a legend that John died because Satan "knocked him on the head", which is also a medieval metaphor for apoplexy.

John XII was buried in the Lateran Palace.

Character and reputation

The sources traditionally characterize John primarily as a secular ruler of Rome rather than a spiritual leader. He was portrayed as a rude, immoral man who turned the Lateran Palace into a brothel. At the same time, his political enemies used accusations of debauchery to tarnish his reputation and hide the political aspects of his deposition.

Liutprand of Cremona, a supporter of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, gives an account of the charges brought against John at the Synod in the year:

“Then, rising, Cardinal Peter testified that he himself had seen John XII lead the Mass without receiving the sacrament. John, Bishop of Narni, and John, Cardinal Deacon, confessed that they themselves had seen the deacon being ordained in the stable. Benedict, the cardinal deacon, with other priests said that they knew about the facts of the pope consecrating bishops for bribes ... they testified to his adultery: he committed adultery with the widow Rainier, with the maid of Father Stephen, with the widow Anna and with his own niece, and he turned the sacred palace into a brothel. They said that he blinded his confessor Benedict, and after that Benedict died; that he killed John, cardinal subdeacon, after his castration... All the clergy, as well as the laity, declared that he drank wine with the devil. They said that when playing dice, he invoked Jupiter, Venus and other idols. They even said that he did not celebrate Matins and did not make the sign of the cross."

However, other contemporaries and subsequent historians also accused John of immoral behavior. Thus, an ardent critic of the papacy, Louis-Marie Decormenin, wrote:

The historian Ferdinand Gregorovius was somewhat more favorable to John:

Even the papal apologist Horace Mann was forced to admit:

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Notes

Literature

• Korelin M. S. John, popes // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
• Chamberlin, Russell, The Bad Popes. Sutton Publishing (2003), p. 955–963
• Gregorovius, Ferdinand, The History of Rome in the Middle Ages, Vol. III (1895)
• Mann, Horace K., The Lives of the Popes in the Early Middle Ages, Vol. IV: The Popes in the Days of Feudal Anarchy, 891-999 (1910)
• Norwich, John Julius, The Popes: A History (2011)

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Excerpt characterizing John XII (Pope)

“They are right here, on this “floor”?.. – I couldn’t believe it.
Stella nodded her head sadly again, and I decided I wouldn’t ask anymore, so as not to disturb her bright, kind soul.
We walked along an unusual road that appeared and disappeared as we stepped on it. The road shimmered softly and seemed to lead, showing the way, as if knowing where we needed to go... There was a pleasant feeling of freedom and lightness, as if the whole world around had suddenly become completely weightless.
– Why does this road tell us where to go? – I couldn’t stand it.
– She doesn’t point, she helps. - The little girl answered. – Everything here consists of thoughts, have you forgotten? Even trees, the sea, roads, flowers - everyone hears what we are thinking about. This is a truly pure world... probably what people are used to calling Paradise... You cannot deceive here.
– Where is Hell then?.. Does it exist too?
– Oh, I’ll definitely show you! This is the bottom “floor” and there IS SUCH!!!... – Stella shrugged her shoulders, apparently remembering something not very pleasant.
We still walked further, and then I noticed that the surroundings began to change a little. Transparency began to disappear somewhere, giving way to a much more “dense” landscape, similar to the earth’s.
- What's going on, where are we? – I was wary.
- Everything is there. “The little girl answered completely calmly. - Only now we are already in the part that is simpler. Remember we just talked about this? The majority here are those who have just arrived. When they see a landscape that is similar to their usual one, it is easier for them to perceive their “transition” into this new world for them... Well, also, here live those who do not want to be better than they are, and do not willing to make the slightest effort to achieve something higher.
“So this “floor” consists of two parts?” I clarified.
– You can say so. - The girl answered thoughtfully, and suddenly switched to another topic - Somehow no one here pays any attention to us. Do you think they're not here?
After looking around, we stopped, not having the slightest idea what to do next.
– Shall we risk “lower”? – Stella asked.
I felt that the baby was tired. And I was also very far from my best form. But I was almost sure that she was not going to give up, so she nodded in response.
“Well, then we need to prepare a little...” the militant Stella said, biting her lip and seriously concentrating. – Do you know how to build strong protection for yourself?
- Seems Yes. But I don't know how strong it will be. – I answered embarrassedly. I really didn’t want to let her down right now.
“Show me,” the girl asked.
I realized that this was not a whim, and that she was just trying to help me. Then I tried to concentrate and made my green “cocoon”, which I always made for myself when I needed serious protection.
“Wow!..” Stella opened her eyes in surprise. - Well, then let's go.
This time our flight down was not nearly as pleasant as the previous one... For some reason, my chest felt very tight and it was hard to breathe. But little by little it all seemed to level out, and I stared in surprise at the eerie landscape that opened up to us...
The heavy, blood-red sun sparingly illuminated the dull, violet-brown silhouettes of distant mountains... Deep cracks crawled along the ground, like giant snakes, from which a dense, dark orange fog burst out and, merging with the surface, became like a bloody shroud . Strange, seemingly restless, essences of people wandered everywhere, looking very dense, almost physical... They appeared and disappeared, not paying any attention to each other, as if they saw no one but themselves and lived only in their own, closed from the rest of the world. In the distance, not yet approaching, sometimes dark figures of some monstrous animals appeared. I felt danger, it smelled terrible, I wanted to run away from here headlong, without turning back...
– Are we right in Hell or what? – I asked, horrified by what I saw.
“But you wanted to see what it looked like, so you looked.” – Stella answered, smiling tensely.
It was felt that she was expecting some kind of trouble. And, in my opinion, there was simply no way there could be anything else but trouble here...
“And you know, sometimes there are good beings here who just made big mistakes.” And to be honest, I feel very sorry for them... Can you imagine waiting here for your next incarnation?! Horrible!
No, I couldn’t imagine this, and I didn’t want to. And there was no smell of this same goodness here.
- But you’re wrong! – the little girl overheard my thoughts again. “Sometimes, it’s true, very good people end up here, and they pay very dearly for their mistakes... I really feel sorry for them...
– Do you really think that our missing boy ended up here too?! He certainly didn’t have time to do anything that bad. Do you hope to find him here?.. Do you think this is possible?
– Be careful!!! – Stella suddenly screamed wildly.
I was flattened on the ground like a big frog, and I just had time to feel as if a huge, terribly stinking thing was falling on me. mountain... Something was puffing, slurping and snorting, emitting a disgusting smell of rot and rotten meat. My stomach almost turned out - it’s good that we “walked” here only as entities, without physical bodies. Otherwise, I would probably get into the most unpleasant troubles.....
- Get out! Well, get out!!! - the frightened girl squealed.
But, unfortunately, this was easier said than done... The fetid carcass fell on me with all the terrible weight of its huge body and was already, apparently, ready to feast on my fresh vitality... But, as luck would have it, I couldn’t I couldn’t free myself from it, and panic was already starting to squeak treacherously in my soul, compressed by fear...
- Come on! – Stella shouted again. Then she suddenly hit the monster with some bright ray and screamed again: “Run!!!”
I felt that it became a little easier, and with all my might I energetically pushed the carcass hanging over me. Stella ran around and fearlessly hit the already weakening horror from all sides. I somehow got out, gasping for air out of habit, and was truly horrified by what I saw!.. Right in front of me lay a huge spiky carcass, all covered with some kind of sharply stinking mucus, with a huge, curved horn on a wide, warty head .
- Let's run! – Stella screamed again. – He’s still alive!..
It was as if the wind had blown me away... I didn’t remember at all where I was blown... But, I must say, it was carried very quickly.
“Well, you’re running...,” the little girl squeezed out, out of breath, barely pronouncing the words.
- Oh, please forgive me! – I exclaimed, ashamed. “You screamed so much that I ran away in fright, wherever my eyes were looking...
- Well, it’s okay, next time we’ll be more careful. – Stella calmed down.
This statement made my eyes pop out of my head!..
– Will there be a “next” time??? “I asked cautiously, hoping for a “no.”
- Well, of course! They live here! – the brave girl “reassured” me in a friendly manner.
– What are we doing here then?..
- We are saving someone, have you forgotten? – Stella was sincerely surprised.
And apparently, from all this horror, our “rescue expedition” completely slipped my mind. But I immediately tried to pull myself together as quickly as possible, so as not to show Stella that I was really, really scared.
“Don’t think so, after the first time my braids stood on end all day!” – the little girl said more cheerfully.
I just wanted to kiss her! Somehow, seeing that I was ashamed of my weakness, she managed to make me feel good again immediately.
“Do you really think that little Leah’s dad and brother could be here?..,” I asked her again, surprised from the bottom of my heart.
- Certainly! They could simply have been stolen. – Stella answered quite calmly.
- How to steal? And who?..
But the little girl didn’t have time to answer... Something worse than our first “acquaintance” jumped out from behind the dense trees. It was something incredibly nimble and strong, with a small but very powerful body, every second throwing out a strange sticky “net” from its hairy belly. We didn’t even have time to utter a word when we both fell into it... Frightened, Stella began to look like a small disheveled owlet - her big blue eyes looked like two huge saucers, with splashes of horror in the middle.
I had to urgently come up with something, but for some reason my head was completely empty, no matter how hard I tried to find something sensible there... And the “spider” (we will continue to call it that, for lack of a better one) in the meantime was quite apparently dragged us into his nest, preparing to “supper”...
-Where are the people? – I asked, almost out of breath.
- Oh, you saw - there are a lot of people here. More than anywhere... But they, for the most part, are worse than these animals... And they will not help us.
- So what should we do now? – I asked mentally “chattering my teeth”.
– Remember when you showed me your first monsters, you hit them with a green beam? – Once again, her eyes sparkling mischievously (again, she came to her senses faster than me!), Stella asked cheerfully. - Let `s together?..
I realized that, fortunately, she was still going to give up. And I decided to try it, because we had nothing to lose anyway...
But we didn’t have time to hit, because at that moment the spider suddenly stopped and we, feeling a strong push, plopped down to the ground with all our might... Apparently, he dragged us to his home much earlier than we expected...
We found ourselves in a very strange room (if, of course, you could call it that). It was dark inside and there was complete silence... There was a strong smell of mold, smoke and the bark of some unusual tree. And only from time to time some faint sounds were heard, similar to groans. It was as if the “sufferers” had no strength left...
– Can’t you illuminate this somehow? – I asked Stella quietly.
“I’ve already tried, but for some reason it doesn’t work...” the little girl answered in the same whisper.
And immediately a tiny light lit up right in front of us.
“That’s all I can do here.” – The girl sighed sadly
In such dim, meager lighting, she looked very tired and as if grown up. I kept forgetting that this amazing miracle child was just nothing - five years old! She is still a very tiny girl, who should have been terribly scared at the moment. But she endured everything courageously, and even planned to fight...
– Look who’s here? – the little girl whispered.
And peering into the darkness, I saw strange “shelves” on which people were lying, as if in a drying rack.
– Mom?.. Is that you, mom??? – a surprised thin voice whispered quietly. - How did you find us?
At first I didn’t understand that the child was addressing me. Having completely forgotten why we came here, I only realized that they were asking me specifically when Stella pushed me hard in the side with her fist.
“But we don’t know what their names are!” I whispered.
- Leah, what are you doing here? – a male voice sounded.
- I'm looking for you, daddy. – Stella answered mentally in Leah’s voice.
- How did you get here? – I asked.
“Surely, just like you...” was the quiet answer. – We were walking along the shore of the lake, and did not see that there was some kind of “failure” there... So we fell through there. And there was this beast waiting... What are we going to do?
- Leave. – I tried to answer as calmly as possible.
- And the rest? Do you want to leave them all?!. – Stella whispered.
- No, of course I don’t want to! But how are you going to get them out of here?..
Then a strange, round hole opened and a viscous, red light blinded my eyes. My head felt like pincers and I was dying to sleep...
- Hold on! Just don't sleep! – Stella shouted. And I realized that this had some kind of strong effect on us. Apparently, this terrible creature needed us completely weak-willed, so that he could freely perform some kind of “ritual”.
“We can’t do anything...” Stella muttered to herself. - Well, why doesn’t it work?..
And I thought she was absolutely right. We were both just children who, without thinking, embarked on very life-threatening journeys, and now did not know how to get out of it all.
Suddenly Stella removed our superimposed “images” and we became ourselves again.
- Oh, where’s mom? Who are you?... What did you do to mom?! – the boy hissed indignantly. - Well, bring her back immediately!
I really liked his fighting spirit, bearing in mind the hopelessness of our situation.
“The thing is, your mother wasn’t here,” Stella whispered quietly. – We met your mother where you “failed” here from. They are very worried about you because they cannot find you, so we offered to help. But, as you can see, we were not careful enough, and ended up in the same terrible situation...

There were times when there was no church organization, cult, dogma, and no officials. From the masses of ordinary believers came prophets and preachers, teachers and apostles. They were the ones who replaced the priests. They were believed to be endowed with power and capable of teaching, prophecy, performing miracles, and even healing. Any adherent of the Christian faith could call himself a charismatic. Such a person often even managed the affairs of the community if a certain number of like-minded people joined him. Only by the middle of the 2nd century did bishops gradually begin to direct all affairs of Christian communities.

The name "Papa" (from the Greek word - father, mentor) appeared in the 5th century. At the same time, according to the edict of the Emperor of Rome, all bishops were subject to the papal court.

The pinnacle of the power of papal power was a document that appeared in 1075, called the “Dictate of the Pope.”

The papacy at different periods of its history experienced dependence on emperors, as well as their governors, on French kings, even on barbarians, a split in the church that forever divided all adherents of Christianity into Orthodox and Catholics, the strengthening of power and the rise of the papacy, and the Crusades.

Who was awarded such a high title of "Pope"? A list of these people is presented to your attention in the article.

The temporal power of the Pope

Until 1870 inclusive, the Popes were the rulers of multiple territories in Italy, which was called the Papal States.

The Vatican became the Seat of the Holy See. Today there is no smaller state in the world, and it is completely located within the boundaries of Rome.

Heads the Holy See, and therefore the Vatican, Rome). He is elected for life by the conclave (College of Cardinals).

The power of the Pope in the Church

In the Catholic Church, the pontiff has full power. It does not depend on the influence of any person.

He has the right to make laws, called canons, which are binding on the church, to interpret and change them, even to repeal them. They are combined into codices First - 451.

In the church, the Pope also has apostolic authority. He controls the purity of doctrine and spreads the faith. He has the authority to convene a meeting and approve the decisions he has made, postpone or dissolve the council.

The pontiff has judicial power in the church. It hears cases as a first instance. It is prohibited to appeal against my father’s verdict in a secular court.

And finally, as the highest executive power, he has the right to establish bishoprics and liquidate them, to appoint and remove bishops. He ordains saints and blessed ones.

Papal power is sovereign. And this is very important, since the rule of law allows us to maintain and maintain order.

Pope: list

The oldest of the lists is given in the treatise of Irenaeus of Lyons “Against Heresies” and ends in the year 189, when Pope Eleutherius died. It is recognized as reliable by most researchers.

Eusebius' list, which dates back to the year 304, when Pope Marcellinus completed his earthly journey, contains information about the time of each pontiff's accession to the throne and the duration of their pontificates.

So who was awarded the title "Pope"? The list, with corrections in the Roman edition, was compiled by Pope Liberius and appears in his Catalog. And here, in addition to the names of each bishop, starting with St. Peter, and the duration of the pontificates with the greatest possible accuracy (to the day), there are other details, such as the dates of the consulates, the name of the emperor who ruled during these periods. Liberius himself died in 366.

Researchers note that the chronology of papal reigns up to 235 was obtained, for the most part, by calculations, and therefore their historical value is in doubt.

For a long time, the most authoritative of the lists was the Book of Popes, which contains descriptions up to and including Pope Honorius, who died in 1130. But, in fairness, it is worth noting that the Catalog of Pope Liberius became a source of information about the Popes of the early periods.

Is there an exact list of people who have been awarded the title "Pope"? The list was compiled by many historians. They were influenced by developing history, as well as the author’s point of view on the canonical legitimacy of a particular election or deposition. Moreover, the pontificates of ancient popes usually began counting from the moment when their ordination as bishops took place. With the later custom that arose until the ninth century, when Popes were crowned, the period of reign began to be calculated from the moment of coronation. And later, from the pontificate of Gregory VII - from the election, that is, from the moment when the Pope received rank. There were pontiffs who were elected, or even proclaimed themselves as such, in defiance of the fact that they were canonically elected.

Popes are wicked

In the history of the Vatican, which dates back more than 2000 years, there are not only blank blank pages, and Popes are not always and not all standards of virtue and righteous people. The Vatican recognized the pontiffs as thieves, libertines, usurpers, warmongers.

At all times, no Pope had the right to remain aloof from the politics of European countries. Perhaps that is precisely why some of them used its methods, often quite cruel, and as the most wicked, remained in the memory of their contemporaries.

• Stephen VI (VII - in separate sources).

They say that he did more than just “inherit.” On his initiative, a trial was held in 897, which was later called the “corpse synod.” He ordered the exhumation and put on trial the corpse of Pope Formosus, who was not just his predecessor, but also an ideological opponent. The accused, or rather the corpse of the pontiff, already half-decomposed, was seated on the throne and interrogated. It was a terrible court hearing. Pope Formosus was accused of treachery, and his election was declared invalid. And even this sacrilege was not enough for the pontiff, and the accused’s fingers were cut off and then dragged through the city streets. He was buried in a grave with foreigners.

By the way, at this very time an earthquake occurred, the Romans took it as a sign given to them from above to overthrow the Pope.

• John XII.

The list of charges is impressive: adultery, sale of church lands and privileges.

The fact of his adultery with many different women, among them his father’s partner and his own niece, is recorded in the chronicles of Liutprand of Cremona. He was even deprived of his life by the woman’s husband, who caught him in bed with her.

• Benedict IX.

He turned out to be the most cynical pontiff without any morality, “the devil from hell in the guise of a priest.” The far from complete list of his acts includes rape, sodomy, and organizing orgies.

It is also known about the Pope's attempts to sell the throne, after which he again dreamed of power and planned to return to it.

• Urban VI.

He initiated the Schism in the Roman Catholic Church in 1378. For almost forty years those who fought for the throne were at enmity. He was a cruel man, a real despot.

• John XXII.

It was he who decided that he could make good money from the remission of sins. Forgiveness for more serious sins cost more.

• Leo X.

A direct follower of the work begun by John XXII. He considered the “tariffs” to be low and in need of increasing. Now it was enough to pay a large sum, and the sins of a murderer or someone who committed incest were easily forgiven.

• Alexander VI.

A man with a reputation as the most immoral and scandalous Pope. He earned such fame through debauchery and nepotism. He was called a poisoner and an adulterer, and was even accused of incest. They say that he even got the position of Pope through bribery.

To be fair, it should be noted that there are plenty of unfounded rumors around his name.

Popes who were brutally murdered

The history of the church is rich in bloodshed. Many ministers of the Catholic Church became victims of brutal murders.

• October 64 St. Peter.

Saint Peter, as the legend goes, chose to die the death of a martyr, like his teacher Jesus. He expressed a desire to be crucified on the cross, only head down, and this undoubtedly increased the suffering. And after his death he became revered as the first Pope of Rome.

• Saint Clement I.

(from 88 to 99)

There is a legend according to which he, while in exile in the quarries, practically performed a miracle with the help of prayer. Where the prisoners were suffering from unbearable heat and thirst, a lamb appeared out of nowhere, and a spring gushed out of the ground in that very place. The ranks of Christians were replenished by those who witnessed the miracle, among them convicts and local residents. And Clementius was executed by the guards, an anchor was tied to his neck and the corpse was thrown into the sea.

• Saint Stephen I.

He served only 3 years as pontiff when he had to fall victim to the discord that engulfed the Catholic Church. Right in the middle of his sermon, he was beheaded by soldiers serving Emperor Valerian, who was persecuting Christians. The throne, which was covered in his blood, was kept by the church until the 18th century.

• Sixtus II.

He repeated the fate of his predecessor, Stephen I.

• John VII.

By the way, he was the first among the Popes to be born into a noble family. He was beaten to death by the woman's husband when he caught them in bed.

• John VIII.

He is considered almost the greatest church figure in history. Historians associate his name, first of all, with a large number of political intrigues. And it is not surprising that he himself became their victim. It is known that he was poisoned and received a strong blow to the head with a hammer. It remained a mystery what the true reason for his murder was.

• Stephen VII.

(from May 896 to August 897)

He became notorious for the trial of Pope Formosus. The “Corpse Synod” clearly did not receive the approval of supporters of Catholicism. He was eventually imprisoned, where he was later executed.

• John XII.

He became a dad at eighteen. And to most he was a leader, inspiring and godly. At the same time, he did not disdain theft and incest, he was a player. He is even credited with involvement in political assassinations. And he himself died at the hands of a jealous husband, who caught him and his wife in bed in his house.

• John XXI.

This pontiff is also known to the world as a scientist and philosopher. Philosophical and medical treatises came from his pen. He died some time after the roof collapsed in the new wing of his palace in Italy, in his own bed, from his injuries.

About some representatives of the papacy

He had to lead the church during the Second World War. He chose a very cautious position in relation to Hitlerism. But on his orders, Catholic churches sheltered Jews. And how many Vatican representatives helped Jews escape from concentration camps by issuing them new passports. The Pope used all possible means of diplomacy for these purposes.

Pius XII never hid his anti-Sovietism. In the hearts of Catholics, he will remain the pope who proclaimed the dogma of the Ascension of Our Lady.

The pontificate of Pius XII ends the “era of the Pii.”

The first Pope with a double name

The first Pope in history to choose a double name for himself, which he made up from the names of his two predecessors. John Paul I innocently admitted that he lacked the education of one and the wisdom of the other. But he wanted to continue their work.

He was nicknamed “The Cheerful Papa Curia” because he constantly smiled, even laughed uninhibitedly, which was even unusual. Especially after the serious and gloomy predecessor.

Protocol etiquette became an almost unbearable burden for him. Even in the most solemn moments, he expressed himself very simply. Even his enthronement was carried out sincerely. He refused the tiathra, walked to the altar, did not sit in the chesatorium, and the roar of the cannon was replaced by the sounds of the choir.

His pontificate lasted only 33 days until he suffered a myocardial infarction.

Pope Francis

(from 2013 to now)

The first pontiff from the New World. This news was joyfully received by Catholics throughout the world. He gained fame as a brilliant speaker and talented leader. Pope Francis is intelligent and deeply educated. He is concerned about a variety of issues: from the possibility of a third world war to illegitimate children, from interethnic relations to sexual minorities. Pope Francis is a very humble man. He refuses luxury apartments, a personal chef, and doesn’t even use the “daddy car.”

Pilgrim Dad

Pope, the last one born in the 19th century, and the last one to be crowned with a tiara. Later this tradition was canceled. He established the Synod of Bishops.

Because he condemned contraception and artificial birth control, he was accused of conservatism and retrogradeness. It was during his reign that priests received the right to celebrate mass facing the people.

And he was nicknamed the “Pilgrim Pope” because he personally visited each of the five continents.

Founder of the Catholic Action movement

The Pope restored the old tradition when he addressed the believers with a blessing from the balcony of the palace. This was the first act of the pontiff. He became the founder of the Catholic Action movement, designed to bring to life the principles of Catholicism. He established the feast of Christ the King and defined the principles of the doctrine of family and marriage. He did not condemn democracy, like many of his predecessors. It was under the Lateran Agreements, signed by the Pope in February 1929, that the Holy See acquired sovereignty over the territory of 44 hectares, known to this day as the Vatican, a city-state with all its attributes: coat of arms and flag, banks and currency, telegraph, radio, newspaper, prison, etc.

The Pope has repeatedly condemned fascism. Only death prevented him from once again making an angry speech.

Conservative Pontiff

He is considered a conservative pontiff. He categorically does not accept homosexuality, contraception and abortion, and genetic experiments. He was against the ordination of women as priests, homosexuals and married men. He alienated Muslims by speaking disrespectfully about the Prophet Muhammad. And although he later apologized for his words, mass protests among Muslims could not be avoided.

First Pope of a united Italy

He was a versatile and educated man. Dante quoted from memory and wrote poetry in Latin. He was the first to open access to some archives for those studying in Catholic educational institutions, but at the same time he left the results of the research, their publication and content under personal control.

He became the first in a united Italy. He died the same year he celebrated a quarter century since his election. The longest-liver among popes lived for 93 years.

Gregory XVI

He had to take the throne when a revolutionary movement arose and grew in Italy, which was headed by the Pope, who had a very negative attitude towards the doctrine of liberalism, which was being promoted in France at that time, and condemned the December uprising in Poland. He died of cancer.

Everyone knows that the residence of the Pope is in Rome. But it was not always so. King Philip the Fair of France, who was in conflict with the clergy, placed a new residence at the disposal of the popes in Avignon in 1309. The Captivity of Avignon lasted for about seventy years. Seven pontiffs were replaced during this time. The papacy returned to Rome only in 1377.

The Pope has always strived to improve the relationship between Christianity and Islam and is known to everyone for his active actions in this direction. He was the first Pope to visit the mosque, and even prayed in it. And having completed the prayer, he kissed the Koran. This happened in 2001 in Damascus.

Traditional Christian icons depict round halos above the heads of saints. But there are canvases with halos of other shapes. For example, triangular - for God the Father, symbolizing the Trinity. And the heads of popes who have not yet died are decorated with rectangular halos.

There is a stainless steel ball on the TV tower in Berlin. In the bright rays of the sun a cross is reflected on it. This fact has given rise to several witty nicknames, and "the Pope's revenge" is one of them.

On the throne of the Pope there is a cross, but upside down. It is known that Satanists use this symbol, and it is also found among black metal bands. But Catholics know him as: after all, it was on the inverted cross that he wished to be crucified, considering it unworthy for himself to die like his Teacher.

Everyone in Russia knows Pushkin’s “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish,” adults and children. But does everyone know that there is another one called “The Fisherman and His Wife” and it was created by the famous storytellers the Brothers Grimm. For the Russian poet, the old woman returned to nothing when she wished to become a sea mistress. But for Grimm she became the Pope. When I wanted to become God, I was left with nothing.

Octavian Tuscolo - the future Pope John XII - was the son of the Duke of Spoleto, a Roman senator and consul of Alberich II. In 932, he eliminated all his rivals (among whom were his mother, brother and stepfather) and gained power over Rome. Alberich had full control of the Holy See and placed the papal tiara on the people under him. At the end of his life, he decided to transfer both secular and spiritual power over Rome to his son. Upon ascending the throne, Octavian took the name John, thus becoming the first Pope in history to change his name during his election (some researchers believe that Pope John II, who ruled in the 6th century, took a different name for the first time).

Historians hardly know what Octavian did before he became Pope. In one of the editions of the collection of acts of the Roman popes, Liber Pontificalis, it is said that Octavian was a cardinal deacon of the Roman diaconia of the Virgin Mary and served in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Domnica. Upon ascending the throne, the pope made an attempt to expand the territories subordinate to Rome in the south. His military campaigns were unsuccessful, and control over the important port city of Salerno was completely lost. Failures in the career of a warrior did not turn the young dad to spiritual quests. On the contrary, having returned to Rome, he indulged in revelry and debauchery.

Portrait of Pope John XII

As Stendhal writes in his Walks in Rome, “... Pope John XII desecrated himself with blasphemy, murder and incest... all the beautiful women of Rome were forced to flee their homeland so as not to be subjected to violence... The Lateran Palace, once the refuge of saints, became a place debauchery, where John kept, together with other women of cheerful morals, the sister of his father’s concubine as his own wife.” Not limiting himself to this, the pope “drank the health of the devil, called on the demons Jupiter and Venus to help him in gambling.”

The 130th Pope was far from the first pope who did not care about his sacred duties. A whole series of “deputies of God on Earth” who preceded John indulged in fornication. Since 904, the period of so-called pornocracy lasted in Rome, when the papal throne was occupied either by the lovers of easy-going representatives of the aristocratic family of Theophylacts, or by the voluptuous henchmen of Alberich II.

In addition to bathing in all kinds of pleasures, Pope John XII continued to engage in foreign and domestic politics, but it turned out very badly for him. Under his leadership, Rome, which had long forgotten about its former greatness, fell into even greater decline. City taxes went to satisfy the papal needs in the field of gambling and sexual pleasures. The weakness of the position of the Eternal City was immediately sensed by the cruel and treacherous King Berengar II of Israel, who in 959 captured the Duchy of Spoleto and began to plunder the papal lands north of Rome.

Since John XII lacked the military power to defend himself on his own, he had to seek support from one of the most influential sovereigns of the time - the King of Germany, Duke of Saxony and Franconia Otto I. The latter quickly defeated Berengar's forces and entered Rome almost unopposed in January. 962 years old. Otto, who had long dreamed of restoring the empire of Charlemagne, received the crown of the Holy Roman Empire in gratitude from the pope. “Thus the most despicable of all pontiffs,” the historian John Norwich caustically observes, “restored the empire of Charlemagne, which was destined to last for at least nine and a half centuries.” Indeed, in the interest of the moment, wanting to profit from Otto's favor, John XII helped found the Holy Roman Empire, a great power that only collapsed as a result of the Napoleonic Wars.

Otto I and Pope John XII

Two weeks after his coronation in St. Peter's Basilica, Otto I left Rome. Before this, he gave the young pope a series of fatherly instructions, convincing him to abandon his dissolute lifestyle. Otto's moralizing infuriated the pope. Behind the emperor's back, he began to negotiate with Berengarius' son Adalbert, promising him Otto's imperial crown.

The good-natured Otto initially did not believe these rumors, but when he was told that Adalbert had arrived in Rome, and unimaginable orgies were taking place in the Lateran Palace, he decided to march with an army on the Eternal City. John XII, having learned about Otto's approach, together with Adalbert, stole all the money remaining in the treasury and fled. The emperor freely entered the city and soon assembled a synod. About a hundred of the most prominent bishops came to see him. Numerous evidence of the pope's non-Christian behavior on the throne of St. Peter was announced. According to the chronicler, John XII was accused of “he openly went hunting... blinded his spiritual father Benedict... became responsible for the death of Cardinal Subdeacon John, ordering his castration... set houses on fire and appeared in public girded with a sword, wearing a helmet and armor "

Otto I. Image by Lucas Cranach the Elder

Otto sent the pope a letter asking him to return to Rome to justify himself, but John responded by threatening to excommunicate the synod participants from the church and deprive them of their positions. The pontiff wrote his address to them in Latin with errors, which caused laughter among the representatives of the higher clergy. A number of other funny incidents led to the fact that the runaway dad was simply no longer taken seriously. On December 6, 963, at the request of Otto, the council elected a new head of the Church - Leo VIII. John XII, in turn, was convicted of a vicious life and deposed.

However, he was not going to give up the papal throne so easily. In January 964, as soon as Otto and his army left Rome, John returned to the city. All decisions of the synod were annulled, and many of its participants faced torture and painful death. The new synod, assembled by John, excommunicated Leo VIII, who managed to find refuge with Otto. The emperor was distracted by the fight with other opponents and was able to prepare a new campaign against Rome only at the beginning of May 964. On the way, he learned that the young and dissolute father had died. The exact cause of his sudden death is unknown. According to some sources, he was overtaken by an apoplexy during love pleasures; according to others, dad was stabbed to death by the husband of one of his mistresses. The chronicler of Otto I wrote that perhaps Satan himself killed John with a blow to the head and took his faithful servant to hell.

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(† 05/14/964, Rome; before the election of Pope - Octavian), Pope of Rome (from December 16, 955). Originated from Rome. aristocratic family. Son of Alberich II, Hertz. Spoleto, Rome. senator and consul, from 932 until his death in 954, he ruled the city alone. Information about Octavian's mother is contradictory: most likely it was Alda, the daughter of Cor. Italy Hugo of Arles and the legal wife of gr. Alberich II, however, in the “Chronicle” of Benedict of Soraktos it is stated that Octavian was the son of Alberich II’s concubine (however, this characteristic may also apply to Alda - Mann. 1910. P. 243-244). Octavian born in Rome, most likely at the residence of gr. Alberich II near c. St. Apostles. According to one of the editions of Liber Pontificalis, before being elected pope, Octavian was a cardinal deacon of Rome. diakonia of the Virgin Mary (S. Mariae in Domnica), which, however, is not confirmed by other sources. Elected to the Roman See in fulfillment of the last will of Count. Alberich II. If the hypothesis about the legitimate birth of Octavian is correct, then at the time of his election as pope he was 18 years old. Octavian accepted Christ. the name John, thus becoming the first Pope of Rome to change his name upon election (some researchers believe that Pope John II first changed his name).

Little is known about the first years of I.'s pontificate. According to the Chronicle of Salerno, the pope attempted to expand the territories subordinate to Rome in the south, organizing a campaign against Pandulf of Benevento and Landulf II of Capua, but was forced to return to Rome due to fears that the gr. Gisulf of Salerno will capture the city. In Terracina, I. concluded a peace treaty with Gisulf, the main condition of which, as researchers believe, was the renunciation of the Pope's claims to secular power in Salerno (Fedele. 1905).

To the beginning 60s X century the situation in Italy worsened due to the attempts of the cors who settled in Ravenna. Italy Berengar II and his son and co-ruler Adalbert strengthened their positions in Lombardy and the Center. Italy. In 960, I., being unable to resist them, turned to the Germans for help. cor. Otto I (936-973, emperor from 962). The exiled Archbishop of Milan also approached Otto with a request to come to Italy and punish Berengar. Walpert and Margr. Este Otbert. In the fall of 961, Otto led a campaign to Italy. Having not encountered serious resistance (Berengar II, avoiding battle, fortified himself in the fortress of San Leo (Montefeltro), and Adalbert fled to La Garde-Frenet (modern Var, France) or to Corsica), in the end. Jan. 962 Otto arrived in Rome, where he was solemnly greeted by the pope. On Sunday 2 Feb. 962, on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, after Otto took an oath to observe and protect the interests of the Romans and the Roman Church (the text of the oath was preserved by Bonizon of Sutri - Bonizonis episcopi Sutrini Liber ad amicum. 4 // MGH. Lib. T. 1. P. 581) the pope assigned to the germ. king and his wife Adelheid imp. crowns After the coronation, a Council was held under the chairmanship of the pope and the emperor, where they probably discussed the issue of creating an archbishopric in Magdeburg and the principles of the relationship between the pope and the emperor (Papstregesten. 1998. N 298, 304). At the Council, the creation of the Archbishop of Magdeburg was approved (the final decision on this issue was made at the Council in Ravenna in 967) and the Bishopric of Merseburg (Jaffé. RPR. N 2832); also based on its results on February 13. 962 imp. Otto I signed a charter with the privilege of the Roman Church (“Privilegium Ottonianum”; preserved copy of the 10th century). The text of the privilege is divided into 2 logical parts: a listing of secular possessions assigned to the Pope (§ 1-14), and provisions regulating the rights of the pope and emperor in Rome (§ 15-19); following W. Ullmann (Ullmann. 1953), the majority of modern researchers believe that the 2nd part of the privilege was absent from the original text of the document and was included in it after the election of Pope Leo VIII in December. 963 “Privilegium Ottonianum” contains few innovations compared to previous charters of this kind: the charter of Louis the Pious “Ludovicianum” (817) and the Roman Code of Pope Eugene II and Emperor. Lothair (“Constitutio romana”, also “Lotharianum”, 824). The Ottonian privilege confirmed the boundaries of the Papal States established by Louis the Pious (without the duchy of Salerno), and also preserved all the rights of the pope and emperor in Rome, stipulated in the Roman Code of 824. The Roman Church was guaranteed the free election of a bishop, but before his consecration he had to swear an oath in the presence of the imperial legates to comply with the terms of the agreement with the emperor. I. and the Romans swore an oath not to enter into an alliance with the emperor’s opponents, primarily with Berengar II and Adalbert.

After Otto I went with an army to northern Italy to lead the siege of the fortress of San Leo, I. entered into negotiations with Adalbert, inviting him to return to Italy and promising to provide support in the conflict with the emperor. Whether I. was the initiator of the negotiations, or he only responded to Adalbert’s requests for help, is unknown. At the same time, the pope tried to conclude an alliance with the Byzantine Empire and the Hungarians, sending messages calling for an attack on Germany. possessions of the emperor in his absence. The ambassadors were intercepted by the emperor. The papal legates accused Otto I of violating his promise to transfer to the Pope the territories assigned to the Papal Throne. The return embassy sent by Otto I in order to remove suspicions of non-fulfillment of promises was received by I. with hostility, while the pope greeted Adalbert in Rome solemnly. Otto I, having learned about the return of his son Berengar II, left the fortress of San Leo and with a small detachment went to Rome, where he ended. Oct. 963 he was met by supporters of I. and Adalbert, who, after a short-term armed confrontation, were forced to flee to Tivoli or, according to the testimony of Liber Pontificalis and Benedict of Soractos, to Campania.

6 Nov 963 imp. Otto I convened a Council, at which the trial of I. was held. The Pope was accused of sacrilege, debauchery, simony, murder and perjury. They sent him a letter inviting him to attend the Council, but I. refused, threatening the Council participants with excommunication. When, despite the threat, the Council accepted the indictment and declared I. deposed, the pope fled. Instead, with the support of the emperor, December 4. 963 Leo VIII was elected to the Roman See. However, anti-imperial sentiment was also strong in Rome, which led to an uprising (Jan. 3, 964). The rebels tried to expel the emperor, who had fortified himself near the Vatican Basilica and the Castle of the Holy Angel, but their performance was suppressed by the army of Otto I. In the middle. Jan. The emperor left Rome for Spoleto, and in February. I returned to Rome, accompanied by the army. February 26. In 964, a new Council was held in the Vatican Basilica, at which the Council of 963 was declared illegal, I. was restored to his rank, and Pope Leo VIII was deposed (MGH. Const. T. 1. P. 532-536). Leo VIII fled to Pavia, where he was respectfully received by the emperor. Otto I, who began to prepare for a new campaign against Rome. However, on May 14, 964, I. died under mysterious circumstances. According to Liutprand of Cremona, the pope, on a date with a certain Roman woman outside the city walls, was struck in the temple by the devil, and 8 days later I. died.

Judging by fragmentary information, I. supported the Cluny movement and church reform in the West Frankish kingdom and in England. The papal letter to Berner, abbot of the Monastery of the Virgin Mary and St. Cunegondes in Omblier: at the request of the West Franc. cor. Lothar's pope freed the monastery from vassalage to Gilbert of Ribemont, emphasizing that the monastery should never be the fief of a secular ruler, and also granted the monastery the Benedictine charter and the right to freely elect an abbot (Jaffé. RPR. N 2822). In England, I. approved St. Dunstan, leader of church reform. Charters and other documents confirming the privileges of monasteries and bishops have been preserved, but their number is small. It is known about the work that was carried out under I. in the Lateran Basilica. In 960, by order of I., the basilica was repaired, and a chapel dedicated to the apostle was built in it. Thomas (oratorium S. Thomae apostoli), subsequent. for a long time served as the papal sacristy. Descriptions of the chapel have been preserved, as well as copies of 2 fragments of wall paintings. Both fragments are images of I.: on one, the deacons help the pope put on the casula, on the other, I. blesses the believers under a canopy.

In the Middle Ages and in modern times, I. was known in historiography as one of the most dissolute popes. This reputation was founded by Ch. arr. on the modern pontificate I. op. "The History of Otto" by Liutprand of Cremona. The pope was accused of simony, of uncanonical actions (I. allegedly ordained a deacon in the stable), of neglect of the poor condition of the churches, of turning the Lateran Palace into a refuge for dissolute women, of fornication, including in churches, of seducing married women, in incestuous relationships, etc. I.’s notoriety was reflected in other contemporary sources: in the Liber Pontificalis, in the “Continuation of the Chronicle of Reginon of Prüm” (Continuatio Reginonis), in the “Chronicle” of Benedict of Soraktos, as well as in later chronicles. In the late Middle Ages. description of the transfer of the relics of St. Kyriak in Bamberg it is reported that I., having become pope, sent to Preziosa, the abbess of the monastery of St. Cyriacus in Rome, an ambassador with a certain proposal, which caused an angry refusal from the abbess. I. harbored a grudge against the abbey, and when Otto I arrived in Rome in 962, the pope removed the relics of St. from the monastery. Kiriak and presented them to the emperor, among other things. relics (ActaSS. Aug. T. 2. P. 338-339). Most researchers tend to treat such information critically; they note imp. the focus of early sources and the dependence on them of later ones.

Source: LP. Vol. 2. P. 246-249; Jaffe. RPR. N 2821-2844; Liudprandus Cremonensis. Historia Ottonis // MGH. Script. Rer. Germ. T. 41. P. 159-175; Benedictus S. Andreae monachus. Chronicon, an. 955-964 // MGH. SS. T. 3. P. 717-719; Continuator Reginonis, an. 961-964 // MGH. SS. T. 1. P. 624-627; Chronicon Salernitanum. 166/Ed. U. Westerbergh. Stockholm, 1956. P. 170; Sickel T., von. Das Privilegium Otto I. für die römische Kirche. Innsbruck, 1883; MGH. Dipl. T. 1: Conradi I. Henrici I. et Ottonis I diplomata. P. 322-327; MGH. Const. T. 1. P. 532-536; Papstregesten, 911-1024 / Bearb. H. Zimmermann. W., 19982. N 254-355. (Regesta Imperii; Tl. 2. Abt. 5).

Lit.: Duchesne L. Les Premiers temps de l"État Pontifical. P., 19042. P. 328-352; Fedele P. Di alcune relazioni fra i conti del Tuscolo ed i principi di Salerno // Archivio della Società Romana di Storia Patria. R., 1905. Vol. 28. P. 5-21; Mann H. K. The Lives of the Popes in the Early Middle Ages. L., 1910. Vol. 4. P. 241-272; Wilpert J. Die römischen Mosaiken und Malereien der kirchlichen Bauten vom IV. bis XIII. Jh. Freiburg i. Br., 19172. Bd. 1. S. 212-213; Amann E. Jean XII // DTC. T. 8. Col. 619-626 ; Ladner G. B. I ritratti dei Papi nell "antichità e nel medioevo. Vat., 1941. Vol. 1. P. 163-167; Ullmann W. The Origins of the Ottonianum // CHJ. 1953. Vol. 11. N 1. P. 114-128; Zimmermann H. Die Deposition der Päpste Johannes XII., Leo VIII. u. Benedikt V. // MIÖG. 1960. Bd. 68. S. 209-225; Hehl E. D. Die angeblichen Kanones der römischen Synode vom Februar 962 // DA. 1986. Bd. 42. S. 620-628; Hampe K. Die Berufung Ottos des Grossen nach Rom durch Papst Johann XII. // Historische Aufsätze: K. Zeumer z. 60. Geburtstag: FS. Fr./M., 1987r. S. 153-167; Kreuzer G. Johannes XII. // BBKL. Bd. 3. Sp. 208-210; Gregorovius F. History of the city of Rome in Wed. centuries: From V to XVI centuries. M., 2008. pp. 459-468.